Jun 4, 2008 6:32 am US/Eastern
Judge Shoots Down Several Philly Gun Laws
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
It was a building block of Mayor Michael Nutter's plan to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia, but a judge has ruled against some of the city's proposed gun laws.
The move was in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association.
Nutter found out Tuesday night a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge struck down two of the five gun ban ordinances he signed into law in April.
"Three out of five bills, I think if we were down at the ballpark, that's a pretty good day at batting," Nutter said.
According to the ruling, the city cannot enforce the ban of assault weapons, ownership or sale. The city can also not limit firearm purchases to one per month.
However, the judge allowed the city to effectively remove guns from persons deemed a "risk" to themselves or others, require lost/stolen guns to be reported to police, and prohibit gun ownership from "Protection From Abuse" subjects.
"The court process is what it is, three bills upheld, we will enforce them, the other two, more than likely we will continue this fight through the courts because we think that we are right on the issue," Nutter said.
An attorney for the NRA called the decision a "huge victory" for them.
Nutter said he is considering an appeal to the decision.
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