1942
– took his 2A-based legal case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States
– His case impacted the legal interpretation of the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution, the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm, unconnected with service in a militia
A licensed special police officer for the District of Columbia.
– Heller carried a gun in federal office buildings, but was not allowed to have one in his home
– Robert A. Levy and Alan Gura were counsel for Heller
– 1984 founded the “Children’s Birthright Trust Fund” – a charity that supports and raises funds for youth projects, such as computer access
– 2004 until 2011 served as the Treasurer of the D.C. Libertarian Party
About Dick Heller
Dick Heller is the named plaintiff in District of Columbia v. Heller, the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that confirmed the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service in a militia. Heller was a licensed special police officer in Washington, D.C., who carried a handgun on duty in federal office buildings but was barred by District law from keeping a functional handgun in his own home. He had asked the NRA to challenge the D.C. handgun ban, but the NRA declined at the time.
In 2002 attorneys Robert A. Levy and Clark Neily began recruiting plaintiffs for a challenge, and Heller was one of six residents selected. He was the only one who had applied for a handgun registration and been denied, which gave him standing when the courts dismissed the other plaintiffs. The case, filed in 2003 as Parker v. District of Columbia, was dismissed by the trial court, revived by the D.C. Circuit in 2007, and argued at the Supreme Court by lead counsel Alan Gura. On June 26, 2008, the Court ruled 5-4 for Heller in an opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia, striking down the District’s handgun ban. Heller later filed a second lawsuit challenging the registration rules the District adopted after the ruling.
Key Facts
- February 2003: Six D.C. residents, including Heller, file suit, captioned Parker v. District of Columbia.
- March 31, 2004: The U.S. District Court dismisses the case.
- 2007: The D.C. Circuit reverses the dismissal 2-1, with Heller as the plaintiff with standing.
- March 18, 2008: The Supreme Court hears oral argument, with Alan Gura arguing for Heller.
- June 26, 2008: The Supreme Court rules 5-4 that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep a handgun in the home.
- March 26, 2010: A federal judge rules against Heller in his follow-up challenge to the District’s new gun registration rules.
Sources
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