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Gun dealers, distributors settle California lawsui

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited August 2003 in General Discussion
Gun dealers, distributors settle California lawsuit by altering sales practices


By MICHELLE MORGANTE
The Associated Press
8/21/03 10:56 PM


SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Five gun dealers and distributors agreed Thursday to make changes to their sales practices in California that gun-control advocates hope will keep firearms off the black market.

The settlement of the lawsuit filed by a dozen cities and counties will have the businesses take steps that "go above and beyond current federal and state law to prevent firearms from being sold into the underground market in California," according to a statement from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, whose attorneys represented the plaintiffs.

The case marked the first time gun dealers and distributors agreed to alter their business practices in response to claims from cities and counties, according to Dennis Henigan, director of the legal action project at the Brady Center. Similar lawsuits are pending across the country.

The lawsuit, filed in April, accused gun dealers, distributors and manufacturers of violating state law by failing to enforce sales practices that would make it harder for so-called straw purchasers, or front men who buy arms for gun traffickers.

The court dismissed manufacturers from the lawsuit.

The defendants included in Thursday's agreement are: Trader Sports and Andrews Sporting Goods, based in California; Southern Ohio Gun Distributors and MKS Supply, based in Ohio; and Georgia-based distributor Ellett Brothers.

Under the deal, Trader Sports will no longer sell firearms at gun shows. It also will train employees on how to track inventory, adopt new measures to verify a buyer's identity and recognize and block sales to "straw purchasers" -- people who buy guns on behalf of others ineligible to purchase them.

Southern Ohio agreed that in California and neighboring states it would sell only to storefront gun dealers, take extra steps to verify dealer licenses and restrict assault weapons sales. It also will pay $50,000 to compensate the plaintiffs' legal expenses.

Three other defendants agreed to make similar reforms, Henigan said.

None of the defendants responded Thursday to telephone messages seeking comment.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0389_BC_GunLawsuit

"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>

Comments

  • hondohondo Member Posts: 181 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just another nail in the coffin of gun ownership for people in California. Unfortunately this will bring the usual negative comments about California gun owners and their suppposed lack of cajones to prevent the anti gun forces here from expanding the gun laws. What these California critics don't grasp is that they are looking into the mirror of their own future..............Hondo
  • SilverBoxSilverBox Member Posts: 2,347
    edited November -1
    bunch of BS. I suppose this means I can't buy from SOG and have it shipped to a local FFL now... To bad they and the others caved.. :(
  • SunraySunray Member Posts: 773 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's not just regular gun owners. These bone heads have set a precedence that says they are taking responsibility for the actions of criminals. They should have told CA to pound rocks and stop selling there all together.
    "...$50,000 to compensate the plaintiffs' legal expenses..." This is likely the death toll for that company.
  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you would like to let the president of Turners Outdoorsman know how you feel this is their contact information.

    http://www.turners.com/turners/contact.php
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