Background on the Case
In this lawsuit, the Connecticut court in Bridgeport stated the marketing of a military-style combat weapon is a state laws’ violation. This decision means the state overturned the lower court’s decision.
Security Magazine explains that with the lower court’s decision, the suing of gun manufacturers isn’t permitted. So, now that people can sue gun manufacturers, is it ok to sue kitchen knife manufactures or car manufactures when a bad person makes an evil decision? If a gun manufacturer can be sued, every marketer may face a lawsuit at some point in their career for selling a product, which is simple their job.
Federal Jurisdiction
With this decision and argument, the question is whether the decision can be appealed on the federal level. Shein & Brandenburg explains that one thing is for sure, which is SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) will generally only decide to hear a case if there is some unsettled constitutional question or challenge. This is required to appeal to the federal supreme court.
With marketers not being able to do their jobs without fearing the risk of being sued, their work capability may be negatively affected. And as a result, they can lose their jobs for substantial work. Furthermore, certain marketing jobs may be eliminated due to the Bridgeport decision, which will be detrimental to the livelihood of these employees and their families. Thus, this case may be upheld at the Supreme Court.
Chances on Appeal
There are various criteria regarding whether the federal courts of appeals and the Supreme Court will uphold a lower court’s decision. Judicial Learning Center explains that The Supreme Court may hear the appeal if the decision is appealed on constitutional grounds.
The Supreme Court will affirm the verdict if most justices agree with the decision of the lower court. Then, the court will either overturn the conviction/verdict, invalidate the offending case, or remand the case back to a lower court.
There are times when the court finds a violation of the constitution in some way. And with this case, there’s a challenge: While our society is in more of an uproar with gun violence, the gun manufacturers are targeted. However, this ruling may invade the rights of the marketers who are just doing their jobs.
Many of the problems that are occurring nowadays happen because of a lack of knowledge, or people not properly protecting their guns. Make sure your firearms in locked up in a safe, or have the correct trigger locks to guarantee protection.