"Everything about the case called District of Columbia v. Heller screams history in the making"
The Supreme Court hears oral argument Tuesday in the biggest gun rights case ever:
An extraordinary 66 friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed, citing everyone from King James II to Western author Louis L’Amour. Justices have extended the customary hour-long oral argument by 15 minutes. Upward of 80 reporters have signed up to attend the arguments, exceeding any other case this term.
Informed observers expect a victory for gun rights:
One experienced court-watcher, former Duke University School of Law professor Erwin Chemerinsky, all but assumed in a legal brief that Chief Justice John G. Roberts and a conservative court majority will uphold the individual-rights interpretation.
“It’s the most likely outcome,” agreed Carl Bogus, a gun-control advocate and law professor at Roger Williams University Law School in Rhode Island.
Vice President Dick Cheney joined 305 members of Congress in filing a friend-of-the-court brief that urges the invalidation of D.C.’s handgun ban.