Wrenn v. District of Columbia
09.03.15
Supporting the District of Columbia’s “good cause” concealed-carry permitting law.
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia; District of Columbia Circuit
Issue at Stake: Public carry
Summary: Wrenn v. District of Columbia was a challenge to the District of Columbia’s concealed carry permitting law. The law required applicants for a concealed carry permit to demonstrate a “good reason to fear injury” or any other “proper reason for carrying a pistol” before they received a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public.
On September 3, 2015, Everytown filed an amicus brief in the District of Columbia Circuit in support of the District, urging the court to reverse the district court’s decision which granted plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction against the law. Everytown’s brief demonstrated that the “good reason”/”proper reason” standard is of a piece with centuries of Anglo-American tradition, and fully consistent with the Second Amendment. The District of Columbia Circuit vacated the district court’s decision on jurisdictional grounds, and Everytown filed another amicus brief in the district court in 2016 outlining the same arguments as the first brief.
The district court subsequently denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. Upon the plaintiffs’ appeal, however, the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the decision and remanded with instructions to enter permanent injunctions against enforcement of the District’s law. Everytown filed a brief in support of the District’s motion for a rehearing en banc, which was denied.