D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles has requested that the U.S. District Court dismiss a lawsuit filed by gun advocates that would allow the District population to carry concealed weapons.

The lawsuit was initially filed by attorney Alan Gura on Aug. 6 on behalf of D.C. residents, non-D.C. residents and the [Second Amendment Foundation](https://www.saf.org/), a gun-rights advocacy group. Current law prevents anyone – both legally gun-owning D.C. residents and non-residents with valid carry permits – from carrying a firearm in public.

In the lawsuit, Gura argued that the District’s policies violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“The District of Columbia may not completely ban the carrying of handguns for self-defense, deny individuals the right to carry handguns in non-sensitive places, deprive individuals of the right to carry handguns in an arbitrary and capricious manner, or impose regulations on the right to carry handguns that are inconsistent with the Second Amendment,” Gura stated in the lawsuit.

Gura presented practical arguments for protecting the constitutional rights of citizens. He disputes claims that arming residents will lead to the escalation of crime in D.C., saying that registered gun owners “are law-abiding citizens who do not commit crimes,” reported [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080702997.html).

Nickles, who filed the motion for dismissal of the lawsuit, cited the concern that allowing concealed guns in public would affect law enforcement.

“In addition to assisting the Secret Service with daily movements of the president and vice president around the city, and protecting foreign dignitaries, [the Metropolitan Police Department] also provides security support for more than 4,000 special events annually. Imagine how difficult it will be for law enforcement to safeguard the public, not to mention the new president at the inaugural parade, if carrying semi-automatic rifles were to suddenly become legal in Washington,” stated the legal brief filed by Nickles.

Nickles added that the current city law, which makes it possible for licensed gun owners to keep weapons in their homes for personal protection, actually falls under the category of a reasonable restriction.

This current law was enacted in 2008, after Gura went to court to challenge the pre-existing gun laws in D.C. In June 2008, Gura filed a lawsuit, decided as District of Columbia v. Heller by the Supreme Court, which secured the right of D.C. residents to keep guns in their homes, ending the District’s 30-year ban.

Gura has promised to respond to the petition for dismissal in coming days.

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