McDonald v. Chicago: Second Amendment Applied to
States/Municipalities The long awaited decision in McDonald v.
Chicago is out, with the result that was expected by most court
watchers. Following on the heels of the Heller decision (D. C.
gun ban case), the Supreme Court ruled that the personal right
to keep and bear arms applies not only to the federal government
and its jurisdictions but to state and local governments as
well. Justice Alito wrote for the plurality in this 5-4
decision. Justices Roberts, Scalia and Kennedy joined Alito’s
opinion. Justice Thomas concurred in the result but argued for
different reasoning. Justices Stevens, Breyer, Ginsberg and
Sotomayor dissented. The Bill of Rights, the first ten
amendments to the Constitution, was adopted in 1791. At the
time, it was regarded as a state’s rights clarification of the
Constitution, supported by Thomas Jefferson and written by James
Madison. Madison’s initial proposals were significantly modified
prior to passage. [Image above left depicts Madi