The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it will consider whether to halt a $10 billion lawsuit brought by Mexico against major U.S. gun manufacturers. The lawsuit alleges that the companies' commercial practices have contributed to widespread violence in Mexico.
The gun manufacturers have requested the Supreme Court to overturn a previous ruling by an appeals court that allowed the lawsuit to proceed, despite legal protections typically afforded to the firearm industry.
While a federal judge has dismissed a significant portion of the lawsuit on different legal grounds, Mexico may choose to appeal this decision. Mexico contends that the gun companies were aware that their weapons were being sold to traffickers who were smuggling them into Mexico, and that they were profiting from this illicit market. The Mexican government estimates that 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico originate from the United States.
The defendants in the case include well-known manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Colt, and Glock. These companies argue that Mexico has failed to demonstrate that the industry intentionally facilitated the use of firearms by criminal organizations, and accuse Mexico of attempting to pressure gunmakers into adopting stricter gun control measures.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2021 but was dismissed by a district court citing legal protections for gun manufacturers against damages resulting from criminal misuse of firearms. However, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case under an exception to this law. The gun manufacturers have appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, asserting that they have operated within the bounds of the law and that the case should not be litigated in American courts.
In August, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston dismissed the case against six of the eight companies, ruling that Mexico had not provided sufficient evidence linking these companies' activities in Massachusetts to the harm caused in Mexico by firearms.
Despite some claims being dismissed and the possibility of an appeal, the gun manufacturers argue that the 1st Circuit ruling could have long-lasting implications for the industry if allowed to stand.
