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"The District of Columbia — a densely populated urban locality where the violence caused by handguns is well documented — will be unable to enforce a law that its elected officials have sensibly concluded saves lives," wrote lawyers for the city.
A federal appeals court in March had ruled the handgun ban to be unconstitutional.
The city’s 31-year-old law has prevented most private citizens from owning and keeping handguns in their homes.
Among major U.S. cities, only Chicago, Illinois, and the District of Columbia have such sweeping firearm bans. Courts have generally upheld other cities’ restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns.
The District of Columbia reported 143 gun-related murders last year. In 1976, when the handgun ban was enacted, the district’s medical examiner said 135 homicides were firearm-related.
The March ruling that overturned the ban was the first time a federal appeals court had found a gun law unconstitutional on Second Amendment grounds.
That provision states, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The Supreme Court has steered clear of settling whether the right is individual or collective, and it last examined the issue in 1939 without fully delving into the broader constitutional questions. The issue has remained essentially unresolved since the Bill of Rights were enacted in 1791.
Several District of Columbia citizens first challenged the handgun law, some saying they wanted to do something about being constant victims of crime.
Recent polling finds gun control, remains an important political issue with voters. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey of Americans in December showed 65 percent believe the Constitution guarantees each person the right to own a gun, while 31 percent said no.
The conservative high court majority has been generally supportive in recent years, letting states and cities craft gun-control laws.

cnn.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Bruce Weber reached into the Lou Henson clothing vault Sunday and pulled out a sport jacket that looked like it was stolen from the coat room at an Orange Bowl cocktail party.
The term “fresh squeezed” came to mind when Weber strolled to the Illini bench prior to the start of Sunday’s championship game of the Big Ten Tournament.
Weber has collected a half-dozen or more orange sport coats since becoming head coach at the University of Orange and Blue. And when Ryan Baker, the host of his TV show, recently presented him with an orange necktie as a gift, Weber announced that his inventory of school-color neckwear had now reached 63.
“I’m going to have to get a new tie rack,” he said. “The old one only holds 62.”
Illinois tried to complete a fantasy weekend run Sunday, going for its fourth victory in four days. Alas, Wisconsin is too good, too polished and too savvy to be suckered into any sloppy play now. The Badgers made half of their 18 3-point shots and easily turned back the Illini, 61-48.
At least disgruntled Illinois State fans won’t be storming Champaign to hunt down anyone wearing orange. Blame for the Redbirds not being invited to the NCAA tournament will be placed somewhere, but it’s not Illinois’ fault.

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