Since the U.S. Supreme Court on June 5 unanimously rejected Mexico’s lawsuit blaming cartel violence on American gunmakers, a number of gun-rights groups are speaking out on the important ruling.
SCOTUS Dumps Mexico Gunmaker Lawsuit
The high court, in the ruling, cited the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which was passed by Congress in 2005 for the express purpose of curtailing frivolous lawsuits against gunmakers for their legally produced, lawfully sold products. In the lawsuit, Smith & Wesson v. Mexico, the Mexican government argued that firearms companies fuel cartel violence by enabling illegal firearms trafficking. Mexico also argued that gunmakers knowingly supply dealers tied to trafficking.
“Recall that Congress enacted the statute to halt a flurry of lawsuits attempting to make gun manufacturers pay for the downstream harms resulting from misuse of their products,” the SCOTUS ruling stated. “In a ‘findings’ and ‘purposes’ section, Congress explained that PLCAA was meant to stop those suits—to prevent manufacturers (and sellers) from being held ‘liable for the harm caused by those who criminally or unlawfully misuse firearm[s].’
Reaction From Gun Groups
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) issued a news release immediately after the ruling, praising the justices’ decision.
“The ultimate goal of this lawsuit was simple—bankrupt the firearms industry, at the ultimate peril of the American people,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “Thankfully, the Supreme Court saw through this thinly veiled attempt to wield the legal system as a cudgel against lawful commerce.”
The organization Gun Owners of America (GOA) was also very pleased with the court’s 9-0 ruling tossing the Mexican government’s frivolous lawsuit.
“This is a massive victory for the Second Amendment and American sovereignty,” Aidan Johnston, GOA director of Federal Affairs, said in a news release following the decision. “The Mexican government—whose citizens are disarmed and whose officials are often complicit in cartel crime—tried to scapegoat U.S. gun companies for its own failure to secure its borders and protect its people. GOA proudly filed an amicus brief defending our industry and our rights, and we’re grateful the Supreme Court saw through this baseless attempt to erode constitutional protections by foreign influence.”
The powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) also weighed in on the issue, saying in a news item that those planning to file frivolous lawsuits against gunmakers now have even bigger obstacles to overcome, given the recent SCOTUS ruling.
“The Supreme Court’s decision comes at a crucial time, as gun control activists backed by billionaire donors have revived lawfare against the firearms industry, and anti-gun states—encouraged by the former Biden-Harris administration—sought to create statutory loopholes to the PLCAA’s coverage to facilitate these suits,” the report stated. “For now, at least, it’s adios to Mexico and to the hope of the American gun-ban lobby to gut the PLCAA.”
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