High court rejects plea by victims, NYC to target firearms industry

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has turned away pleas by New York City and gun violence victims to hold the firearms industry responsible for selling guns that could end up in illegal markets.

The justices' decision yesterday ends lawsuits first filed in 2000. Federal appeals courts in New York and Washington threw out the complaints after Congress passed a law in 2005 giving the gun industry broad immunity against such lawsuits.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city was examining whether it had other legal options.

The city's lawsuit asked for no monetary damages. It sought a court order for gun makers to more closely monitor those dealers who frequently sell guns later used to commit crimes.

But the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that federal law provides the gun industry with broad immunity from lawsuits brought by crime victims and violence-plagued cities. The Supreme Court refused to reconsider that decision.

The city said manufacturers let handguns reach illegal markets at gun shows.