NYC can sue out-of-state gun sellers: Judge

NEW YORK--A federal district court judge ruled Wednesday that New York City can sue out-of-state gun dealers that allegedly sold guns to criminals who used them to commit crimes in the city.

U.S. District Court Judge Jack Weinstein rejected the arguments of six out-of-state gun sellers that they could not be sued in New York or federal court because they did not do business in New York.

The judge held that New York had demonstrated that the defendants "have been responsible for the funneling into New York of large quantities of handguns used by local criminals to terrorize significant portions of the city's population. The city may seek redress in the Eastern District of New York where many of the New York crimes attributable to defendants' activities take place."

Judge Weinstein set a Jan. 7, 2008, trial date for the case.