Denizens of D.C. will be allowed to bear arms publicly. (U.S. Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company, Inc., Wikimedia Commons)

Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. of the District of Columbia District Court said in a 19-page ruling that the court has no basis to conclude that the “total ban” on publicly carrying handguns is “constitutional under any level of scrutiny.”

The case in question, Palmer v. District of Columbia has dragged on for five years. In this decision, the court ordered the city to allow both residents and non-residents to carry guns outside their homes.

In 2008, the Supreme Court struck down D.C.’s complete ban on handguns, citing the Second Amendment right to bear arms. An appellate court ruled in 2011 that all handguns had to be registered.

Reach Executive Producer Ashley Yang here, or follow her on Twitter.