Who Am I?

Reason Online ^ | 11/01/02 | Reason Online

[correctthought]

I'm a .25 caliber pistol—a so-called Saturday Night Special—made by defunct gun maker Raven Arms. Although I'm an inanimate object, I've been found legally culpable in the 2000 classroom shooting of a West Palm Beach, Florida school teacher.

More specifically, a jury has just found gun distributor Valor 5 percent guilty in the tragic murder, which occurred when a 16-year-old student stole an unloaded version of me and some bullets from a family friend and then killed his teacher. The local school board and the family friend—though not the actual shooter—shouldered the rest of the blame. In the first trial in which a gun company has in any way been held responsible for a murder, Valor is supposed to pay $1.2 million to the victim's widow. The school board is supposed to pay $10.8 million and the family friend $12 million.

The plaintiff's lawyer was Bob Montgomery, best known for representing Florida in its $11.3 billion victory over tobacco companies. The case charged that I was "unsafe, defective and lacked features that would have prevented a minor from using it." Valor's attorneys countered that I wasn't a piece of "junk" and that I had legitimate uses, including self-defense, which is how most guns get used.

All the defendants are appealing the verdict which, given the way municipal cases against gun makers have fared, is likely to be overturned. As the legal battle in Florida moves into the next round, it's worth asking how far we really want to travel down the product-liability road when it comes to guns—and many other things.

[correctthought]

More on the ruling from FLA

[Caipirabob]

You bad, evil inannimate object, you!

[snopercod]

What religion is it that believes that spirits live in various objects?

[Gordian Blade]

When you grow up and become an adult caliber, let me know.

[alancarp]

"unsafe, defective and lacked features that would have prevented a minor from using it."

Ditto for a whole host of consumer products, including cars, poisons, swimming pools, matches, knives, even McDonald's french fries. The existence of these items does not make them inherently dangerous.

I presume the defense used the word "re-spon-si-bil-i-ty" numerous times.

[alancarp]

"What religion is it that believes that spirits live in various objects? "

The Democratic Party

[stuartcr]

The plaintiff lawyer religion.

[Kenton]

Valor's attorneys countered that I wasn't a piece of "junk" and that I had legitimate uses, including self-defense, which is how most guns get used.

I used to have one of these Raven .25s. It WAS junk.

These little pot-metal pieces of crap were probably more dangerous to the shooter than a bad guy, and their primary appeal was that they retailed for under $75.00. Shunned by serious shooters, their primary appeal seemed to be to newbies buying their first gun, with a strong black market appeal.

None of this has anything to do with how somebody uses it, or misuses it, in this case.

[CougarGA7]

What religion is it that believes that spirits live in various objects?

It's either druidism or jedi.

[Billthedrill]

The plaintiff's lawyer was Bob Montgomery, best known for representing Florida in its $11.3 billion victory over tobacco companies.

When somebody finally writes America's post-mortem this SOB and his ilk will feature prominently.

[newgeezer]

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[Physicist]

These little pot-metal pieces of crap were probably more dangerous to the shooter than a bad guy

I'd like to know whether the teacher belonged to the NEA before judging whether he was really a bad guy.

(Kidding, kidding...)

[CapedCrusader]

What's next? Knife manufacturing companies? Insanity.

[newgeezer]

The victim's just as dead as if it'd been a .454 Casull.

[luvtheconstitution]

I find it amazing that twelve individuals (jurors), collectively, don't have what amounts to one brain. What happened to their ability to think rationally? The lawyers representing the plaintiff in this case are also of an ilk lower than pond scum.

[conservativemusician]

Why should this surprise anybody?

Ever since a jury awarded a woman millions for burning her lips on hot coffee from McD's the lawyer/sharks have taken the tact that nobody is responsible for their own behavior.

Now they sue McD's for contributing to a fat guy's obesity!

Hopefully this will be overturned on appeal. The bastard that stole the gun is solely responsible for the murder.

Let's hope gun manufacturers and distributors have the spine to fight this, unlike the tobacco companies.

[BikerNYC]

Although I'm an inanimate object, I've been found legally culpable in the 2000 classroom shooting of a West Palm Beach, Florida school teacher.

This is the basis for all in rem forfeiture proceedings where the government attempts to take property that has been involved in illegal activity. The civil lawsuit is literally filed against the property and claims it was involved in illegality. The government claims that it is not an action against the owner of the property. Bull.

[Robe]

I happen to own one of these POS. I bought it way back in 1978 , I think, for my wife
who was in real estate at the time wanted her to have something in her purse in those
empty houses and late nights at the office.
Being responsible, we went to the range to get her qualified, well she couldn't hit jack
S$%t, so I tried, the results were the same.
I threw it in the gun safe drawer where it is today.
I bought the wife a snub nosed .38, and she's is deadly with it.
That said, if your 2 - 3ft from your target..errr victim, it'll get the job done.

[ampat]

I guess there isn't much hope of gettng justice with the Floriduh supreme court.

[sean327]

Yes the victim is just as dead, but how does that make the manufacturer liable for his death? This is a case of a scumbag ambulance chasing lawyer with an anti gun agenda allowed to run rough shod over our rights and the rights of a legitimate business. It will not stop with the cheap guns, it will continue as long as we the people allow it to continue. I don't own one of these pieces of garbage, no self respecting shooter would, but in some cases this is the only weapon some people can afford. If these pistols are banned then an entire class effectively loses thier right to self defence, and thier 2nd ammendment rights have been trampled. We are all in this fight. Stay vigilant. Semper Fi