Washington D.C. police have been instructed not to arrest people for carrying handguns in public, following a federal judge's Saturday ruling that is expected to be challenged by the city.
The lawsuit was brought by several defendants in 2005 challenging the city's complete ban on handguns in public, which the federal judge ruled as unconstitutional. Those who own registered handguns will not be arrested, while those who carry unregistered handguns in public could face charges, The Washington Post reported.
Furthermore, the ruling will be in effect "unless and until such time as the District of Columbia adopts a licensing mechanism consistent with constitutional standards enabling people to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms," Judge Frederick Scullin said according to the dcist.com.
The D.C. attorney general's office announced it will seek a stay of the ruling until the city decides whether or not to appeal, the Post reported.
"Its time of effectiveness could be very short," Ted Gest, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said of Scullin's ruling.
But lawmakers expressed concern for the dangers of Scullin's decision, no matter how temporary it may be.
The ruling "is troubling and threatens public safety," D.C. Council Member Muriel Bowser said according to the newspaper. She also urged Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan to appeal.
In the meantime the plaintiffs- Tom Palmer, George Lyon, Edward Raymond, Amy McVey, and the Second Amendment Foundation- are celebrating the victory.
"This is now a decision that the city is required to follow- the idea that the city can prohibit absolutely the exercise of a constitutional right for all people at all times, that was struck down. That's just not going to fly," Attorney Alan Gura, who represented the plaintiffs, said according to the Post.
The ruling could also bring pro-gun lawmakers one step closer to passing a legislation extending a person's right to carry in every state- meaning a person with a permit to carry in one state would automatically be able to do so in another.
