D.C. Asks Supreme Court To Uphold Gun Ban

The District of Columbia on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that struck down the city's 30-year-old ban on private handgun ownership.

If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could lead to the high court's first direct ruling on the Second Amendment since 1939.

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the appeal on the steps of police headquarters.

"The bottom line is we do not need more guns in this city," Fenty said.

A federal appeals court panel ruled in March that the district's broad gun law was unconstitutional.

The law bars residents from keeping handguns in their homes and prohibits the carrying of a gun without a license. Registered firearms such as rifles and shotguns must be kept unloaded and disassembled or fitted with trigger locks.

Fenty noted that the appeals court ruling deals specifically with the issue of guns in the home, saying it does not affect the ban on carrying handguns on the street.

The law remains in effect during the appeals process.