Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James said she wanted to follow Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan and allow individuals sue gun manufacturers Tuesday on “The View.”
Newsom had announced Saturday that he planned to enable people to sue some gun manufacturers, distributors and sellers. He plan to model it off the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Texas Heartbeat Act, which forbids babies from being aborted if their heartbeat is heard, except in cases of medical emergencies that are not related to rape or incest, and allows people to sue abortion performers and those who assist them. (RELATED: Whoopi Goldberg: ‘I, Too, Am Pro-Life’)
“The View” co-host Sara Haines observed that Newsom was flipping the Act, and she asked James if she would “do something like this” and if it was “an effective legal strategy.”
“The answer is yes,” James replied. “When I heard about that, I said to my team, we need to follow his lead, and the reason why that is, is because gun manufacturers and gun distributors in this country are immunized. No liability whatsoever.”
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James brought up that today was the ninth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, and that she had had enough of people praying for the victims of gun violence.
“We can do something about it,” she continued. “And what we need to do is hold these gun manufacturers and these gun distributors liable.”
“It’s different than letting private citizens take action,” said guest co-host CNN contributor Amanda Carpenter. “Is that the–do you make that difference?”
“And so, the issue is allowing private citizens,” James replied, “is that a way to get around, again, this immunization, the fact that they have been immunized and the fact that we don’t hold them liable? And so, we are reviewing it, we are talking to California, and so this is a first, yes. The office of Attorney General Letitia James is looking at that model and I congratulate Governor Newsom.”
Newsom said that his plan would allow people to sue manufacturers, distributors and sellers of assault rifles, ghost gun kits, and their parts for injunctive relief and statutory damages for at least $10,000 per violation.