Two lawsuits addressing gun violence have been allowed to proceed. The Supreme Court cleared the case of Remington v. Soto, the Sandy Hook parents’ suit against the company that manufactured and marketed the guns used in the shooting. U.S. District Court Judge Joan Gottschall ruled that Powell v. State of Illinois, a case demanding the state of Illinois make it harder for criminals to get guns, can proceed. The Chicago Sun Times reports on the implications of the case: The Chicago plaintiffs in the case that Gottschall is allowing to move forward argue that incessant gun violence in some neighborhoods causes psychological harm to children. That’s the federal civil rights argument the plaintiffs believe should force the state to take action.
Specifically — among other reforms — the plaintiffs are calling for the creation of a “do not sell” list that generally would prevent people who have bought a gun that was used in a crime from buying another. That change in the law could cut down on the number of straw purchasers who buy firearms for others who can’t legally buy a gun on their own.