District of Columbia v. Heller
Definition
District of Columbia v. Heller was a landmark Supreme Court case in 2008 where it was ruled that individuals have a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense purposes.
Analogy
Imagine if your school had a rule against bringing certain types of calculators into math class. But then one student challenged this rule because they believed it violated their right to use tools necessary for learning. The principal (like Supreme Court) agreed with them and changed school policy. That's similar to what happened with District of Columbia v. Heller but with gun ownership instead.
Related terms
Second Amendment: Part of U.S Constitution which protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms.
McDonald v. Chicago (2010): A Supreme Court case that extended the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense to the states.
Self-Defense: The legal right, in most jurisdictions, to counter force with force for one's own personal safety.
"District of Columbia v. Heller" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (4)
What did the Supreme Court find in the District of Columbia v. Heller case?
What was the significance of the District of Columbia v. Heller decision?
What impact did the Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) have on individual gun rights?
How does the Second Amendment's interpretation in U.S. v. Miller (1939) compare to its interpretation in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)?
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