A San Francisco superior court judge has thrown out that city's handgun ban. The ban prohibited the possession of a handgun by any resident with the exception of police officers and professionals in security-related positions. It also forbade the manufacture, sale, or distribution of all guns and ammunition within the city.

Do not be fooled by any hype surrounding this case, however, as the judge did not rule on 2nd Amendment grounds but rather that the city ordinance intruded into an area reserved for California state law. Nevertheless, expect the judge's decision to be promptly appealed.

Readers may recall that this is not the first time that San Francisco has entered into a conflict regarding the scope of its legislative/executive power. The most prominent episode occurred when it attempted to marry gay couples, contrary to California law.