Defendant was convicted in the trial court of unlawful use of weapons. Defendant appealed. The Superior Court affirmed. Defendant petitioned for discretionary review, which was granted. The Court of Appeals affirmed. Defendant petitioned for review, which was granted.
The Supreme Court of Washington held that:
- A fixed-blade paring knife was not a protected arm under the State Constitution;
- As a matter of first impression, the right to bear arms protected instruments that were designed as weapons traditionally or commonly used by law abiding citizens for self-defense; and
- Knife was not a protected arm under the Federal Constitution, and thus, city ordinance prohibiting the unlawful use of weapons premised on the possession of such knife was not unconstitutional as applied to defendant.