By BRENDAN SCOTT and ANDY SOLTIS
Last updated: 7:23 am
June 27, 2008
Posted: 4:27 am
June 27, 2008
The US Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision yesterday shooting down a strict ban on handguns - a ruling that New York City officials said would have little impact here, but could open the door to challenges against gun laws.
"My first understanding from the briefing that I got is no, it will not" have a sweeping effect, Mayor Bloomberg said.
The city filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support Washington, DC, whose total handgun ban was killed yesterday by the high court.
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The 5-4 majority held that the Second Amendment right "to keep and bear arms" means that a citizen can keep a handgun at home.
But Bloomberg, co-chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, said the high court agreed with him that such guns can still be regulated.
In the Washington case, "they were arguing you didn't have the right to have a gun," he said. "What the court said was you have a right, but the state has an interest here as well, and can have reasonable regulations to protect the public.
"And we will continue to do everything we can to try to keep guns out of the hands of criminals."
Jacob Rieper, a lobbyist for the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, said the Supreme Court ruling would open the way to challenge some regulations, such as what gun owners call the arbitrary way pistol permits are granted.
"For years we've been told that if we don't like the law, we can get legislation passed or we can get a decision from the Supreme Court establishing a personal right to own a gun," Rieper said. "Now we have it."
"Some time in the very near future, once the lawyers get a chance to pore over it, I expect that it will be used as the basis for lawsuits in New York City and New York state."
Others said that the city's lengthy mandatory waiting period and costly licensing fee could be challenged.
