Listening in on the D.C. Gun Case

For the third time this term, the Supreme Court has OK'd the same-day release of the audio of oral argument in a case of high public interest. The audiotape of argument in the closely-watched Second Amendment case of D.C. v. Heller set for March 18 will be released to the media shortly after it takes place, according to the Court announcement.

Ordinarily, the audio of Court arguments is not made generally available until well after the end of the term, when the tapes are transfered to the National Archives. But in recent years, the Court has adopted the practice of same-day release in selected cases. This term, it has allowed quick-turnaround release of the argument tapes in Baze v. Rees, the lethal injection case argued Jan. 5, and the detainee case of Boumediene v. Bush, argued Dec. 5. Typically, C-SPAN airs the audio promptly, and other media use portions for their news reports.

Scheduled to argue in defense of D.C.'s strict handgun ordinance March 18 is former acting solicitor general Walter Dellinger, partner at O'Melveny & Myers, while Alan Gura of the D.C. and Virginia firm Gura & Possessky will argue for D.C. residents who believe the ordinance infringes on their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

UPDATE: It should be noted that Solicitor General Paul Clement will have 15 minutes of argument time as well, representing the United States as amicus curiae.

Comments

[Robert R. Spano, professor of law, University of Iceland]

Dear Mr. Mauro,

Am I not correct in saying that along with Mr. Dellinger and Mr. Gura, Solicitor General Paul Clement has been allotted 15 minutes for oral argument as amicus curiae in the DC Gun Ban Case?

Yours, Robert R. Spano