Tuesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon revives the battle over gun rights in the nation’s capital by temporarily banning enforcement of a key portion of the city’s “may issue” laws, which have kept the number of concealed carry permits to a minimum.
“Because the right to bear arms includes the right to carry firearms for self-defense both in and outside the home, I find that the District’s ‘good reason’ requirement likely places an unconstitutional burden on this right,” Judge Leon wrote in a 46-page opinion that granted a preliminary injunction while the case plays out in court.
The lawsuit is at least the second to challenge concealed carry laws adopted by the District to comply with a federal judge’s 2014 ruling that overturned the city’s long-standing ban on the carrying of firearms in public.
