Spitzer Reacts To Dropping Of Lawsuit By Gun Industry

Attorney General Spitzer issued the followingstatement in response to the announcement by the National ShootingSports Foundation that the gun industry is dropping its lawsuit againstSpitzer, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 38 othergovernment officials and municipalities.

The suit was filed by the gun industry last April in federal court in Atlanta in response to Spitzer's efforts in putting together a coalition of governments that will only purchase guns from manufacturers that adhere to appropriate safety measures. Arguments in the case were heard last month.

"The dropping of this suit is a major victory for all of us who are fighting for reasonable and responsible safety measures that will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

All along, we had said this was a frivolous lawsuit, one destined to fail, and the fact that the industry is dropping its case is proof of that. It is clear that the gun industry saw the legal handwriting on the wall, knew it was going to lose, and decided to drop its case before it lost in court.

We are aggressively continuing our efforts to have law enforcement agencies buy guns only from manufacturers who do not market to criminals. And we continue to hold out as an example to the industry Smith and Wesson - which changed its distribution practices to ensure that rogue gun dealers are not feeding the crime gun market.

Those manufacturers who do not use responsible distribution methods will not be rewarded with our business."