Gun makers lose problem to New York law permitting lawsuits in opposition to trade

Guns confiscated at New York City public schools are displayed at a news conference with Mayor Eric Adams at police headquarters to speak about guns in public schools in New York Metropolis on Might 25, 2022 in New York Metropolis.

Spencer Platt | Getty Photographs

A federal choose on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by a gaggle of gun producers, distributors and retailers difficult the constitutionality of a New York law that allows the state and people affected by gun violence to sue the industry.

U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino in Albany rejected a request by the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Foundation and gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co, to enjoin enforcement of the statute.

The ruling got here a day after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at a Texas elementary faculty, the latest in a spate of mass shootings, prompting renewed calls by Democrats for tougher gun rules.

The Nationwide Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group for the firearms industry, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democratic former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last July signed into regulation a measure that seeks to overcome legal hurdles that have largely shielded the trade from lawsuits related to gun violence.

The legislation allows firearm sellers, manufacturers and distributors to be sued by the state, cities or individuals for creating a "public nuisance" that endangers the general public's security and health.

The gun trade group argued the legislation wrongly imposes liability on corporations working anywhere within the nation that make, promote or market guns or ammunition which might be misused by criminals in New York.