Publicola

There's some good news, but not as good as it would first appear.

The jury in the NAACP lawsuit against the gun manufacturers has found that the gun manufacturers were not at fault.

"While the jury cleared 45 firearms manufacturers and distributors, the panel could not reach a verdict relating to 23 other defendants, according to the Associated Press. The lawsuit was filed by the NAACP against 68 defendants, claiming that the industry knew corrupt dealers were supplying guns to criminals in minority communities, and took no steps to stop them. Judge Weinstein will allow NAACP and industry attorneys to submit written arguments interpreting the verdict. Gottlieb said there should be no reason for Weinstein to labor over a final ruling."


However before we start the celebrating I must regretfully remind ya'll that the jury in this case had only an advisory role, which means the judge could still decide in favor of the NAACP.

The following is from the Associated Press via Yahoo:

"NAACP attorney Elisa Barnes said the verdict showed the case was too complicated for a jury to decide. The judge could still rule in favor of the NAACP based on 'the facts and the record,' she said."

So it is still entirely possible that the judge could in fact disregard the jury's decision & side with the NAACP. Given the judge in question this is far from unlikely.