Robert Ricker: The Bombshell
Witness Who's Already Bombed In Boston And California
Makes His Debut In Brooklyn
Anti-gun groups hope third time's
the charm for their "smoking gun" witness
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Robert Ricker, the NAACP's proclaimed "smoking
gun" witness in its suit against the firearms industry, made
his debut today in Brooklyn federal court. Ricker headed a
now-defunct firearm industry trade group for a brief two-month
period in 1999. Ricker claims members of the firearm industry
fail to do enough
to stop criminals from getting guns.
The NAACP's suit seeks to blame gun
makers for criminal shootings in African-American communities.
The NAACP's attorney, Elisa Barnes, describes Ricker as a
"true insider."
This case marks the third time Ricker has made these allegations
against firearms industry members. Two years ago, lawyers
representing the City of Boston in its suit against gun makers
interviewed Ricker and, in February, he filed an affidavit
against the industry on behalf of 12 California cities that
had sued gun makers.
The gun makers, however, were dismissive of Ricker's testimony.
"We are not the least bit concerned by Ricker's testimony,"
said Lawrence G. Keane, vice president and general counsel
for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms
industry's trade association. "Boston
was so impressed by Ricker's accusations that it voluntarily
dropped its suit last year. The
judge presiding over the California case was so impressed
with Ricker's affidavit that he threw the case out of court,"
Keane added.
"Ricker is the bombshell witness that has already bombed.
If he were a Broadway show he would have closed on opening
night," Keane said.
"The accusation that the industry knowingly and willingly
sells guns to criminals is highly offensive and now, with
the dismissals of the Boston and California cases, proven
to be false," Keane said.
Boston and California had access to hundreds of thousands
of pages of industry documents, took sworn testimony from
dozens of company executives and, even with Ricker's
testimony, those cities were unable to show any wrongdoing
on the part of gun makers. To the contrary, Boston acknowledged
in papers filed with the court when it voluntarily dismissed
its case that "the firearms industry is generally concerned
with and committed to the safe, legal and responsible use
of their products."
For many years, NSSF has cooperated with the Bureau of Alcohol
Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in its effort to educate and train
firearms dealers to prevent the sale of guns to persons prohibited
by law from buying them. NSSF, in partnership with ATF, developed
the Don't Lie
for the Other Guy straw purchase detection and prevention
program. NSSF also provides continuing education opportunities
for dealers at its annual trade show and through dealer seminars
conducted with ATF throughout the country.
Through its lawsuit, the NAACP is attempting to have an
unelected judge in Brooklyn dictate how firearms are to be
sold throughout the entire United States. "This is an unconstitutional
attempt to use litigation to rewrite federal law and the laws
of 50 states in ways that Congress and the American public
do not support. This week the House of Representatives will
vote to approve legislation that will stop 'junk' lawsuits
like the NAACP's case that blame manufacturers for the acts
of criminals," Keane said. A majority of both the Senate and
the House of Representatives are sponsoring the Protection
of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (S.
659/H.R.
1036).
According to a recent poll conducted by the American Tort
Reform Association, 83.4% of Americans believe there are too
many lawsuits in America. In another recent poll conducted
by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 69% of Americans said they
would be more favorable toward their Senator or Representative
if they voted to reform the way class action lawsuits are
handled in the United States.
"The time has come for Congress to enact common sense
legal reforms to restore integrity and fairness to our judicial
system and stop these junk lawsuits that waste millions of
taxpayer dollars and threaten to bankrupt an entire law-abiding
industry and eliminate thousands of important manufacturing
jobs," Keane said.
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Additional Information: What
Does Robert Ricker Have To Say About These Lawsuits?
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