Norton Says U.S. Court of Appeals Ruling on D.C. Concealed Carry Law Should Send Signal to Rand Paul to Stop Trying to Overturn D.C. Gun Safety Laws

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said she was "relieved, candidly, as expected," that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr.'s decision—that D.C.'s "good reason" requirement for issuing a concealed carry permit was unconstitutional—because the decision was outside his jurisdiction as a visiting judge. D.C.'s carry requirements are similar to those that have been upheld by other federal circuit courts. Norton said today's decision once again demonstrates that D.C. gun safety laws should be left to the city and courts, not Congress, and should send a strong signal to Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to withdraw his extreme bill to overturn all of D.C.'s gun safety laws.

Judge Scullin is a federal district court judge from the Northern District of New York, but in 2011 was assigned to fill in as a visiting judge for the District Court for D.C. The Court of Appeals ruled that he did not have the authority to decide this particular case. Norton said the Court of Appeals decision demonstrates the need for federal district judges who serve D.C. to live within the city limits. Norton, who has senatorial courtesy to recommend federal district judges for D.C., has been able to get the President to nominate federal judges who reside here. However, they are not required to be D.C. residents under federal law. In contrast, judges in every other jurisdiction in the United States—with the exception of New York City, which is the only jurisdiction divided between two federal districts—are required by federal law to reside within the jurisdictions where they have been appointed. Norton introduced a bill last month to require those federal officials serving D.C. to live in the city.

"Today's decision once again demonstrates that D.C.'s gun safety laws should be left to D.C. or, if necessary, to the courts, not politically-motivated politicians running for President in need of raising their national profiles," Norton said. "Rand Paul has not succeeded to overturn our gun safety laws in the Senate this year. However, his two desperate attempts to do so are another argument for D.C. statehood."