New DC Gun Restrictions Head To Court

The District of Columbia's new restrictions on the ownership and possession of handguns by residents is headed into federal court, as the plaintiff in the U. S. Supreme Court case that overturned Washington's 32-year-old handgun ban reacts to new restrictions.

In a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Dick Heller and two other plaintiffs allege that the city's new gun regulations still violate rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

The lawsuit cites the District of Columbia's unusual ban on firearms that carry more than 12 rounds of ammunition, which includes most semiautomatic handguns.

The suit also claims that the city's regulations make it all but impossible for residents to keep a gun ready for immediate self defense in the home.

The Supreme Court struck down Washington's handgun ban June 26. The D.C. Council passed emergency legislation July 15.

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