ICYMI: Lake County Judge Declines to Dismiss City of Gary’s Long-Pending Gun Industry Accountability Lawsuit; Everytown Law Responds

INDIANAPOLIS - This week, Indiana Superior Court Judge John M. Sedia declined to dismiss a long-standing lawsuit filed by the City of Gary against members of the gun industry. The decision comes despite the gun industry's latest - and most desperate - attempt to avoid accountability for its role in flooding Gary with guns, by asking extremists in the Indiana Legislature to rescue them from the lawsuit by passing HB 1235.

As the court made clear: the Indiana Legislature "cannot end this lawsuit which the appellate courts of this state have found to be permitted by prior statute. To do so would violate years of vested rights and constitutional guarantees set forth so eloquently in Gary's Memorandum of Law. To avoid manifest injustice, the substance of this lawsuit must be taken to its conclusion."

Everytown Law, the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, commended Judge Sedia's decision:

"As the gun violence epidemic continues to devastate Indiana communities, we are pleased to see Judge Sedia keep the door open for justice and accountability for an industry that is profiting off of this crisis through illegal, predatory and dangerous practices," said Alla Lefkowitz, Managing Director of Affirmative Litigation at Everytown Law. "While the gun industry continues to assert that the lawsuit is frivolous, it's desperate attempts to avoid a jury decision, as well as multiple decisions by Indiana courts finding that the case has merits, say otherwise. We applaud the City for their long-standing fight for public safety, and will continue to cheer them on as they pursue justice."

Originally filed in 1999, the City of Gary's lawsuit has faced repeated challenges - in the legislature and in the courts - as the gun industry attempts to escape liability. Gary has so far succeeded in beating back at least four different attempts by the defendants to have the case dismissed. Also to note, Indiana has some of the weakest gun laws in the country - ranking 30th in the country for gun law strength. More information about gun violence in Indiana is available here.