The American Constitutional Rights Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of America’s leading firearms companies as they seek Supreme Court review of a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit allowing the Mexican government to sue them.

The bipartisan federal Protection Against Lawful Commerce in Arms Act generally provides that firearms manufacturers cannot be held liable for the criminal activities of third parties committed by third-party criminals. The First Circuit held that the bipartisan federal law did not apply because Mexico contends that the firearms manufacturers aid and abet the criminal abuse of firearms in Mexico. It also held that the manufacturers’ actions are the proximate cause of the harm to the Mexican government.

In its brief, the ACRU addressed the proximate cause issue before discussing other causal factors in the problem.

Case Docket

ACRU Amicus Brief