http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/38437.htm
January 19, 2005 --
For the first time in the nation, gun makers and dealers are now liable for injuries or deaths caused by the criminal use of their weapons, under a landmark law signed yesterday by Mayor Bloomberg.
The law "” one of four bills signed regulating gun sales and possession "” goes further than any other city's effort to hold the gun industry financially responsible for crimes involving their weapons.
"We need to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and out of the hands of children," said Bloomberg. "There's just no argument here. Guns kill people, it's time to get them off the street."
City lawmakers took more than two years to hammer out the legislation, continuing an effort first begun a decade ago by former Brooklyn District Attorney Elizabeth Holtzman, who was at City Hall yesterday.
"To me this is a very important and moving moment. I was a prosecutor in Brooklyn and I had to deal with the families of people who were gunned down," Holtzman said.
Gun makers and dealers are only held liable when they do not comply with a strict code of conduct regulating sales and transfers of their weapons to keep them out of the hands of criminals, Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller both recalled the 2003 shooting death of City Councilman James Davis at City Hall, where the legislation was debated and approved.
Davis' brother, Jeffrey Davis, was on hand for the bill signing.
Miller, called the law an "important and historic step" that will send a powerful message to the gun industry to clean up its act.
"Knowing that these guns are going to end up in someone's hands in the commission of a crime possibly killing or injuring individuals "” if you do this, at least New York City is going to find you and make you pay," Miller said.
Among the rules that could hold a dealer or manufacturer liable are multiple gun sales to one person or sales at a gun show without performing a criminal-back ground check
New anti-gun bill signed into law. WORST ONE EVER!!! Now we are responsible for the criminals acts!
