Supreme Court Continues to Avoid Gun Rights Cases: Declines Review of D.C. Magazine Restriction
The Supreme Court declined to review a gun restriction in Washington, D.C., that prohibits magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, continuing its trend of avoiding new gun rights cases. This decision follows a similar rejection of an appeal regarding a comparable law in Rhode Island. The court also upheld Maryland's ban on assault-style weapons, including the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. Despite a conservative majority that generally supports gun rights, the court has been selective in taking up cases to expand upon its 2022 ruling that recognized the right to bear arms outside the home. The challenge to the D.C. law, enacted after the 2008 landmark ruling on individual gun rights, was brought by four gun owners who argued that the restriction on large-capacity magazines violated the Second Amendment. Both a federal judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the law, citing the potential danger posed by such magazines. The Supreme Court's decision not to hear this case adds to its recent avoidance of contentious gun-related disputes, including a significant election case involving mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.