SUPREME COURT DELIVERS HISTORIC SECOND AMENDMENT VICTORY IN ESTADOS UNIDOS V. SMITH & WESSON...

On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, rejecting Mexico's $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers.

SUPREME COURT DELIVERS HISTORIC SECOND AMENDMENT VICTORY IN ESTADOS UNIDOS V. SMITH & WESSON - Mountain States Legal Foundation. The case involved Mexico's attempt to hold firearm manufacturers liable for the criminal misuse of their lawfully sold products by Mexican cartels.

Justice Kagan wrote the opinion, stating that manufacturers cannot be charged with assisting in criminal acts just because Mexican cartel members favor certain guns. The decision upheld the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a 2005 federal law that shields gun manufacturers from liability when their products are used in crimes.

The ruling is considered significant because it protects the firearms industry from liability lawsuits, which Second Amendment advocates argue is essential for Americans to be able to exercise their right to purchase firearms. However, it's important to note that this decision didn't alter the Second Amendment itself—it reinforced legal protections for the gun industry that Congress had already established.