Anti-Gunners Sheet Themselves: 3D “Ghost Gun” Lawsuit Early Win
Get your detergent out! This court decision on “ghost guns” is making anti-gunners sheet themselves.
As avid Guns & Gadgets Daily readers already know, the evolution of 3D gun printing–which anti-gunners like to call “ghost guns”–is the subject of a major lawsuit by Defense Distributed against New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. The heart of the case is that Defense Distributed offers downloadable documents that relate to 3D printing of guns. Grewal has been fighting to prevent the release of this information in New Jersey…but there are a couple of little, itty-bitty problems with that, and they’re called the First and Second Amendments.
Defense Distributed (together with the Second Amendment Foundation) sued Grewal, and yesterday, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed Grewal some very sad news. He’s going to have to try to violate Defense Distributed’s First and Second Amendment rights in Texas, not New Jersey. Uh-oh…
This is a real problem for Grewal, and he knows it. Grewal has been fighting to stay out of Texas federal court in this case. He is one of nine Attorneys General to file suit in the Western District of Washington to enjoin the State Department from authorizing the release of Defense Distributed’s files. (The opinion may be read here.)
In its ruling, the 5th Circuit noted, “Grewal’s conduct beyond sending the cease-and-desist letter confirms his intent to crush Defense Distributed’s operations and not simply limit the dissemination of digital files in New Jersey. Grewal’s enforcement actions are selective. He has not targeted the many similarly-situated persons who publish Defense Distributed’s files on the internet…Instead, he has focused solely on Defense Distributed. Perhaps nowhere is this better illustrated than in Grewal’s efforts to enjoin the national distribution of Defense Distributed’s files by suing in Washington, far from his or the plaintiffs’ home state.
Now, here’s the part of the court’s ruling that ought to make us sit up and take notice. In it, the ruling notes that “Grewal has also threatened Defense Distributed’s founder, Cody Wilson, by name, promising to ‘come after’ ‘anyone who is contemplating making a printable gun’ and ‘the next ghost gun company.’ Together, these actions confirm Grewal’s intent to force Defense Distributed to close shop.”
Grewal is probably on the phone to his local exorcist right now, I’m going to guess. Although New Jersey and New York seem to have no problem leveraging the might of the government against private citizens and organizations that say things they don’t like, Texas jurists seem to have a different view on the matter.
“No one is above the law or the constitution, not even attorney General Grewal,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “If you trample on the First Amendment rights of gun owners trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights, you will be headed for trouble.”
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Well said 00 but Lee will not understand. His eyes glazed over after the 1st fact tried to penetrate the anti-freedom barrier to his grey matter.. He has his gun and that’s all anyone should need. He simply cannot fathom that freedom is dangerous and that is why it must be fiercely protected, not just for his choices, but for everyone’s.
Lacking in detail? Guns and Gadgets is an organization concerned with the Rights that put ink to paper in the B of R’s our Natural Rights granted by our Creator. are they Patisan? in the area of the Constitution-YOU BET! I’m NOT a member but asking Gun and Gadgets to be Non-Partisan is like adking Google, Facebook , Twitter and the Huffington Post to be Non-Partisan. The difference is one is Capitalism and the other is Socialsim. Pick You’re POISON.
Well, Capt., not much of a leader for that rank. Simple answer, don’t like what G&G has to say, don’t read it. Critique is welcome, nonsensical whimsy is not. Everyone is partisan unless he or she is unable to think.
We are fortunate that the folks who seem to have serious concerns about “ghost guns” weren’t around during the days of Browning, Garland, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Winchester, and Williams.
[W3]
The only reason Democrats want to take the guns is that they are planning to do things that we would shoot them for.
Article VI of the Constitution supports all the Amendments.
No exceptions.
Judges and lawmakers from the several states should educate themselves on the Constitution.
Federal law (the Constitution) overrides all others.
Well Lee, did you NOT click on the link provided to actually read the Opinion, which clearly states the ‘reasons’ these nine AG’s filed?
If you are a ‘concerned gun owner’ then you owe it to yourself to simply research this subject matter, it’s been all over the news as well as in many Gun related publications.
Frankly, I find the idea that you are ‘concerned’ about “Ghost guns” rather silly, few criminals are gonna wanna build one, it still takes time and effort, and the printer to make one is quite expensive, it doesn’t just pop off an average “printer” you know.
And it has ALWAYS been possible and LEGAL for citizens to build their own guns, within the parameters of the 1934 NFA and 1968 GCA of course.
I agree with u Lee is it because we will have more illegal and untraceable weapons on the street and in the hands of the criminals.
That’s nonsense. If that were the case what’s stopping them now? Inability to work a mill or a drill press? Not having patience to work a file? It is actually incredibly easy to build a gun even without a technical background.
Why do you think a gun is some kind of technical miracle well beyond the means of joe schomoe? The internet is full of 1 day builds of people building more powerful more reliable guns than are typically outputted by an extrusion 3d printer.
This media blitz against “Ghost Guns” is an Obama era creation specifically meant to create fear and is at odds with the truth of the matter. A 3D-printer is not a micro-manufacturing hub no matter how it is spun. Detailed prints, pictures, schematics on how to build firearms have been protected by the 1st amendment for nearly two centuries. This is largely theater as it was under the Obama attacks.
Your article is lacking much in the way of detail. What specifically is the Attorney General against concerning “ghost guns”? Is is because they aren’t licensed or gun owners will be able to own and sell guns that are unknown or is he concerned the criminals will have another avenue to access guns. I’m a gun owner and I have concerns about “ghost guns”.
A journalist or writer should be informative not trying to mislead the reader with very poorly written and documented articles.
@Lee, your comments on this makes it seem like you’re pretty ignorant on the case. Journalists know their audience and since this legal battle has been broiling for some time, Trace can reasonably assume that those familiar with the story will know the basis and implications; and this is just a brief update on known existing topic.
There’s nothing misleading here. Res ipsa loquitur, NJ is at face value a very anti-gun state and Grewal the Murphy have both enacted further restrictions of the 2nd amendment including trying to attack manufacturers from other states. In this case, they have an uphill battle since the Grewal has been very selectively choosing his targets to try and impose NJ attitude and beliefs on the rest of the country through threat of legal retribution (he’s being sued for it currently).
Headline readers will celebrate or hem-and-haw. I suggest you familiarize yourself with gun laws as home fabrication of firearms has always been legal in the US.
This media blitz against “Ghost Guns” is an Obama era creation specifically meant to create fear and is at odds with the truth of the matter. A 3D-printer is not a micro-manufacturing hub no matter how it is spun. Detailed prints, pictures, schematics on how to build firearms have been protected by the 1st amendment for nearly two centuries. This is largely theater as it was under the Obama attacks.