JAMES v. ARMS TECHNOLOGY, INC.


820 A.2d 27 (2003)

359 N.J. Super. 291

Mayor Sharpe JAMES and The City of Newark, New Jersey, Plaintiffs-Respondents, v. ARMS TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED; B.L. Jennings, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A.; Browning Arms Co.; Bryco Arms; Colt's Manufacturing Co.; Glock, Inc.; H & R; Heckler & Koch, Inc.; International Armament Corp. (d/b/a "Interarms Industries, Inc."); MKS Supply, Inc. (d/b/a "Hi-Point Firearms"); Phoenix Arms; Sigarms, Inc.; Smith & Wesson Corp.; Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.; Taurus International Manufacturing, Defendants-Appellants, and Arcadia Machine & Tool; Carl Walther; Charter Arms, Inc.; Davis Industries; Forjas Taurus, S.A.; Full Metal Jacket, Inc.; Glock GMBH; Heckler & Koch, GMBH; Lorcin Engineering Co., Inc.; Navegar, Inc. (d/b/a "Intratec"); Fabbrica D'Armi Pietro Beretta S.P.A.; Sundance Industries; National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.; Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc.; Navy Arms Company, Inc.; Ray's Sporting Goods, Defendants. Mayor Sharpe James and The City of Newark, Plaintiffs-Respondents, v. Ray's Sporting Goods, Defendant-Appellant, and Arcadia Machine & Tool; Arms Technology, Incorporated; B.L. Jennings, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A.; Browning Arms Co.; Bryco Arms; Carl Walther; Charter Arms, Inc.; Colt's Manufacturing Co.; Davis Industries; Forjas Taurus, S.A.; Full Metal Jacket, Inc.; Glock, Inc.; Glock GMBH; H & R; Heckler & Koch, Inc.; Heckler & Koch, GMBH; International Armament Corp. (d/b/a "Interarms Industries, Inc."); Lorcin Engineering Co., Inc.; MKS Supply, Inc. (d/b/a "Hi-Point Firearms"); Navegar, Inc. (d/b/a "Intratec"); Phoenix Arms; Fabbrica D'Armi Pietro Beretta S.P.A.; Sigarms, Inc.; Smith & Wesson Corp.; Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.; Sundance Industries, Inc.; Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc.; National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.; Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc.; Navy Arms Company, Defendants. Mayor Sharpe James and The City of Newark, Plaintiffs-Respondents, v. Navy Arms Company, Inc., Defendant-Appellant, and Arcadia Machine & Tool; Arms Technology, Incorporated; B.L. Jennings, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A.; Browning Arms Co.; Bryco Arms; Carl Walther; Charter Arms, Inc.; Colt's Manufacturing Co.; Davis Industries; Forjas Taurus, S.A.; Full Metal Jacket, Inc.; Glock, Inc.; Glock GMBH; H & R; Heckler & Koch, Inc.; Heckler & Koch, GMBH; International Armament Corp. (d/b/a "Interarms Industries, Inc."); Lorcin Engineering Co., Inc.; MKS Supply, Inc. (d/b/a "Hi-Point Firearms"); Navegar, Inc. (d/b/a "Intratec"); Phoenix Arms; Fabbrica D'Armi Pietro Beretta S.P.A.; Sigarms, Inc.; Smith & Wesson Corp.; Sturm Ruger & Company, Inc.; Sundance Industries, Inc.; Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc.; National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.; Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Inc.; Ray's Sporting Goods, Defendants.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Decided March 11, 2003.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Lawrence S. Greenwald, of the Maryland bar, Baltimore, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for appellant Beretta U.S.A. (Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, and Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, attorneys); Mr. Greenwald, Catherine A. Bledsoe, Louis R. Moffa, and Harris Neal Feldman, on the brief of all appellants in A-3098-01T3.

Renzulli, Pisciotti & Renzulli, attorneys for appellants Arms Technology, Inc., Browning Arms Co., Glock, Inc., H & R, and MKS Supply, Inc. (d/b/a "Hi-Point Firearms").

Kelly, McLaughlin & Foster, Collingsworth, attorneys for appellants B.L. Jennings, Inc., and Bryco Arms.

Riker, Danzig, Scher, Hyland & Peretti, attorneys for appellant Colt's Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Holland & Knight, attorneys for appellant Heckler & Koch, Inc.

Timothy G. Atwood, Shelton, CT, attorney for appellant International Armament Corp. d/b/a "Interarms Industries, Inc."

Marshall Dennehy Warner Coleman & Groggin, attorneys for appellant Phoenix Arms.

Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, Newark, attorneys for appellant Sigarms, Inc.

Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, attorneys for appellant Smith & Wesson Corp.

James P. Dorr, of the Illinois bar, Chicago, admitted pro hac vice, argued the cause for appellant Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (Carpenter, Bennett, & Morrissey, attorneys).

Budd Larner Gross Rosenbaum Greenberg & Sade, attorneys for appellant Taurus International Manufacturing.

Mark C. Saperstein, Keith T. Vernon, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Castano Safe Gun Litigation) and Terry P. Bottinelli, Hackensack, argued the cause for respondents (Davis, Saperstein & Salomon; Joanne Y. Watson and Joseph Gillespie, Newark Corporation Counsel; Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli; Brown & Brown; Keith T. Vernon (Castano Safe Gun Litigation), Herten, Burstein, Sheridan; and Daniel G. Abel, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Gauthier, Downing, LaBarre) Keven C. Decie, on the brief in A-3101-01T3, also serving as respondents' brief in A-3098-01T3).

McCarter & English, attorneys for amicus curiae National Association of Manufacturers (William J. O'Shaughnessy, of counsel, and John E. Flaherty, on the brief for A-3098-01T3).

Pepper Hamilton, attorneys for amicus curiae Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc. (James M. Beck, of the Pennsylvania bar, admitted pro hac vice, and Michael O. Petrone, both of counsel and on the brief for A-3098-01T3, A-3101-T3, and A-3103-01T3).

Brian J. Siebel, Washington, DC, argued the cause for amicus curiae City of Camden, City of Jersey City, Ceasefire New Jersey, Million Mom March State of New Jersey, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March (Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards; Terry Lavy, City Attorney, City of Camden; Alexander W. Booth, Jr., Corporation Counsel, Jersey City Law Department; and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Legal Action Project, attorneys); (Lisa J. Rodriguez, on the brief for A-3098-01T3, A-3103-01T3, and A-3103-01T3).

Gloria B. Cherry, argued the cause for appellant Ray's Sporting Goods (Braff, Harris & Sukoneck, attorneys; Ms. Cherry, on the brief).

Mark C. Saperstein, Keith T. Vernon, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Castano Safe Gun Litigation) and Terry P. Bottinelli, Hackensack, argued the cause for respondents (Davis, Saperstein & Salomon; Joanne Y. Watson and Joseph Gillespie, Newark Corporation Counsel; Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli; Brown & Brown; Keith T. Vernon (Castano Safe Gun Litigation), Herten, Burstein, Sheridan; and Daniel G. Abel, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Gauthier, Downing, LaBarre) Keven C. Decie, on the brief in A-3101-01T3, also serving as respondents' brief in A-3098-01T3).

Post, Polak, Goodsell, MacNeill & Strauchler, Roseland, attorneys for appellant Navy Arms Company, Inc., joins in the appellants' briefs in A-3098-01T3, A-3101-01T3, and A-3103-01T3.

Mark C. Saperstein, Keith T. Vernon, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Castano Safe Gun Litigation) and Terry P. Bottinelli, Hackensack, argued the cause for respondents (Davis, Saperstein & Salomon); Joanne Y. Watson and Joseph Gillespie, Newark Corporation Counsel; Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli; Brown & Brown; Keith T. Vernon (Castano Safe Gun Litigation), Herten, Burstein, Sheridan; and Daniel G. Abel, of the Louisiana bar, admitted pro hac vice, (Gauthier, Downing, LaBarre) (Keven C. Decie, on the brief in A-3101-01T3, also serving as respondents' brief in A-3098-01T3).

Before Judges HAVEY, A.A. RODRÍGUEZ and PAYNE.


The opinion of the court was delivered by HAVEY, P.J.A.D.

Since 1995, over thirty cities and counties have filed law suits in other jurisdictions against gun manufacturers seeking to recover the cost of governmental services associated with gun violence.1 Many of the cases have been dismissed on the pleadings on the bases, among others, that: (1) the public...

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