D.C. v. Heller

D.C. v. Heller (2008) was a Supreme Court case that ruled the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm, specifically for lawful purposes like self-defense within the home. The case challenged Washington, D.C.'s strict gun control laws, which largely banned handguns. The Court decided that the Second Amendment guarantees a personal right to own guns, and these rights cannot be completely barred by local laws, as long as those laws do not violate the constitutional protections. This decision clarified that the right to bear arms is fundamentally a personal right, not limited solely to service in a militia.