(Washington, DC) Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Attorney General Linda Singer and Metropolitan Police Chief (MPD) Cathy Lanier today said they were pleased that the US Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller has agreed to review a decision in which the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit declared that the District’s longstanding ban on handguns violates the Second Amendment. 

“The Council enacted the handgun ban more than 30 years ago because it would reduce gun violence,” Mayor Fenty said. “It has saved many lives since then and will continue to do so if allowed to remain in force. We are committed to fighting for the safety and welfare of the District’s residents, and are glad that the Supreme Court will allow us to present our arguments there.”

“The District’s ban on handguns does not violate the Second Amendment,” Singer said. “The Council acted reasonably and within its powers when it passed the District’s ban on handguns, and we look forward to making these arguments to the Supreme Court. The DC Circuit’s decision was in conflict with nearly every other federal circuit court in the country, and wrong on the law.”

“I am very pleased with the Court’s ruling to hear this case. As Chief of Police, I know first hand the consequences of gun violence. The more handguns that are in the home, the more likely it is that people will lose their lives. Unfortunately, it is too easy to resolve disputes with the pull of the trigger,” Lanier said.