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Brady Center Hails Landmark Ruling Against Gun Industry — Illinois Appellate Court Allows Ceriale v. Smith & Wesson to Move Forward
January 2, 2002

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence hailed a ruling by the Illinois Appellate Court that allows a lawsuit brought by the families of several shooting victims against the gun industry to proceed. The case, Ceriale v. Smith & Wesson Corp. et al., seeks to hold several gun manufacturers and dealers liable for contributing to a public nuisance by making guns readily available to criminals and juveniles.

"This ruling is a stunning blow to the gun industry," said Dennis Henigan, Director of the Brady Center's Legal Action Project. "It has long been known that the gun industry's distribution system functions to fuel the highly-profitable illegal market. This court has laid the legal foundation for holding the industry accountable to the victims of that system. We will soon see the day when the gun industry will no longer be permitted to profit with impunity from conduct that victimizes innocent people."

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