National Association of Arms Shows, Inc.
 

Local Issues

By: Mark Barnes
City of Los Angeles: 

The Los Angeles City Council delivered a stinging blow to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in California when it voted unanimously to ban the sale of possession of .50 cal. Rifles.
 

Boston

       On March 27, 2002 the city of Boston became the first city to drop its lawsuit against the firearms industry. In making the announcement Mayor Thomas Menino tried to spin the news as victory for the city's efforts at making the manufacturers more concerned with safety issues. During the testimony before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Congressman Stearns asked Jeff Reh, the Vice General Manager and General Counsel of firearm manufacturer Beretta, why Boston had voluntarily dropped its lawsuit. Reh's explained the city didn't really have a viable case after it had reviewed millions of pages of internal firearms industry documents and taken depositions. As for the City's claim that they had forced the industry to adopt certain safety measures, Reh responded that the industry had been promoting safe and responsible  firearms handling for decades.
 

Philadelphia

      In Philadelphia the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the city could not sue firearms manufacturers because "Gun manufacturers are under no legal duty to protect citizens from the deliberate and unlawful use of their products."
Atlanta

      A unanimous decision by the Court of Appeals of Georgia rejected the city of Atlanta's lawsuit against the firearms industry. The opinion was written by Presiding Judge Gary Blaylock Andres, who wrote that it was the "legislature's clear directive that municipalities may not attempt to regulate the gun industry." He also stated that Atlanta Éhad not "pointed to any instance of unlawful conduct by the gun manufacturers."

      The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the major trade association of the firearms industry responded by saying. "Every appellate court to decide a municipal suit against the firearms industry has ruled in our favor. We urge those mayors that have sued our industry to redirect their priorities and to emphasize cooperation with our industry rather than confrontation."