Ep. 250: Amid Tragedy, Gun Makers Face New Legal Fights

A day after yet another mass shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead in a Texas school, a New York federal court issued a momentous gun rights ruling that upheld a state law allowing for civil suits against gunmakers when illicit sales of firearms cause a public nuisance. It’s a ruling that would have drawn eyeballs regardless, but its proximity to the tragedy in Texas further stirred an already feverish discussion about the strength of the country’s gun laws. The hosts break down the ruling and give a broader look at the gun litigation landscape. Also on this week’s show, Law360’s Boston court reporter Chris Villani stops by to discuss ExxonMobil’s failure to dodge a closely watched climate change lawsuit, and a California judge recuses himself in open court following a testy exchange with counsel over the defendant’s shackles. Finally, the destruction of a cheese wall near the southern border prompts a lawsuit, a settlement, and now, a discussion on the finer points of l’art du fromage.