McDonald v. City of Chicago
United States Supreme Court
561 U.S. 742 (2010)
Relevant factsFree
Petitioners challenged a Chicago ordinance banning the possession of handguns by city residents, arguing it violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The challenge followed the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which had recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense under the Second Amendment but addressed only a federal enclave, leaving open whether the right applied against states and municipalities.
IssueFree
Whether the Second Amendment applies to the states, thereby invalidating a local law prohibiting residents from possessing handguns.