Nordyke v. King, published April 20, 2009, explores the effect of last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision District of Columbia v. Heller on local government regulation of firearms. Heller determined that the Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms applied to individuals. Nordyke holds that the due process clause of the 14th amendment applies that right to the states. But it also holds that local governments can reasonably regulate the right to bear arms on public property. It therefore upheld a county ordinance that barred people from carrying firearms and ammunition on county property, except for certain entertainment purposes -- even if that had the incidental effect of banning gun shows on county property. It also upheld the ordinance against First Amendment and Equal Protection challenges.
UPDATE: On July 29, 2009, the Ninth Circuit voted to rehear this decision en banc. The three-judge-panel decision described above cannot be cited as precedent.
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