Statement Of Brady President Paul Helmke On Supreme Court Taking Gun Case

Nov 20, 2007

Washington D.C. - Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement:

“By agreeing to hear the appeal by the District of Columbia in the Parker/Heller case, the U.S. Supreme Court has the chance to reverse a clearly erroneous decision and make it clear that the Constitution does not prevent communities from having the gun laws they believe are needed to protect public safety.

“The decision by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals in the Parker case was an example of judicial activism at its worst. It ignored longstanding Supreme Court precedent, discounted the express language of the Second Amendment, and substituted its policy preferences for those of the District's elected representatives. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will reverse this flawed ruling.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in this case will be extremely significant - the most important decision on guns in nearly 70 years and maybe the most important ever regarding the Second Amendment.”

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The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, through its Legal Action Project, has long led the fight to defend gun laws against legal attack in the courts. Its lawyers have appeared in dozens of cases as “friends of the court” and have been recognized for their expertise on Constitutional issues relating to gun laws. Their research and analysis on the meaning of the Second Amendment has been cited by federal courts upholding gun laws against Constitutional attack. The Brady Center complements the legislative and grassroots mobilization efforts of its sister organization, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters.