The Liberty Papers

SCOTUSBlog reports that the Supreme Court will consider the Writ Of Certiorari in the two cases appealing last year’s decision overturning Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban on November 9th:

The Supreme Court will consider two petitions growing out of the Second Amendment dispute over a District of Columbia ban on private possession of handguns at its Conference on Nov. 9, according to the Court’s electronic docket on Wednesday.

The two cases are the city’s appeal — District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290) — challenging a D.C. Circuit Court ruling last March striking down the handgun ban under the Second Amendment, and a cross-petition by five city residents — Parker v. District of Columbia (07-335) — seeking to join in the case to add their own legal complaints about the city gun control law.

Because the two sides have framed the Second Amendment question in different ways in their papers in 07-290, it is conceivable that, should the Court grant review, it might choose to rephrase the issue itself.

If the requests for appeal are granted in either case, the earliest argument would be heard is February or March, with a decision coming sometime before the Court’s term ends in June 2008.