Federal court allows New York to hold gun makers accountable in shootings.
A federal appeals court has decided that New York can move forward with a state law that opens the door for gun manufacturers to be held legally responsible when their products are misused in violent crimes. The court’s decision arrived nearly three years after the law was passed. The ruling affirms a lower court’s earlier position that the law is valid, not unclear, and does not conflict outright with federal law.
The judges on the panel found that the challenge brought by the gun industry group failed to prove that the law could not be applied in a legal way. The group that brought the case, a national trade association for firearm makers, said the state law interfered with a federal law that has protected gun companies from lawsuits since 2005. That federal law has often blocked attempts to hold gun makers liable for crimes committed with their weapons. But the court saw no reason to throw out the New York law based on the arguments presented.
Under the state law, companies in the firearms industry are expected to take reasonable steps to keep their guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. That includes keeping their marketing, distribution, and sales practices in check. If the companies fail to do so, the law gives people affected by gun violence the chance to take legal action.
Back in 2022, a federal judge had already dismissed the lawsuit challenging the law. She said the law borrowed language from New York’s long-standing public nuisance laws and was not overly vague. The recent appeals court decision backed that earlier ruling and found no strong reason to reverse it.
The reaction to the decision has been divided. State officials and gun safety groups welcomed the ruling, calling it a win for community safety. The New York attorney general praised the decision, saying it would help the state push back against rising gun violence and hold companies accountable when they fail to act responsibly. Legal advocates working to reduce gun violence said the ruling creates a clear route for families harmed by gun misuse to seek justice in court.
Groups supporting the state law argued in legal filings that it doesn’t open the floodgates to endless lawsuits. Instead, they said it offers a fair path to challenge harmful business practices. The appeals court agreed that the law can be carried out in a way that respects both federal rules and the Constitution.
Not every judge on the panel was completely on board with the way the law was written. One of the judges shared some doubts in his opinion. He said the law was written in a way that seemed overly broad and that it appeared to target the gun industry specifically. Still, he agreed that the law could be interpreted in a legal way and supported the decision to let it stand, at least for now.
The same judge also pointed out that this state law might be trying to get around the protections of federal law, based on statements made by New York leaders at the time it was signed. He expressed concern that the state might be trying to get through a legal back door that Congress had already closed. But in the end, he agreed with the other two judges that the law’s full impact should be tested in later court cases.
At present, this decision keeps the New York law in place, giving state officials and victims of gun violence a legal option to hold gun sellers and makers accountable in some situations. Whether the law’s reach will be expanded or restricted over time will depend on future legal battles. For now, the appeals court has cleared the way for those fights to continue.
Sources:
Federal appellate court says New York can hold gun makers liable for shootings
Gun Makers Lose Appeal of New York Law That Could Make Them Liable for Shootings
Join the conversation!