Changing the constitutional landscape for firearms: The US supreme court's recent second amendment decisions

J.S. Vernick, L. Rutkow, D.W. Webster and S.P. Teret

American Journal of Public Health, 2011, vol. 101, issue 11, 2021-2026

Abstract: In 2 recent cases-with important implications for public health practitioners, courts, and researchers-the US Supreme Court changed the landscape for judging the constitutionality of firearm laws under the Constitution's Second Amendment. In District of Columbia v Heller (2008), the court determined for the first time that the Second Amendment grants individuals a personal right to possess handguns in their home. In McDonald v City of Chicago (2010), the court concluded that this right affects the powers of state and local governments. The court identified broad categories of gun laws-other than handgun bans-that remain presumptively valid but did not provide a standard to judge their constitutionality. We discuss ways that researchers can assist decision makers.

Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2011.300200_8

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300200

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