Chicago handgun ban (Evanston, Wilmette, Morton Grove: crimes, lawyers, home)

[Humboldt1]

Okay, this is an important topic and how the Supreme Court's ruling will affect Chicago is still up in the air.

Please don't talk about race or the NRA (though I think the NRA is relevant as they are behind some of the lawsuits being filed against handgun restrictions after this ruling) or this thread will be shut down.

That being said, what do posters think this will impact Chicago laws, if at all.

Personally, I believe it may change the laws but nothing will materially chnage. Illegal firearms will still be used in the majority of crimes. Gun laws don't seem to affect criminals so long as there is a steady supply of guns from elsewhere.

One could argue that if we stopped manufacturing guns altogether and only let police have them that this would stem the supply. I agree with this but believe it will never happen as this would violate the 2nd amendment.

Again, please do your best to keep race and politics out of the discussion though I still see this discussion as inherently political, though applying to Chicago alone.

[Avengerfire]

Well smart burbs like Wilmette removed its ban last week. Morton Grove-the first town in the country to ban hanguns will remove its next week. Evanston is removing its ban next week also. Most will be removing theirs in the near future I suspect.

Mayor Daley is foolish and is only going to waste even more of the people of Chicagos money defending its unconstitutional ban.


abc7chicago.com: Chicago News 7/25/08

[Manigault]

Things to consider:

1. DC is not a state. Different constitutional rules may apply.

2. DC banned handguns. Chicago does not. (Yes, I know the registration law.)

3. DC banned long guns. Chicago does not.

4. Wilmette gave in because it has no full-time corporation counsel and had no stomach for a fight. Chicago has a plethora of lawyers.

The law is technical and tricky.

[Humboldt1]

At best Chicago and Daley will drag this thing out.

I know DC is not a city. If Daley wants to take this all the way to the Supreme Court again as a city I am sure he can but it would be fruitless. I see the ban coming down but they will just jack up registration fees so that only wealthy people will be able to have handguns and firearms in general. Poor people will still have guns illegally. Nothing changes, especially in poorer neighborhoods.

I heard today in church that the voluntary gun turn-in took 6000 guns off Chicago streets last year. What multiple of that were introduced into Chicago during the same time? Those voluntary gun turn ins are a joke.

[Manigault]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Those voluntary gun turn ins are a joke.

Except for folks who may lose an unused and unwanted gun in a residential burglary. Those guns, in stead of being in the hands of lawbreakers, are now in police custody. I think George Dunne lost a gun from his home during a residential burglary.

[Drover]

For the USSC to overturn Chicago's handgun ban (and yes, it is a de facto ban despite the fact that it's not "technically" a ban), it would have to rule that the 2nd Amendment is binding upon the states via incorporation through the 14th Amendment. I doubt they will.

For one, the Heller decision was held together by a razor-thin majority that probably would not hold for a broad expansion of the right beyond federal law. Second, you wouldn't even be able to count on the reliable conservative block to vote that way either. The type of originalism embraced by Thomas and Scalia takes a very skeptical view of the Incorporation doctrine, and I could see those two, especially Scalia, declining to expand the Heller line of reasoning beyond restrictions on federal action.