or really really bad 
... Tom
(Sorry, Hobie; definitely not OT, maybe POLITICS, is there a SURVIVAL label?)
Top Court Sets Date For Gun Ban Case
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the D.C. gun ban case on March 18, the court announced Tuesday.
Justices have cleared their slate for D.C. vs. Heller, perhaps the most important 2nd Amendment case the court has tackled in 70 years. Arguments will begin at 10 a.m.
At stake is the District’s total ban on handguns, its drastic limits on other firearms, and perhaps gun control laws in cities and states nationwide.
The fight boils down to whether the U.S. Constitution guarantees individuals or militias the right to keep and bear arms.
The District’s gun ban was tossed out last spring by a lower court, setting up a potentially historic battle before the nine justices.
The District filed its first brief in the case on Jan. 4. In it, the city argued that its existing law is reasonable, that D.C. has the same right as states to restrict firearms, and that the 2nd Amendment speaks only to the arming of state militias.
The respondents, representing D.C. resident and firearm owner Dick Anthony Heller, must file their first brief by Feb. 3. The District will then have the opportunity to respond in writing prior to oral arguments.
Leading the District’s team is former U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dellinger. He could not be reached for comment.
Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky will argue for Heller.
Gura said he is looking forward to arguing the case before the highest court in the land. It’ll be the first time he’s argued before the Supreme Court.
“The law is very clear,â€
