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"Why Can't You Carry A Gun Into a Federal Building"?

That's just one provocative question raised by Nina Totenberg on NPR this morning, as she previews arguments in the Chicago handgun case to be heard by The Supremes today:

The odds are that gun advocates will win this case. The Supreme Court's groundbreaking 2008 decision was by a 5-4 vote, with conservatives in the majority. But now the question is whether a right declared fundamental by the court can be isolated as a federal right only ? a proposition that liberals generally have not favored.

And if gun advocates do win this case, expect a torrent of other cases, some already in the pipeline, that test a huge array of existing gun regulations ? everything from laws banning concealed weapons to those banning the carrying of weapons in public without a permit, and laws that issue a carry permit only upon a showing of good cause or necessity.

Then there are laws that limit the number of guns that can be purchased at one time; laws that ban assault weapons; laws that ban hunting rifles with optical sights in urban areas; laws that require guns to be trigger-locked or stored in a locked container ? even a new California law that requires handguns to micro-stamp each cartridge when fired with the serial number of the gun.

All of those laws could be in jeopardy, and more, depending on how the Supreme Court rules.

Listen, I know some federal courts where you can't carry in a cellphone, let alone a pistol.

And, for whatever reason, no audio transcripts of the oral argument will be made available, so you can forget any YouTube mashups on this one.

Argument begins at 10 a.m.

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on March 02, 2010 (boomark / email).