Reinstatement of suit against gun manufacturers [DC Court of Appeals] News
Reinstatement of suit against gun manufacturers [DC Court of Appeals]

District of Columbia v. Beretta, U.S.A., Corp., et al.; Lawson, et al. v. Beretta, U.S.A., Corp., et al., District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Associate Judge Farrell, April 21, 2005 [allowing individuals, but not the government, to sue gun manufacturers for damages arising from injuries or deaths caused by the gun's discharge]. Excerpt:

We reverse the dismissal of the statutory count as to the individual plaintiffs, holding that they may advance to discovery on strict liability notwithstanding the difficulties of proof they may confront. We also reverse the dismissal of that count as to the District of Columbia to the extent — but only the extent — that it seeks subrogated damages as to named individual plaintiffs for whom it has incurred medical expenses. Otherwise we sustain the judgment of the trial court, holding that none of the plaintiffs has stated a valid claim of common-law negligence and that the District has not stated a claim of public nuisance on the facts alleged.

Read the full text of the opinion here [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Anita Hill testifies about Clarence Thomas sexual harassment

Attorney Anita Hill testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee on October 11, 1991 about sexual harassment she suffered from her former supervisor Clarence Thomas, who was nominated by President Ronald Regan for a seat on the US Supreme Court. The US Senate would later confirm Thomas by a vote of 52–48 despite Hill's testimony. Watch the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings on CSPAN.

Vatican II opens

On October 11, 1962, the Second Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church convened in Rome, Italy. Over the next three years, the conference modernized Church Law for the modern era. The most noticeable changes included the celebration of mass in the vernacular, a new emphasis on the role of laypersons, and a greater acceptance of other faiths. Read documents from Vatican II from Church archives.

Harlan Fiske Stone born

On October 11, 1872, Harlan Fiske Stone, future Columbia Law School dean (1910-1924), US Attorney General under President Calvin Coolidge (1924-25), US Supreme Court Associate Justice (1925-41) and Chief Justice (1941-46), was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. As part of a political compromise, Stone became the first Supreme Court nominee to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, testifying for five hours on January 28, 1925.

Harlan Fiske Stone born

On October 11, 1872, Harlan Fiske Stone, future Columbia Law School dean (1910-1924), US Attorney General under President Calvin Coolidge (1924-25), US Supreme Court Associate Justice (1925-41) and Chief Justice (1941-46), was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire.

As part of a political compromise, Stone became the first Supreme Court nominee to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, testifying for five hours on January 28, 1925.