Gun owners with registered rifles and shotguns in Washington, DC may no longer be at risk of felony charges for carrying their weapons. This change arises from concerns that the city’s stringent gun regulations might conflict with Supreme Court decisions, according to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who spoke on Tuesday.

The alteration in policy, as initially reported by the Washington Post, follows Pirro’s receipt of directions from the Justice Department and the solicitor general. They indicated that DC’s restrictions on owners with registered, but non-permitted, rifles and shotguns infringe upon the Second Amendment rights. 

The DC law “is clearly a violation of the Supreme Court’s holdings,” Pirro told the Washington Post, confirming the Trump administration’s memo. 

The Supreme Court struck down DC’s ban on handgun ownership in the home for self-defense in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case. 

The Supreme Court broadened gun rights further in the 2022 NY State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case. In this decision, a majority of the justices ruled that the Constitution affirms the rights of gun owners to publicly carry firearms for self-defense. The court also decided that gun laws must align with the historical tradition of firearm regulation within the nation.

Pirro, a notoriously tough-on-crime former judge, was adamant that the new guidance would not impact her ability to prosecute gun crimes, and get illegal firearms off the streets of the nation’s capital.  

“Nothing in this memo from the Department of Justice and the Office of Solicitor General precludes the United States Attorney’s Office from charging a felon with the possession of a firearm, which includes a rifle, shotgun, and attendant large capacity magazine pursuant to DC Code 22-4503,” she told the outlet.  

“What it does preclude is a separate charge of possession of a registered rifle or shotgun,” she added. 

DC’s stringent gun laws prohibit open carry and, in general, require individuals to obtain a concealed-carry permit – which are not issued for shotguns or rifles – in order to leave home with a firearm.

Unlawfully carrying a registered long gun in DC can result in a fine and imprisonment for up to five years.

In response to a request for comment from The Post, Pirro said: “Criminal culpability is not determined by the instruments people employ but by the intent and conduct of the actor.” 

“Crimes are intentional acts and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent by my office regardless of what instruments of criminality are used,” her statement continued. “My job is to keep this city, its citizens, its businesses, and its visitors safe from harm and I will do that to the fullest extent of the law.”