p0ink
New member
Man at Center of Gun Ban Case Doesn't Get to Register Weapon (Heller)
WRC-TV ^ | Thursday, July 17, 2008 | Megan McGrath
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:41:22 AM by kristinn
WASHINGTON -- The plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Washington's strict 32-year-old handgun ban was among the first people to arrive at police headquarters to try to register his firearm.
Dick Heller showed up early Thursday, the first day that the city began registering residents for handguns, but he did not get to complete the registration process. That's because he did not bring the firearm that he wanted to register with him, News4's Megan McGrath reported.
Heller has been keeping his gun in Maryland and does not believe the amnesty program for people who have kept guns in the District illegally applies to him. Heller and his attorneys said they were worried about transporting the weapon across the border without a license. After police assured him it wasn't a problem, Heller said he would come back later with the gun.
Heller remains upset with the city's unusual restriction that bans weapons that carry more than 12 rounds of ammunition. Heller, who owns about half a dozen guns, also is frustrated that you can register only one for the first 90 days. He said the city isn't following the intent of the Supreme Court's ruling by having such restrictions.
The D.C. Council approved new firearms legislation Tuesday to comply with last month's Supreme Court ruling that struck down the ban. It allows handguns to be kept in the home if they're used only for self-defense and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition.
Heller's gun of choice is a semi-automatic weapon that is stored in Maryland. He will not be able to register it in D.C. under the law. An additional legal challenge has not been ruled out.
"This is a work in progress. We've just begun this morning," he said.
Other D.C. residents who wanted to register a gun began doing so Thursday. A slow stream of people trickled in to police headquarters 300 Indiana Avenue northwest starting at 7 a.m.
Law student Jordan Schwartz, 23, was among those who came to register.
"People such as myself, people who all they want to do is to be able to live in the District of Columbia without having to worry about self defense," he said.
Schwartz does not yet own a gun and will have to wait until a licensed dealer opens up the District.
A 180-day amnesty period will allow residents to register handguns they have had illegally or guns from other states.
Residents must bring guns unloaded to police headquarters, where they will fill out an application form and police will conduct ballistics tests.
If everything checks out, guns will be returned to owners, and they will get paperwork indicating that registration is in process. After an FBI background check, which takes about 14 days, the guns will be officially registered.
The registration process actually will be faster for people who have had illegal handguns compared with people who want to purchase guns.
A resident who wants to buy a handgun will have to wait at least a month. There are no legal firearms dealers in the city, so weapons will have to be purchased in a state and shipped to dealers in the city.
Police said the first D.C. dealers should be able to accept those guns in two weeks. It takes two more weeks for the registration process to be completed.
WRC-TV ^ | Thursday, July 17, 2008 | Megan McGrath
Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:41:22 AM by kristinn
WASHINGTON -- The plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Washington's strict 32-year-old handgun ban was among the first people to arrive at police headquarters to try to register his firearm.
Dick Heller showed up early Thursday, the first day that the city began registering residents for handguns, but he did not get to complete the registration process. That's because he did not bring the firearm that he wanted to register with him, News4's Megan McGrath reported.
Heller has been keeping his gun in Maryland and does not believe the amnesty program for people who have kept guns in the District illegally applies to him. Heller and his attorneys said they were worried about transporting the weapon across the border without a license. After police assured him it wasn't a problem, Heller said he would come back later with the gun.
Heller remains upset with the city's unusual restriction that bans weapons that carry more than 12 rounds of ammunition. Heller, who owns about half a dozen guns, also is frustrated that you can register only one for the first 90 days. He said the city isn't following the intent of the Supreme Court's ruling by having such restrictions.
The D.C. Council approved new firearms legislation Tuesday to comply with last month's Supreme Court ruling that struck down the ban. It allows handguns to be kept in the home if they're used only for self-defense and carry fewer than 12 rounds of ammunition.
Heller's gun of choice is a semi-automatic weapon that is stored in Maryland. He will not be able to register it in D.C. under the law. An additional legal challenge has not been ruled out.
"This is a work in progress. We've just begun this morning," he said.
Other D.C. residents who wanted to register a gun began doing so Thursday. A slow stream of people trickled in to police headquarters 300 Indiana Avenue northwest starting at 7 a.m.
Law student Jordan Schwartz, 23, was among those who came to register.
"People such as myself, people who all they want to do is to be able to live in the District of Columbia without having to worry about self defense," he said.
Schwartz does not yet own a gun and will have to wait until a licensed dealer opens up the District.
A 180-day amnesty period will allow residents to register handguns they have had illegally or guns from other states.
Residents must bring guns unloaded to police headquarters, where they will fill out an application form and police will conduct ballistics tests.
If everything checks out, guns will be returned to owners, and they will get paperwork indicating that registration is in process. After an FBI background check, which takes about 14 days, the guns will be officially registered.
The registration process actually will be faster for people who have had illegal handguns compared with people who want to purchase guns.
A resident who wants to buy a handgun will have to wait at least a month. There are no legal firearms dealers in the city, so weapons will have to be purchased in a state and shipped to dealers in the city.
Police said the first D.C. dealers should be able to accept those guns in two weeks. It takes two more weeks for the registration process to be completed.