AP Success - AP U.S. Gov & Pol: SCOTUS Comparison: Gun Control Cases and McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010)

In 2002, political activist Robert A. Levy set out to challenge the District of Columbia’s laws limiting gun ownership. These laws forbid the possession of handguns and required owners of shotguns and rifles to dissemble these weapons when not in use and install trigger locks.

Levy found six plaintiffs to use the District of Columbia on behalf of his cause. Each plaintiff had a unique life experience that promoted the idea that handguns were necessary for self-defense. One of the plaintiffs was Dick Anthony Heller, a police officer in the District of Columbia. 

The lawsuit began in district court in 2003. The local district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed the lawsuit. The case went in front of the Supreme Court as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008).  

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia’s gun control laws and incorporated the Second Amendment to the district.