GOA Statement on SCOTUS’ Denial of Cert in Soto v. Bushmaster

[Charlie T Waite]

“The sole entity responsible for the actions of a madman is the madman.” — Erich Pratt

Springfield, VA — Gun Owners of America (GOA) today released a statement on the Supreme Court’s denial of cert in the Soto v. Bushmaster case.  The case involves a lawsuit against Bushmaster Firearms (and its parent company Remington) in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

At issue was a ruling by the Connecticut Supreme Court, allowing the plaintiffs in the case to circumvent the federal Protection in Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (which protects firearm manufacturers, distributors, and dealers from suit) through an absurd reading of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), the legal arm of GOA, filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to take up the case.

“The Supreme Court’s decision, while disappointing, was not completely unexpected. SCOTUS typically only grants cert to a small fraction of cases that are appealed,” Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA, said.

“Nevertheless,” Pratt continued, “the Court’s decision not to hear the case is disappointing, because it allows judges to hijack state law in order to sidestep the clear protections of gun manufacturers that Congress enacted. The sole entity responsible for the actions of a madman is the madman.”

The Soto v. Bushmaster case is not at an end, but will continue in state court, with the plaintiffs now required to prove that Bushmaster’s advertisements actually caused the Sandy Hook shooting, a prospect that the Connecticut courts have admitted is unlikely.