A federal judge on Tuesday sided with the District of Columbia and granted a 90-day stay on a ruling that challenged the local ban on carrying handguns in public.
The order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Frederick Scullin is in response to Attorney General Irvin Nathan's request for a stay on Monday.
In a ruling made public Saturday, Scullin concluded that the Second Amendment gives people the right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense.
Following the ruling, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier instructed officers not to arrest District residents carrying registered firearms or visitors who have permission to carry guns in their home states.
Meanwhile, Mayor Vincent Gray plans to draft legislation that would comply with the court ruling.
The lawsuit challenging the city's ban on carrying handguns outside the home was filed in 2009.
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