On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a District of Columbia gun restriction prohibiting magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, choosing not to address a significant gun rights challenge. This decision comes shortly after the court rejected a similar law in Rhode Island and reaffirmed Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons, including the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.
Despite a conservative 6-3 majority that typically favors gun rights, the court has repeatedly avoided cases that could broaden or challenge existing gun regulations. This follows a major 2022 ruling that affirmed the Second Amendment right to bear arms extends beyond the home, but the court has frustrated gun advocates by sidestepping new cases.
The District of Columbia has historically been a hotbed for gun rights legislation; a landmark 2008 ruling established an individual’s right to possess firearms for self-defense at home, originating from a challenge to a D.C. law. In the latest scenario, a group of gun owners contested the large-capacity magazine restriction, arguing it violated their rights under the earlier 2022 ruling. Both a federal judge and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, with the latter noting that while large-capacity magazines qualify as arms under the Second Amendment, they can be regulated as they pose particular dangers.
Additionally, on the same day, the Supreme Court declined to hear a key election law case from Pennsylvania regarding mail-in ballots, leaving intact a state court ruling that allows voters with defective mail-in ballots to cast provisional in-person votes. The decision aligns with broader debates and challenges regarding voting methods in the upcoming 2024 elections.
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