In June of 1981 the trustees of the town of Morton Grove, Illinois voted
in favor of a law which prohibited the possession of handguns in the home.
A lawyer and gun owning resident, Victor Quilici filed a lawsuit challenging the law
claiming that it violated his Second Amendment right. The district court
ruled that the Second Amendment does not apply to the states, that the right to bear
arms is inextricably connected to the preservation of a militia, that
state legislatures may regulate or restrict state legislatures, and municipalities may limit
private access to weapons under their power to provide for the public
health and safety. The US Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision.