The judge overseeing the National Rifle Association’s civil corruption case said Wednesday that imposing external oversight over the group would be “intrusive” and that he’d approach any supervision with caution. New York State Attorney General Letitia James was victorious in the jury phase of her case against the NRA, but still wants Judge Joel M. Cohen to appoint a monitor and governance expert to eye the gun group after the second phase.
At a hearing on the particulars of that second phase, Cohen said, “The focus should be on compliance, rather than punishment.” The NRA is an advocacy group with First Amendment rights and for that reason, he said “a certain amount of humility” was fitting. While stressing that he was not foreclosing the possibility of outside supervision, Cohen said, “I am going to be looking for private remedies, internal remedies, rather than state oversight.” He also said that the question of whether the NRA had fully reformed itself was relevant, but it would not be his sole criteria in deciding whether oversight is warranted. The second part of the trial, which is expected to last two weeks, is tentatively scheduled to start July 15. —Will Van Sant
Gun Trafficking
The U.S. is ramping up its efforts to fight gun trafficking at the southern border. Customs and Border Protection reported intercepting 1,171 firearms before they crossed into Mexico in 2023 — a dramatic increase from the 173 guns the agency intercepted in 2019.
The increased effort is part of an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico to counter drug cartels, which U.S. authorities blame for a surge in American overdose deaths. While experts say that the uptick in firearm seizures is promising, it’s still just a fraction of the guns that are trafficked across the southern border each year. The Trace’s Alain Stephens has the story.
What to Know Today
A jury began hearing testimony in the criminal trial against a Connecticut law enforcement officer believed to be the first State Police trooper charged for killing someone while on duty. It is also the first major trial brought by Connecticut’s inspector general, a position created in 2020 to independently investigate police shootings. [CT Mirror]
Firearm suicide is among the leading causes of death for veterans. A new study sheds light on one aspect of prevention: Service members who own guns consider law enforcement officers, current military personnel, and fellow veterans to be highly credible sources for discussing safe firearm storage. [American Association of Suicidology]
Amid a rise in crime on New York City public transit, including three fatal shootings this year, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she will deploy 1,000 members of the State Police and National Guard to patrol the subway system and conduct random bag inspections. That’s in addition to Mayor Eric Adams’ announcement that 1,000 city police officers will begin patrolling trains and stations. [The New York Times/Gothamist]
Two law enforcement officials named in the Justice Department’s scathing report on the police response to the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, moved forward in their reelection bids on Tuesday. Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco, who was repeatedly called out in the report, is headed to a runoff, while Uvalde County Constable Emmanuel Zamora has won his primary. [The Texas Tribune]
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation to increase the waiting period for firearm purchases to seven days and ban carrying guns at polling locations. Both measures include exemptions for concealed carry permit holders and law enforcement officers. [Politico]
Archive
Can Veteran-Led Training Make Suicide Prevention More Effective?: A new program aims to teach mental health practitioners how veterans think about their guns. (December 2023)
Correction: An erroneous reference to a “three-day federal waiting period” has been removed from this post.
