Freedom has spread to Morton Grove and Willmette Illinois:
Quote:
Morton Grove Mayor Richard Krier said the village would comply with the law.
"We are a small suburban town," he said of the north suburb, which banned the possession or sale of handguns 27 years ago. "We've never had any real handgun violence before then or since then."
Suburban gun owners and merchants hailed the Supreme Court ruling.
Hale DeMar of Wilmette gained notoriety four years ago when he shot a burglar in his home and was cited with violating the village's gun ownership ban. The case was resolved when the state passed a law enabling courts to ignore local gun ordinances in cases where the weapon was used in self-defense.
"I understand the politics of it, but as a parent of two small children who was faced with that situation, I was glad to have the handgun in my house. I would do it again," DeMar said Thursday. The burglar "weighed more than 200 pounds. I'm a 60-year-old guy and I weigh 140 pounds. What am I going to do? Argue with the guy?"
Suburbs with gun bans split over impact of court ruling -- chicagotribune.com
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Quote:
The Law Department and the Police Department have suspended enforcement of the ordinance pending further review by the Village Board," Wilmette village attorney Tim Frenzer said Thursday. "Based on the decision today, at a minimum it calls into serious question the continued viability of the ordinance."
Frenzer said questions remain about how directly the court's decision will impact local gun laws in Wilmette and other parts of the country. Washington is not a state, and each state has its own legal language governing the right to bear arms.
"That aside, the opinion will require further review and discussion by the Village Board, but it's prudent at this point to suspend enforcement of it," Frenzer said.
Wilmette's law, enacted in 1989, levied fines of up to $750 for handgun possession and allowed the village to seek a judge's order to have seized weapons destroyed.
Frenzer said he did not know exactly how many times the law has been invoked, but said its use is rare.
The last case he recalls involved a 2003 incident in which a resident, Hale DeMar, was cited after using a handgun to shoot and wound a burglar in his home. The case mobilized state gun right groups and led to the passage of a law that gave gun owners a defense to local prohibitions if the weapon was used in self-defense.
Wilmette Suspends Local Handgun Ban - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago
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BTW, as aside, when the bill that exempted 60 year old, 140 pound Mr. DeMar from being fined for having the audacity to defend himself against a 200 pound felon in his home was up for a vote, Illinois legislator Barack Obama voted
against the exemption.
In any event, these are but the first two dominoes put in motion by Heller. New York City, San Francisco, and other cities with laws that disarm the law abiding will fall in turn.
Matt
06-29-2008
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