The District of Columbia on Wednesday filed its final brief in defense of its ban on handguns before it goes before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The gun-control case has drawn attention from around the globe, and outside groups have filed more than 60 friend-of-the-court briefs, the fourth-highest number for a Supreme Court case, said D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. In a rare decision that also demonstrates the interest in the case, the high court will release an audiotape of the arguments on the morning of the case, March 18. The tape will then be aired on C-SPAN at 11:30 a.m., District officials said.