From the beginning, the case was known by another name -- the Parker case.
Parker v. District of Columbia
In February 2003, Ms. Shelly Parker, a former emergency room nurse and now a computer technology professional, and special police officer Heller, plus four other DC residents, sued the District of Columbia in U.S. District Court, hoping to win the right to keep handguns and an assembled shotgun in their homes for self-defense.
Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, appointed to his post by President Clinton in 1994, dismissed the case about a year later. However, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reversed the decision in March of last year with a 2-1 ruling.
The District of Columbia appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, over the objections of many gun control groups, and despite some apprehension among District officials who realized they might have a thin case.
My personal thanks to Ms. Parker, for getting the ball rolling, and Mr. Heller for not backing down from the forces arrayed against him in our nation's capitol.
26 June 2008
A Reminder: The Origins of Parker/Heller
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2 comments:
I'm kind of bummed Parker wasn't the case's namesake.
Can you imagine? A black woman affirms the Second Amendment!
Thanks for bringing her up.
You're welcome. There were many, myself included, who were disappointed Ms. Parker was dropped from the District of Columbia's appeal when they took it to the Supreme Court. I think you hit the nail on the head. Even DC officials knew that an african-american woman's plea to be armed to protect herself and family would be viewed sympathetically. But you are right. that would have been one heck of an affirmation! Thanks for writing.
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