United States v. Lopez

Lopez appealed this decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, again on the grounds that Congress had no constitutional authority to pass the Gun-Free School Zones Act. Attorneys for the United States government contended that the law was an appropriate use of power under the interstate Commerce Clause. The circuit court reversed the district court's decision and agreed with Lopez that the Gun-Free School Zones Act was invalid because it was beyond Congress' power under the Commerce Clause. The Court found the federal law unconstitutional.