PITTSBURGH, PA —-(Ammoland.com)- Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced a victory in its case against the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Mayor Bill Peduto. FPC was joined by co-plaintiffs Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC), Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF), and three individual gun owners. The plaintiffs were represented by Joshua Prince of Civil Rights Defense Firm, P.C. The opinion and order issued by Judge Joseph M. James, holding that “Ordinances 2018-1218, 2018-1219, 2018-1220 are void and unenforceable,” is available online at PittsburghCase.com.
“I am delighted that Judge James’ decision today appropriately struck down the City of Pittsburgh’s unlawful firearm ordinances and signage,” said attorney Joshua Prince. “The City’s gun control sought to eviscerate the inviolate right of the residents of the Commonwealth to keep and bear arms and ensnare law-abiding citizens through a patchwork of laws. Today, Judge James made clear that Mayor Peduto and the Pittsburgh City Council are neither above the law nor a special class of citizens that may violate the law with impunity.”
“We look forward to Judge James issuing a decision on Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League’s contempt petition against the City of Pittsburgh and District Attorney Zappala filing criminal charges against Mayor Peduto and the City Council Members who enacted these illegal ordinances,” Prince concluded.
“Pennsylvania’s preemption statute serves an important purpose, to ensure that Pennsylvanians are not subjected to a patchwork of illogical and inconsistent rules and regulations pertaining to the firearms they chose to employ,” explained FPC Director of Legal Strategy, Adam Kraut.
“The City of Pittsburgh, along with support from the billionaire funded Everytown for Gun Safety, decided to waste City taxpayers’ money by knowingly violating Pennsylvania law,” Kraut continued. “Fortunately for those who favor individual liberty and the rule of law, the Court held what everyone already knew to be true—state law ‘preempts any local regulation pertaining to the regulation of firearms.’ ”
“We are gratified to have partnered on this important case and successfully defended the rights of those who reside in or visit Pittsburgh against corrupt, anti-rights politicians and the evil gun control lobby,” said FPC President Brandon Combs. “We are prepared to defeat the City and Everytown once more should they decide to appeal this ruling.”
In a prior statement, FOAC President Kim Stolfer said, “Peduto and his ‘gun-grabbing gang of six’ at the City Council know that they violated the Pennsylvania Constitution and statutory law. These political puppets of the gun control lobby have victimized the people of Pittsburgh and burdened the taxpayers with an unconstitutional and unlawful pile of radical garbage.”
The City was represented by Everytown Law, the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, a gun control group, as well as Carlson Lynch LLP and the City’s Department of Law.
About FPC
Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)(4) grassroots nonprofit organization. FPC’s mission is to defend the People’s rights—especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms—advance individual liberty, and restore freedom.
Firearms Policy Foundation (www.firearmsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPF’s mission is to defend the People’s rights and promote individual liberty through research, education, and legal action programs.
Seems like the NRA is taking credit a lot this year since all the turmoil has been coming out.
They were not the plaintiffs in this case.
Plaintiffs: Firearm Owners Against Crime, Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League, Firearms Policy Coalition, Firearms Policy Foundation, Matthew Boardley, Saadyah Averick, and Fred Rak
Posted this earlier but for some reason it was taken down.
The NRA has their own case, Anderson vs Pittsburgh. It’s separate from the one discussed here. It dealt with large capacity magazines only and Pittsburgh lost that one also.
Kim Stolfer, from FOAC, deserves a lot of credit on this.
Two different cases:
NRA case
Anderson vs City of Pittsburgh
GD-19-005308
FPC case
Firearm Policy Coalition vs City of Pittsburgh
GD 19-005330
Peduto is a complete leftist, anti gun, DICKBAG ! Shittsburgh is his personal Dem/lib playground. You “usually” see between 2 and 4 murders every morning on the news, just a typical day in his city. NEWS FLASH Peduto, it ISN’T the law abiding citizens shooting up the city nightly…
Grow a set of balls and go after those you are protecting, you know… those CRIMINALS voting for you…
I commented on this case when the council signed it into law. The council knew it was illegal and would be challenged but went ahead anyway. Now the gun rights groups and the city will spend a ton of cash to fight it out. Meanwhile the council members sit back and watch the melee with no personal responsibility and taxpayers of Pittsburgh are handed a huge legal bill rather than spend the money on crime prevention or education or….
Well done!! Especially pursuing criminal charges against the Mayor and City Council. A precedent needs to be set. These politicians on the extreme left truly believe themselves to be above the law… and.. supported by their Socialist agenda… believe themselves to be a different class from those citizens that provide the revenue that they squander in their illicit schemes.
America needs more people like you!!
Next move should be to go after hizonner (/sarc) da Lord High Mayor, then each of the eedjit perjurors who voted for this piece of cow dung legislation in their individual capacity for the legal costs to both plaintiffs, and the City itself. WHY should the taxpayers be on the hook for their personal vendettas? Of course, there is always the FACT that each of those lawbreakers has been elected by the residents of the city. Maybe they DESERVE to pay through their taxes…. their call., Recall, anyone? We could hope. We’ve got a good laugh at this defeat, a… Read more »
It’s nice to see Bloomturds stooges get their asses handed to them! Ha!