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JUNE 12, 09:46 ET
Ohio Court OKs Suit Vs. Gun Makers
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a lawsuit that Cincinnati filed against gunmakers in an attempt to recoup the cost of gun-related violence.
The justices ruled 4-3 that an appeals court was wrong in dismissing the lawsuit and ordered the case back to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Justice Francis Sweeney said Wednesday's ruling does not imply that Cincinnati will be successful in its lawsuit but that the city had enough facts to pursue its claims.
``While we do not predict the outcome of this case, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the importance of allowing'' this type of lawsuit to go past the initial stages, Sweeney said.
Chief Justice Thomas Moyer disagreed, saying the alleged injuries that Cincinnati suffered were too far removed from the conduct of gunmakers to give the city the ability to sue.
Cincinnati and other local governments say that millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on police and emergency workers in response to gun-related crime, plus the costs of hospitalization, investigation and prosecution.
``In a four-month period, 107 shootings, 13 on one street, four on one block, 200 police calls of 'shots fired' in eight days,'' Paul DeMarco, an attorney for Cincinnati, argued before justices in October. ``The police are so overwhelmed that homicide cops are working 29-hour shifts.''
Lawyers for gunmakers told the court there is no legal basis for such lawsuits. They said ruling in Cincinnati's favor would make manufacturers of other legal products equally liable.
``Alcoholic beverage manufacturers, who also produce a legal product, would be held liable for misuse of alcohol in the city of Cincinnati,'' said attorney James Dorr. ``The same thing with automobile manufacturers who have a generalized awareness that their automobiles are going to be involved in accidents.''
Cincinnati is among about 30 cities and counties nationwide that have sued the firearms industry in recent years, but the suits have had mixed results in the courts.
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JUNE 12, 09:46 ET
Ohio Court OKs Suit Vs. Gun Makers
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a lawsuit that Cincinnati filed against gunmakers in an attempt to recoup the cost of gun-related violence.
The justices ruled 4-3 that an appeals court was wrong in dismissing the lawsuit and ordered the case back to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Justice Francis Sweeney said Wednesday's ruling does not imply that Cincinnati will be successful in its lawsuit but that the city had enough facts to pursue its claims.
``While we do not predict the outcome of this case, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the importance of allowing'' this type of lawsuit to go past the initial stages, Sweeney said.
Chief Justice Thomas Moyer disagreed, saying the alleged injuries that Cincinnati suffered were too far removed from the conduct of gunmakers to give the city the ability to sue.
Cincinnati and other local governments say that millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on police and emergency workers in response to gun-related crime, plus the costs of hospitalization, investigation and prosecution.
``In a four-month period, 107 shootings, 13 on one street, four on one block, 200 police calls of 'shots fired' in eight days,'' Paul DeMarco, an attorney for Cincinnati, argued before justices in October. ``The police are so overwhelmed that homicide cops are working 29-hour shifts.''
Lawyers for gunmakers told the court there is no legal basis for such lawsuits. They said ruling in Cincinnati's favor would make manufacturers of other legal products equally liable.
``Alcoholic beverage manufacturers, who also produce a legal product, would be held liable for misuse of alcohol in the city of Cincinnati,'' said attorney James Dorr. ``The same thing with automobile manufacturers who have a generalized awareness that their automobiles are going to be involved in accidents.''
Cincinnati is among about 30 cities and counties nationwide that have sued the firearms industry in recent years, but the suits have had mixed results in the courts.
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