 http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm15784_20030808.htm  |
Appeals court throws out Detroit, Wayne County lawsuitsFriday, August 8, 2003 BY DAWSON BELL In a decision released today, a unanimous, three-judge panel of the court found that legislation enacted in 2000 to bar such suits applied to the action filed amidst great fanfare by former Mayor Dennis Archer and County Prosecutor John O'Hair in 1999. The decision reverses a Wayne County Circuit judge's decision in 2000 to allow the lawsuits to continue. Wayne County initially sought $400 million in damages for what it claimed were law enforcement and health care costs caused by gun violence. Similar suits have been filed in more than a dozen jurisdictions around the country. But almost all have been unsuccessful to date. The city and county argued gun manufacturers and dealers failed to stop gun sales where buyers act as front men for felons and juveniles. Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Duggan and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was a state lawmaker when the 2000 gun lawsuit bill was approved, were not immediately available for comment. A spokeswoman for the NRA, which strongly opposed the lawsuit and supported the legislation to bar it, said Friday morning the decision was being reviewed. Associated Press contributed to this report |