Ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, on June 26, 2008, the majority opinion declared that “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home."

The question presented was:
"[W]hether a District of Columbia prohibition on the possession of usable handguns in the home violates the Second Amendment to the Constitution."
Oral Arguments
You can hear the oral arguments for this case here:
Or listen to them directly on the Supreme Court's website here.
The Ruling
You can read the final ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller either in our read in full below, or click here for a PDF.









