WHERE GUN ISSUES AND CULTURE INTERSECT
THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN COURT
Defining the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
by Donald J. Campbell
SYNOPSIS
Chronologically presenting actual court decisions from the early 1800s through the present alongside contextual information and analysis, the book traces the conflicting legal opinions that have led to our current understanding of the Second Amendment. In addition to discussing many of the significant earlier gun cases, chapters thoroughly examine the most influential Supreme Court cases that dominate popular discussions of the amendment, such as United States v. Miller, District of Columbia v. Heller, McDonald v. City of Chicago, and NYSRPA v. Bruen.
REVIEWS
“This is an enormously useful overview of the actual decisions by many different courts in the United States both nationally and, more importantly, at the state level over many different periods. The materials are covered concisely and very accessibly. One does not have to be a lawyer to understand the arguments being made and the conclusions being reached.”
“The Second Amendment in Court is a doctrinal roadmap for the text-, history-, and tradition-focused era of firearms litigation. Moving well beyond the usual handful of Supreme Court landmarks, Campbell weaves together a rich array of federal and state decisions, letting judges speak in their own words while guiding readers through the recurring themes that shape Second Amendment doctrine. The result is a clear, even-handed, and highly accessible resource for students, practitioners, and scholars alike.”
“Campbell gives a unique and accessible look at weapons regulation in the courts, using a combination of blockbuster Supreme Court cases and lesser-known decisions to shed light on the forces animating the U.S. gun debate.”