District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Dick Anthony Heller, a D.C. special police officer, challenged the District’s handgun ban and requirement that firearms in the home be kept nonfunctional. The Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms unconnected to service in a militia, particularly for self-defense in the home.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Otis McDonald and other Chicago residents challenged the city’s handgun ban after District of Columbia v. Heller (2008). The Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies to the states through the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.

3) Why It Mattered
This case incorporated the Second Amendment against the states, ensuring that the right recognized in Heller applied nationwide.