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Slate News

Amicus: The Next Supreme Court Gun Fight

Sep 28, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Eric Tirschwell, executive director and chief litigation counsel of Everytown Law, delves into the impending Supreme Court case Garland v. VanDerStok about 'ghost guns.' Tirschwell highlights the alarming rise of untraceable firearms and the significant drop in related crimes since new regulations were introduced. They also explore the dark money influencing litigation against gun safety laws and compare these tactics to anti-abortion strategies, exposing a controversial intersection of law and public safety.
45:49

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • The case of Garland v. VanDerStok highlights the urgent public safety concerns surrounding ghost guns, which are untraceable and easily assembled firearms posing a risk to communities.
  • Significant dark money is being utilized to challenge gun safety laws, paralleling strategies seen in anti-abortion litigation, raising issues of transparency in legal funding.

Deep dives

The Rise of Ghost Guns

Ghost guns are unlicensed, untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home from kits purchased online. These kits are concerning because they are sold without serial numbers or background checks, making it difficult for law enforcement to trace them. Reports indicate that the recovery of ghost guns at crime scenes surged dramatically from only a few thousand in 2018 to over 25,000 by 2022, highlighting their impact on violent crime. This rise has led to public safety concerns, particularly since these weapons can fall into the hands of individuals prohibited from owning firearms.

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