Seattle fights in court for gun ban again [View All]

[jpak]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-fights-in-court-for-gun-ban-again-2337921.php

Seattle officials have petititioned the state Supreme Court to review a ruling that knocked down the city's gun ban in parks, saying the city doesn't just want to protect its own residents, but is fighting for the rights of all cities in Washington to decide what's best for their parks and community centeres.

In 2009, the city of Seattle banned guns from parks and community centers under then-Mayor Greg Nickels, after a shooting at a Folklife festival injured three people. The ban, which applied to city-owned areas where kids were likely to be present, prompted six people to sue the city.

In October, the Court of Appeals sided with gun-rights advocates and affirmed that Seattle's ban violated state law, which prohibits cities from passing laws that regulate the possession of guns. The court found that only the Legislature is allowed to regulate such behavior.

On Thursday, attorneys who represent the city for free petitioned the state's highest court for another look at the case. They said the case affects not just Seattle residents, but the authority of all other cities and counties in Washington to create public-safety standards for their own parks and public places.

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