Supreme Court leaves in place District of Columbia's gun restriction on large magazines
Share and Follow


WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday left in place a longstanding gun restriction in the District of Columbia that bans magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, opting once again to avoid taking up a new gun rights case.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority that generally favors gun rights, turned away a challenge to the Washington, D.C., law just a few days after rejecting an appeal over a similar law in Rhode Island.

Then, the court also left in place Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons including the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

Follow live politics coverage here

The court expanded gun rights in a major 2022 ruling that found for the first time that the right to bear arms under the Constitution’s Second Amendment extends outside the home. But the court has since frustrated gun owners by declining to take up cases that would expand upon that ruling.

The District of Columbia has long been a legal battleground over gun restrictions. The Supreme Court’s landmark 2008 ruling that for the first time found that people have an individual right to bear arms in self defense in their homes arose from a challenge to a D.C. law.

In the latest case, four gun owners challenged the restriction on large-capacity magazines that was enacted in the aftermath of the 2008 Supreme Court ruling, saying the restriction is unlawful under the later 2022 decision.

Both a federal judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the law.

The appeals court, in a 2-1 vote, said in a ruling last year that although large-capacity magazines are arms under the Second Amendment and have been in common use for years, they can be regulated because they are “particularly dangerous.”

Last summer, the Supreme Court sidestepped multiple gun-related disputes soon after it issued a ruling that upheld a federal law that prohibits people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms.

In other action on pending appeals Friday, the court decided against taking up a significant election case involving mail-in ballots in the battleground state of Pennsylvania that pitted Republicans against Democrats.

The decision leaves intact a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that said voters who send mail-in ballots that are flagged as defective can then file a separate provision in-person ballot.

The Republican National Committee was seeking to overturn the 2024 state court decision, while the Democratic National Committee was defending it.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
US conducts first strike in Caribbean since Maduro capture

US Launches First Caribbean Strike Following Maduro’s Arrest

The United States military announced on Friday that they had executed their…
Why freezing rain has millions at risk of losing power — and heat

Freezing Rain Threatens Power Outages and Heating Loss for Millions

ATLANTA (AP) — Each morning this week, Keith Avery, CEO of Newberry…
Treadmill recall expands to include about 47,000 units

Urgent Treadmill Recall Alert: Over 47,000 Units Affected – Check If Yours is on the List!

Johnson Health Tech North America has broadened its voluntary recall of Matrix…
student arrested university of utah

Utah Campus Controversy: Conservative Student Claims Violent Threat from Radical Left-Wing Peer Before Arrest

A University of Utah student has accused a left-wing activist of threatening…
Bridget Jones actor Donald Douglas dies aged 92 after a short illness

Farewell to a Star: Donald Douglas, 92, Bridget Jones Actor Passes After Brief Illness

Donald Douglas, renowned for his role in Bridget Jones, has passed away…
Chris Pratt, Jason Bateman, Zooey Deschanel watch Lakers vs. Clippers

Star-Studded Lineup: Chris Pratt, Jason Bateman, and Zooey Deschanel Shine Courtside at Lakers vs. Clippers Showdown

Thursday night’s basketball showdown in Los Angeles attracted a star-studded crowd, with…
NYPD ordered to cut back on overtime under Mamdani

NYPD Overtime Reduction Mandate: What Mamdani’s Directive Means for NYC

The New York Police Department has been instructed to reduce overtime hours,…