D.C. Attorney General to Appeal Concealed Carry Ruling

Barely a week after Washington, D.C. began accepting concealed carry applications, NBC4‘s Mark Segraves is reporting that D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan will appeal the judge’s initial decision which reversed the city’s decades-long ban.

Nathan will file the appeal by the end of the year, but the city will continue to accept concealed carry applications until a final decision is made, NBC4 said.

Judge Frederick Scullin Jr. issued his ruling in July, writing in Palmer v. District of Columbia that “there is no longer any basis on which this Court can conclude that the District of Columbia’s total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny.”

As the Washington City Paper reports, Scullin delayed his ruling from taking effect until Oct. 22, which gave the D.C. City Council time to impose strict regulations on who would be granted a concealed carry permit.

The applicant must demonstrate “good reasons to fear injury to person or property,” which means a specific threat. Living in a dangerous area of the city is not reason enough to warrant a CCW permit. In addition, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier makes the final decision of approval on who gets a permit. 16 hours of safety training and two hours of range training is also required, as is registering your gun with the police department. Carrying a concealed handgun is prohibited in places like schools and governments, or within 1,000 feet of demonstrations or public dignitaries.