SF Gun Ban Overturned

Although this really isn't much of a surprise, the new San Francisco law banning the possession and sale of handguns has been overturned by a judge after an NRA backed lawsuit. Here's a quote from the foxreno.com news story:

In siding with the gun owners, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge James Warren said a local government cannot ban weapons because the California Legislature allows their sale and possession.

"My clients are thrilled that the court recognized that law-abiding firearms owners who choose to own a gun to defend themselves or their families are part of the solution and not part of the problem," NRA attorney Chuck Michel said. "Hopefully, the city will recognize that gun owners can contribute to the effort to fight the criminal misuse of firearms, a goal that we all share."

The ordinance targeted only city residents, meaning nonresidents in the city or even tourists were not banned from possessing or selling guns here. Warren's decision was not unexpected. In 1982, a California appeals court nullified an almost identical San Francisco gun ban largely on grounds that the city cannot enact an ordinance that conflicts with state law.

While I am always glad to see self defense rights upheld in court, part of me was curious as to how bad crime would have gotten in San Francisco. Had this law been allowed to stand, pro-self defense people would have had another example of how gun control leads to increased violent crime. Nevertheless, I am glad that it was overturned as I'm sure that there are many people in San Francisco (albeit not the voting majority) who disagreed with this law and would have either been turned into criminals or rendered defenseless had it been allowed to take effect.