SEATTLE (AP)
More states are suing the Trump administration to dissolve a
settlement it reached with a company that wants to post instructions
online for making 3D-printed firearms that are hard to trace and detect.
Mostly Democratic attorneys general from 19 states, plus the District
of Columbia, filed an amended complaint Friday asking a judge make it
illegal to share plans on creating printable plastic weapons. One
Republican — Colorado’s attorney general — joined the lawsuit.
It comes days after U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik blocked the
plans from being released until Aug. 28. He has scheduled an Aug. 21
hearing on the states’ request to reverse the U.S. State Department’s
agreement with Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed.
The settlement jeopardizes states’ ability to enforce gun laws,
including background checks, and puts public safety at risk, the
complaint said. The availability of plastic guns threatens safety in
prisons and jails and makes air travel more susceptible to terrorist
attacks, the states said.
“The states and the District of Columbia have a clear and reasonable
fear that the proliferation of untraceable, undetectable weapons will
enable convicted felons, domestic abusers, the mentally ill, and others
who should not have access to firearms to acquire and use them,” Lasnik
said in his temporary order Tuesday.
Defense Distributed owner Cody Wilson, a self-described
“crypto-anarchist,” has said “governments should live in fear of their
citizenry.” His company seeks to make guns accessible to everyone,
making “meaningful gun regulation impossible,” according to the
complaint.
Wilson’s lawyer, Josh Blackman, told The Associated Press on Friday
that they are “still considering our options” but did not elaborate.
He told the judge this week that the safety risks claimed by the
states is “largely exaggerated” because many of the files are already
online.
Washington state Assistant Attorney General Jeff Rupert acknowledged
that some files are out there but hopes the court rulings will make it
clear that any new posts violate federal law.
A group of gun-rights advocates called the Firearms Policy Coalition
responded to the judge’s order by creating a website with plans for
various firearms, including “the Liberator,” a 3D-printable single-shot
handgun.
“Our Constitution’s First Amendment secures the right of all people
to engage in truthful speech, including by sharing information contained
in books, paintings, and files,” the group said in a statement online.
“Should any tyrants wish to chill or infringe the rights of the People,
we would welcome the opportunity to defend freedom whenever, wherever,
and however necessary.”
Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun
Violence, a gun-control advocacy group, said the Firearms Policy
Coalition’s “reckless and dangerous behavior” isn’t a constitutional
position but “a publicity stunt that will lead to someone being hurt or
killed.”
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson urged the federal
government to enforce the court order prohibiting distribution of
downloadable gun files.
The states suing are: Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey,
New York, Oregon, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois,
Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.
The expanded lawsuit comes as a group of congressional Democrats
introduced legislation that would block online instructions for
3D-printed guns, which are largely undetectable at security checkpoints,
according a statement released Friday by U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch and
Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Brad Schneider of Illinois and
Carolyn Maloney of New York.
“This isn’t about freedom of information; this is about our national security and our public safety,” Rep. Deutch said.
Another measure introduced this week requires plastic guns to have
serial numbers and enough metal to make them visible on screening
machines.
President Donald Trump has questioned whether his administration
should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online, tweeting
Tuesday that the idea “doesn’t seem to make much sense!”
Since then, he has been largely silent on the issue.
Since then, he has been largely silent on the issue.
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