11.22.2003

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ILETO FAMILY.

Posted by Eric Gorovitz

Hello all,

Attached is a press release we issued yesterday in response to an
important court decision in the case of Ileto v. Glock.

We represent the families of the victims of Buford Furrow, the
mentally ill white supremacist who shot three small children, a
teenager and an adult at a Southern California Jewish Community
Center on August 10, 1999.  Later that day, Furrow also murdered
postal worker Joseph Ileto.  Furrow's victims sued several gun
makers, distributors and dealers, alleging that they had acted
negligently in knowingly supplying guns to the illegal, criminal
market and in failing to take steps to prevent people prohibited
purchasers like Furrow from gaining access to guns.  The suit also
alleged that such careless behavior created a public nuisance.

In yesterday's decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found
these claims valid as a matter of law, allowing the case to
proceed.

This ruling is particularly significant because Congress is
considering broadly immunizing the entire gun industry against
liability for its negligent behavior.

If you are interested in reading the opinion, you can find it at
www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/D64727E1F87230A488256D
E4000124DC/$file/0256197.pdf?openelement
(cut & paste http into new window for viewing)

Best,
Eric