Second Amendment Foundation Lauds Cincinnati Decision to Drop Lawsuit

4/30/2003

From: Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation, 425-454-7012; web: http://www.saf.org BELLEVUE, Wash., April 30 -- The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today hailed the decision by the city of Cincinnati to drop its four-year-old lawsuit against the gun industry, noting that it is long past the time for this wasteful case to be "round-filed." SAF had urged the city to drop its case several months ago. "Cincinnati threw in the towel after gun makers challenged the city to substantiate its wild allegations," SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb noted. "After spending four years to pursue this frivolous enterprise, it is long past time that this lawsuit is round-filed, where it belonged in the first place. "If nothing else," Gottlieb continued, "ending the lawsuit so soon after gun makers demanded to see the evidence behind the city's claims is a strong indication that the lawsuit was nothing but a flimsy sham all along." Cincinnati dropped its legal action on the advice of attorney Stanley Chesley, who said the political climate has changed dramatically. The city was also facing the likelihood that its lawsuit would be rendered moot because Congress appears certain to pass legislation prohibiting gun industry lawsuits. "Long before Congress took up the issue," Gottlieb observed, "this was a no-win campaign by anti-gunners in Cincinnati, designed only to drain the finances of gun companies. Chesley's admission that the political climate has changed, apparently making this a tougher case to win in court, should appall Cincinnati voters. "Cincinnati's case was always more about political grandstanding than public safety, and city officials knew it," he said. "As soon as they were challenged to document their claims, they folded. "Bringing this lawsuit," he concluded, "was irresponsible and perhaps morally reprehensible because it pretended to offer a financial solution to gun violence, when no such solution exists. Cincinnati can now use the money it had set aside for attorney fees to fund more police overtime, and other genuine, tangible crime-fighting efforts." The Second Amendment Foundation is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers & an amicus brief & fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.