Covert Mission
New member
Court Says City Can't Sue Gun Makers for
Damages
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Saying it did not want to open a ''Pandora's box''
for lawsuits against other industries, an appeals court has upheld a
judge's decision to throw out a suit by the city of Cincinnati seeking to
recover millions of dollars from gun manufacturers.
In its unanimous decision Friday, the Ohio First District Court of Appeals
likened the city suit to the ``absurdity'' of suing the makers of matches
because of losses from arson. Cincinnati had joined with more than 30
other cities nationwide in attempting to recover enormous monetary sums
from gunmakers for crime and violence done with guns.
The appellate court's opinion said the city suit was fatally flawed
because it had failed to link any direct damages from gun violence to
specific gun-manufacturer defendants.
``Manufacturers have no duty to give warnings about the obvious dangers
of handguns,'' the court's majority opinion said.
``Were we to decide otherwise, we would open a Pandora's box. The city
could sue the manufacturers of matches for arson, or automobile
manufacturers for traffic accidents, or breweries for drunken driving.''
Attorney Stanley Chesley, representing the city of Cincinnati, said he
would ask the City Council to authorize him to appeal Friday's ruling to
the Ohio Supreme Court.
Damages
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Saying it did not want to open a ''Pandora's box''
for lawsuits against other industries, an appeals court has upheld a
judge's decision to throw out a suit by the city of Cincinnati seeking to
recover millions of dollars from gun manufacturers.
In its unanimous decision Friday, the Ohio First District Court of Appeals
likened the city suit to the ``absurdity'' of suing the makers of matches
because of losses from arson. Cincinnati had joined with more than 30
other cities nationwide in attempting to recover enormous monetary sums
from gunmakers for crime and violence done with guns.
The appellate court's opinion said the city suit was fatally flawed
because it had failed to link any direct damages from gun violence to
specific gun-manufacturer defendants.
``Manufacturers have no duty to give warnings about the obvious dangers
of handguns,'' the court's majority opinion said.
``Were we to decide otherwise, we would open a Pandora's box. The city
could sue the manufacturers of matches for arson, or automobile
manufacturers for traffic accidents, or breweries for drunken driving.''
Attorney Stanley Chesley, representing the city of Cincinnati, said he
would ask the City Council to authorize him to appeal Friday's ruling to
the Ohio Supreme Court.
