Supreme Court: Second Amendment applies to states and localities, too

By Thomas Lifson

A huge civil rights victory today from the Supreme Court, as the Justices voted 5 to 4 that constitutional protections for the right to bear arms apply to state and local governments, as well as the federal government.

This should not have been a difficult case to decide, as the Court has previously held that constitutional restraints on the federal government also apply to states and localities when other civil rights are in question. Nonetheless, the four liberal justices found reason to make exceptions for the civil right they personally disagree with.