Heller Turned Away on First Day of Handgun Registration

[Vortex]

I guess you would have to read this to see if you can understand what happened, but as near as I can tell Dick Heller was turned away on the first day of D.C.'s new handgun registration because the people in charge of the rules can't figure out what their own rules are.

Turnout Low on First Day of Handgun Registration

By Paul Duggan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 17, 2008; 11:04 AM

In the first hours of the first day that it was legally possible to register handguns in the nation's capital, only one person showed up to do so--and he was turned away because he didn't bring his weapon with him.

Heller, accompanied by his attorney, was met on the steps of the building by a cluster of camera crews and Lt. Jon Shelton, head of the firearms registration unit. In an animated discussion, police explained to Heller that he needed to show officials the guns he wanted to register -- and allow them to be test-fired -- as part of the registration process.

Heller's attorney, Dane von Breichenruchardt, said Heller owns at least two handguns -- a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a 9-shot, .22-caliber revolver -- and has stored them for years with a friend in Maryland. Although officials said that gun owners in Heller's situation can bring legally owned firearms from other jurisdictions into the District in order to register them, the attorney said he had told Heller not to do so without written assurance that it was permissible.

After Assistant Police Chief Peter J. Newsham promised Heller in front of a dozen reporters and news cameras that he would "absolutely not" get in trouble for bringing a revolver into the city, von Breichenruchardt said his client would do so another day. Neither Heller nor his attorney seemed upset by the delay.

"I think what's happened here this morning is a misunderstanding of the law, and that's perfectly understandable," von Breichenruchardt said. "We've got this new law in flux. We've got the old law. It's very difficult to figure out how to even legally bring the handgun into the city so you can apply for the registry."

Newsham amiably agreed. "Firearms registration is a pretty complicated set of rules and regulations, and they can be interpreted by reasonable people in different ways," he said. "I'm sure [Heller is] making his own reasonable interpretation. Our understanding of the rule is that Mr. Heller can legally bring his weapon here." When he does, Newsham added, "we will do the best we can to accommodate him and get him a registration."

But Heller and his lawyer angrily criticized the city over other aspects of the handgun ownership and registration process, outlined in emergency legislation that was approved this week by the D.C. Council and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D).

The new law includes strict storage requirements that opponents of the handgun ban say violate the Supreme Court ruling. Gun owners must keep their pistols at home, unloaded and either disassembled or equipped with trigger locks. Weapons can only be loaded and used if the owner reasonably believes he or she is in imminent danger from an attacker in the home.

The city also has continued to ban most clip-loaded, semi-automatic handguns -- popular with gun enthusiasts -- by including those weapons in its broadly written ban on machine guns, which was not at issue in the Supreme Court ruling. For Heller, Newsham said, that means his Colt .45 cannot be registered.

"It appears that the city does not yet understand the decision and order of the Supreme Court," said Heller, a 66-year-old a security guard.

Von Breichenruchardt accused D.C. officials of "trying to find as many ways as they can to make the process as difficult and unattractive as they can," and predicted that the machine-gun ban will lead to more litigation. "Mayor Fenty promised us he would follow the letter and spirit of the law. He has done neither."

Story Continues Here

So the gun needs to be test fired. Let's guess if there are any written rules defining the testing criteria and what is required to pass.

More importantly, I'll bet the city will use the low turnout as a justification that no citizen of D.C. supports the SCOTUS decision rather than the reality that no one wants to be harassed by a bungling and incompetent city administration.

It is funny how the rule of law is supposed to be an abiding principle that everyone is supposed to follow, that is except certain politicians and their appointed minions. The reality is that this has nothing to do with public safety at all, but is just another attempt by power grabbing politicians to harass honest law abiding citizens even after the politicians have clearly lost their lawsuit.

[whenheavenfell]

every aspect of this is absolutely ridiculous.

[Brown-Bear]

1st and formost I am glad that at least they are moving forward on the issue at hand. In other words cuz I just know thats gonna be twisted, I'm glad that DC residents can have guns in the home. I am not at all surprised at how the city is going about this new process. Shameless disregard for the ruling, and blatantly making it hard as possible for anyone to get their weapons registered. Kinda reminds me of when the "Tommy" gun was put out for public purchase and the govt made the damned tax on the weapon....what...like 5x's greater than the price of the weapon itself. Sure you "could" buy one, but at that time in our history close to nobody had that kind of douhg lying around. They did it then and they are doing it now, Don't get me wrong the SCOTUS is just as much to blame, why have they not stepped in and said" Look Fenty this is what we meant and your not doing it......Now get your act together"? But then again the ruling was only 5-4, what else can we expect.

[CommonHighrise]

So the gun has to be 'test fired'? Wtf? My reccomendation to Mr. Heller is that he pops that hammer spring out of his wheelgun before he takes it in for the 'test firing'. Since when does a gun have to work to be considered a firearm? Last time I checked, the only portion of a handgun that was subject to the laws governing a firearm was the frame or platform upon which the serial number was engraved.

But then again, 'laws' and 'rights' are just inconveiniences to men like Fenty.

Also, just how much good is a 'dissasembled' firearm when someone breaks into your home? Is a criminal expected to pause and allow you to put it back together? And what is considered 'dissasembled'? In the case of Heller's S&W, is just the hammer spring enough? Or is it down to base components, cause you just cant throw a Wesson apart and back together that quickly.

[Jackal]

Perhaps the test firing is to collect spent shell casings and create a database therein....?

[Brown-Bear]

Yeah, I don't think the "test" fire is to actually see if it works, I bet they're back-dooring a database of shell casings. Still bullshit all around though.

Dave

[idpasharpshooter]

i think they are collecting the bullets too

[Pa.Bill]

This reminds me of 1978 New York City. After you application was approved you received a purchase order. This gave you 24 hours (may have been 48 hours)to purchase a hand gun, get back to One Ploice Plaza for inspection, they did not fire the gun.
If you saw how they inspected the gun you would roll on the floor laughing.

D.C. will be placing, any road block they can, every chance the get.
The only way to stop this will be legal actions against D.C. to set up proper and reasonable guidelines for applications and firearm approval.

D.C. knows the 'world is watching' they will put Heller through hell in hopes of discouraging future applicants.

I didn't see D.C. application fee however I'm sure there's a few.
Back in NYC the fee was for application and your back ground investigation.
A two year renewal in 1999 was $175.00. I'm sure D.C.'s application will not the cheep or even reasonable.

To see the end result of Heller in a time line is anyones guess.

~HAPPY LIVING IN PA~
Bill----------------------------------->

[Noah_Zark]

Not a surprise that DC is throwing up roadblocks. Did anyone seriously think they'd roll over and start granting permits for the asking? Too much face to lose.

Noah

[deputy]

What good can come about test firing a bullet and sending it to the police for database purposes. If anyone owns a glock, all they have to do is get a replacement barrel and bam there goes your registered ballistic fingerprint.

PS I smell another lawsuit coming.