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Groups sue Chicago suburbs for more gun control [View all]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/07/us-usa-chicago-guns-idUSKCN0PH2J620150707
A group of civil rights activists on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against three Chicago suburbs to force them to take stricter gun-control measures to stem the flow of weapons into the city's crime-ridden neighborhoods.
The complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the towns of Riverdale, Lyons and Lincolnwood said gunshops there, along with stores in Gary, Indiana, supply a fifth of guns seized by police at crime scenes in the city.
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The Chicago Sun-Times reported that similar lawsuits filed in the past have had limited impact. The Illinois Supreme Court in 2004 dismissed a lawsuit that the City of Chicago had brought against gun dealers and others after undercover officers posed as gang members and bought dozens of guns, the Sun-Times said.
A group of civil rights activists on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against three Chicago suburbs to force them to take stricter gun-control measures to stem the flow of weapons into the city's crime-ridden neighborhoods.
The complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the towns of Riverdale, Lyons and Lincolnwood said gunshops there, along with stores in Gary, Indiana, supply a fifth of guns seized by police at crime scenes in the city.
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The Chicago Sun-Times reported that similar lawsuits filed in the past have had limited impact. The Illinois Supreme Court in 2004 dismissed a lawsuit that the City of Chicago had brought against gun dealers and others after undercover officers posed as gang members and bought dozens of guns, the Sun-Times said.
Why sue the local governments? Because the PLCAA (Protection of Legal Commerce in Arms Act) makes it almost impossible to get a conviction against a gun dealer. The level of proof is so high that it is almost impossible to reach. One case against a gun dealer sued for a straw purchase took ten years to work it's way to the supreme court even though it was a civil case that only requires a "preponderance of evidence" to get a conviction instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt" for criminal cases.
One of the suburbs is home to Chuck's Gun Shop, one of the 5% of gun dealers that is responsible for 80% of crime guns according to the Brady Center for Gun Violence.
Supporters of the PLCAA say that if a car is used to commit a crime you wouldn't be able to sue the maker. Sounds like it makes sense, right? If the PLCAA were applied to GM the ignition switch issue that resulted in a dozen deaths would have protected them because the switch met design specs, never mind the specs were a bag of fetid dingo's kidneys. The PLCAA protects Glock which produces a gun with no mechanical safety and a very short trigger pull (technically called "creep" for the gunners out there) which makes it so dangerous that the resulting injuries have a name in the gun community. It's called Glock Leg Syndrome because of the number of discharges that happen as it is drawn from its holster. Google it! But Glock can't be sued because they DESIGNED it that way.
It's time to repeal the PLCAA.
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