Amicus Briefs (DC Gun Case)

On March 18, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller.

Rather than hearing oral arguments, the Supreme Court should practice a sort of democracy by counting the number of amicus briefs filed by each side, the number of states on each side and the number of members of Congress on each side.

To date, forty-seven amicus briefs have been filed in support of gun rights and twenty briefs have been filed against gun rights. Thirty-one states have signed a brief in support of gun rights and six states (Puerto Rico included) have signed a brief against gun rights. Three Hundred and five members of Congress (55 Senators and 250 Representatives) have signed a brief in support of gun rights. Vice President Cheney also signed the brief that members of Congress signed. Eighteen House members (Delegate Norton included) have signed a brief against gun rights.

It appears that no United States senator has signed a brief against gun rights.

Clearly, if the Supreme Court were to accept the democracy suggested here, gun rights would prevail.

For more details on who signed which amicus briefs, go here and here.