AG Brnovich Statement: Appeals Court Blocks Unconstitutional DC Law Restricting Gun Rights

PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich released the following statement today after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit blocked a gun regulation in Washington D.C., that limited the right to carry a handgun in public to those with a special need for self-defense.

"The United States Constitution clearly recognizes our right to bear arms, and the D.C. Circuit strongly affirmed that today," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "We stand with all law-abiding gun owners and their right to defend themselves, and we applaud the court’s commitment to protecting and preserving our rights.”

In 2016, Attorney General Mark Brnovich led a 16-state coalition in filing an Amicus Brief supporting the legal challenge in Grace v. District of Columbia. Matthew Grace is a member of Pink Pistols, an LGBT organization dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense. In the Amicus Brief, the attorneys general argued that D.C.'s law makes it almost impossible for a citizen to obtain a license to carry a firearm which violates the Second Amendment and does nothing to improve public safety.

Arizona was joined in the Amicus Brief by Attorneys General from Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Full copy of the decision.