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Below is a message from Carol Gorenberg, attorney and Law Center supporter:

In March of 1982, my sister bought a gun on First Street in San Francisco. She passed the background check and received her weapon – all without my knowledge, even though she had been living with me for 3 months since her previous suicide attempt. I found the receipt for the gun when I was going through her stuff, along with the suicide letter and her journal. It was quite clear to me that she did everything possible to keep her plan a secret.

If she hadn’t been able to buy a gun, she would have tried something else – and maybe that something would not have worked. The gun was the certain way to succeed, unfortunately. More than 90% of suicide attempts with a gun are successful.

In an instant, my sister’s right to life and my right to grow old with my sister were taken away. She didn’t have a chance to deal with her despair and get better. A gun kept her from having another chance at life.

The truth is that my sister and I are not alone. That’s why I seized the opportunity to honor the life of my sister by supporting the Law Center’s 20th Anniversary Dinner with a Tribute Message. Every day, the Law Center’s staff works to prevent the devastating toll that gun violence takes on families across the country – whether that is working on laws to prevent mass shootings, crime related homicides, or easy access to weapons by children. They are making our communities safer by finding effective solutions to our gun violence epidemic, providing accurate information to our legislatures and courts, and answering the arguments of those who would hide behind our Constitution to rationalize a culture of violence.

Sadly, I know that someone else’s sister is buying a gun today, and someone else will lose a sister, brother, parent, or child, today, tomorrow, and next week. However, I know that my contribution to this Anniversary Dinner honors the life of my sister and supports the Law Center’s incredibly valuable work. Each life we save, each suicide prevented, each murder thwarted, brings us closer to the goal of having a safe society where all can enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I hope you will stand with me by sending a Tribute Message or a Message of Support to the Law Center as they mark 20 Years.

Please join me today by sending a message of support through the Law Center’s form below.

All the best,
Carol Gorenberg

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Last week, the California Department of Justice certified that microstamping technology is ready for California. As a result of this certification, microstamping – a technology that imprints a unique code on bullet cartridge cases as they are fired from a gun – will be required for all new handgun models manufactured for sale in the state, allowing for the implementation of a 2007 state law that is the first of its kind nationwide.

The Law Center supported the law by testifying at legislative and regulatory hearings because microstamping will bring significant benefits to law enforcement’s ability to investigate gun crimes. Microstamping allows law enforcement to connect an ammunition cartridge case recovered at a crime scene directly to the gun that fired it. The technology uses precise, microscopic engravings on the internal mechanisms of a handgun to stamp a unique code identifying the gun’s make, model and serial number onto every expelled cartridge case.

Cartridge cases are much more likely to be recovered at the scene of a shooting than the gun used, but, without microstamping, ballistic experts cannot use those cases to identify a specific weapon unless the firearm has also been recovered.

Through the adoption of this innovative technology, California has once again positioned itself as a leader in the effort to prevent gun violence. The state’s certification should also provide encouragement to the several other states have proposed, but not adopted, microstamping legislation in recent years. Most importantly, the attorney general’s announcement sends a clear message to gun manufacturers: it’s time to adopt this technology and help law enforcement solve gun crimes.

On April 29, the nation was saddened by the death of two-year old Caroline Sparks, who was shot and killed by her five-year-old brother Kristian in rural Kentucky.  The mother of the two children had left a rifle sitting in a corner of the house and had not known it was loaded.  She only left the room for a moment when she heard the gun go off.

Unfortunately, these kinds of shooting occur all the time.  Over the past ten days: a five-year old Alaska girl was fatally shot by her eight-year old brother;  a four-year old Alabama boy was accidentally shot in the head; a 13-year-old Florida boy shot his six-year old sister; a four-year-old in Indiana shot himself in the hand; and a three-year-old in Florida accidentally killed himself with his uncle’s gun.

Our hearts go out to these victims and their family members.  These kinds of shootings are the result of our nation’s insufficient attention to the more generalized problem of access to guns. Over the last few months, our nation’s leaders have begun to address how our background check system could, and should, prevent dangerous criminals and individuals with severe mental illness from accessing guns.  They should also address the parallel problem of child access to guns.

Far too many children can obtain firearms without adult supervision.  A 2005 study on firearm storage practices found that over 1.69 million children and youth under age 18 are living in homes in the U.S. with loaded and unlocked firearms. The presence of unlocked guns in the home increases the risk of both gun accidents, like those described above, and intentional shootings, like those that can occur when a violent or suicidal teenager has access to a firearm. See Statistics on Youth Violence and Gun Access for further data.

Almost half the states have no law penalizing individuals who provide children unsupervised access to firearms.  In addition, as described in our Child Access Prevention policy summary, some states with existing laws only penalize the responsible adult after a child has actually gained access to the firearm and someone has been shot.  A stronger approach generally requires gun owners to keep their guns locked whenever they are not in use. Massachusetts is the only state that has adopted this approach so far. Other jurisdictions should consider this approach, which could prevent many of the tragedies listed above, and which has been upheld by the courts.

Massachusetts’ safe storage law is one of many innovative strategies to prevent gun violence that legislators ought to consider.  If we don’t do anything, we’ll continue to read about terrible accidents involving kids and guns.

This June, the Law Center is Proud to Mark Twenty Years of Saving Lives and We Invite You to Join Us.

Twenty years ago this summer, a deranged former client entered the Pettit & Martin law offices in San Francisco. Armed with two military-style assault weapons outfitted with large capacity ammunition magazines, he walked through the office on a shooting rampage. In the end, he had killed eight — in addition to himself — and grievously wounded six more.

In the wake, the San Francisco legal community and others affected by this horrific event came together to prevent the next tragedy – founding the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. We have spent the last 20 years pouring our hearts, souls, and minds into developing effective legal solutions to address the rampant and destructive consequences of gun violence.

Every year, we gather to mark the anniversary of our organization’s founding with a special event to remember the lives that were taken on July 1, 1993, as well as the unacceptable toll of lives taken by gunfire every day. Our Anniversary Dinner is also a time to look to the future as we develop real and lasting solutions.

In response to the tragedy in Newtown, the nation is demanding sensible and life saving measures to reduce gun violence – in ways we’ve never seen before. Share in the success of the Law Center as it continues to meet the ever growing demand for smart legal solutions that protect our communities.

We are proud to welcome United States Senator Dianne Feinstein, United States Congressman Mike Thompson, and Jim Silkenat, American Bar Association President-elect. We invite you to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. To contribute to our work by joining the hundreds of law firms, corporations, and activists who sponsor this event annually, or to learn more about sponsor benefits, visit our sponsor page. For more on directions to the Fairmont and parking information, visit their map & directions page.

Individual tickets are sold out. Please call 415.433.2062×309 to be placed on our wait list.

If you would like to contribute to the Dinner or our work, visit our Donate page.

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U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey (Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

We’re outraged but not defeated. The U.S. Senate just voted not to adopt the background check legislation offered by Senators Manchin and Toomey. The Manchin-Toomey proposal, which would have required background checks for firearms sales at gun shows and sales made over the Internet, fell just 6 votes short of the 60 vote threshold needed to proceed.

While the Manchin-Toomey legislation was a bipartisan compromise bill that included several disconcerting concessions to the gun lobby, it would have been a significant step forward for background checks in America. With the failure of this legislation today, a minority of senators have prevented critical progress towards universal background checks, which are supported by 90% of Americans as well as strong majorities of gun owners and NRA members.

We are disappointed and outraged by the outcome of today’s vote, but this is not the end of the fight for stronger federal laws to protect our communities from gun violence. In fact, this is just the beginning. Over three thousand Americans have been killed by guns since Newtown. For them, for the children and teachers at Sandy Hook, and for all those who have been impacted by gun violence, we will continue to fight for the changes that we know can save lives.

While federal efforts received a setback today, there continues to be good news at the state level. Just yesterday, eleven significant bills passed out of the California State Senate’s Public Safety Committee. This victory marks a critical first step for California, and it comes after important state victories in Maryland, Connecticut, Colorado, and New York.

Just as change is happening in the states, it will come to the federal level. Now more than ever, Americans are united in agreement that our weak gun laws are simply unacceptable. The American public’s voice – calling for universal background checks and other important safety measures – will be heard in the halls of Congress.

Please stand with us in this fight. Pitch in today so we can continue to work tirelessly for safer communities.

In a closely watched case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a significant decision on March 21, in which it affirmed the ability of state law enforcement to limit the carrying of guns in public places. Reversing the decision of a federal district court in Maryland, the circuit court held that a requirement under Maryland law – that an individual demonstrate a “good and substantial reason” in order to qualify for a permit to carry a handgun in public – does not violate the Second Amendment.

Notably, the Fourth Circuit rebuked the district court for making a “trailblazing pronouncement that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense extends outside the home” and it advised courts that they should await direction from the U.S. Supreme Court before determining whether or to what extent the Second Amendment might protect the possession of firearms in public.

The decision confirms that reasonable restrictions on carrying of handguns in public are constitutional, even if they strictly limit the number of individuals who may carry a handgun. As the Fourth Circuit explained, “The State has clearly demonstrated that the good-and-substantial-reason requirement advances the objectives of protecting public safety and preventing crime because it reduces the number of handguns carried in public. That is, limiting the public carry of handguns protects citizens and inhibits crime.”

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.

Every year, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence tracks and analyzes all of the firearms legislation pending in the California Legislature. This year, California legislators have introduced a historic number of firearms bills, including a number of significant and innovative measures to strengthen the state’s gun laws.

This analysis summarizes over 30 bills that would change California’s gun laws. Please note that this analysis is ongoing and will be revised to reflect subsequent amendments and other developments.

For more information about the legislative process in California, see this overview of the legislative process or the publication California’s Legislature.

(This analysis was last updated on May 30th, 2013)

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The Law Center applauds Governor Hickenlooper and the Colorado Legislature on the passage of historic bills to prevent gun violence. While Colorado is leading the way, it is not alone: over 600 bills to prevent gun violence have been introduced this year, a 63% increase over this time last year. The call for change is being heard at the state level nationwide.

Strong gun laws to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands are consistent with the Second Amendment and are necessary to defending our communities from the constant threat of violence.

Colorado is a leader in the nation, as many states across the country are hearing the voice of gun owners and non-gun owners alike – inaction on preventing gun violence is unacceptable.

With the adoption of these measures, Colorado has taken important steps toward preventing mass shootings like the tragedies in Aurora and Columbine, as well as the everyday gun violence that plagues communities nationwide.

After the tragedy in Newtown, the American people are demanding changes to our weak gun laws, including states with strong traditions of firearm ownership, like Colorado. The passage of this historic legislation reaffirms that Americans overwhelmingly support important measures like these to protect our families from gun violence.

Colorado is one of 17 states that introduced bills in 2013 to ban, or strengthen an existing ban, on large capacity ammunition magazines and one of 16 to introduce bills to require background checks for some or all private sales.

We are proud to have worked with activists in Colorado in support of this crucial legislation.

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.

News stories of children who accidentally kill or injure themselves when they find an unlocked gun in the home are far too prevalent. Studies consistently reveal that many children who commit suicide or accidentally injure themselves or others using a firearm obtain those firearms from their own homes. In order to prevent the deadly consequences of unlocked guns in the home, Massachusetts has adopted a law requiring a firearm owner to secure his or her firearm in a locked container, or use a trigger lock, when the firearm is not carried by the owner or within the owner’s control.

In two separate cases, defendants argued that the safe storage law violates the Second Amendment. Rejecting the defendants’ arguments, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts concluded that the law “is consistent with the right of self-defense in the home….” The court reasoned, “Any law regulating the storage of firearms will delay to some degree the ability of a firearm owner to retrieve and fire the firearm in self-defense. If such a brief delay were sufficient to render the law unconstitutional, the Supreme Court in Heller would not have declared that its analysis did not suggest the invalidity of firearm storage laws.” Because few courts have had occasion to address the constitutionality of a safe storage law, these decisions serve as very useful precedent and hopefully will encourage other jurisdictions to adopt similar safe storage laws.

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.

Image Credit: wallyg on Flickr

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit confirmed that a law requiring that someone be a Colorado resident in order to qualify for a license to carry a concealed weapon in the state remains consistent with the Second Amendment.

As discussed in this important decision, the requirement to prove state residency defined by Colorado law is an essential component of firearms licensing. Many of the state and local records that would disqualify someone from possessing or carrying a firearm — such as those reflecting a criminal conviction or mental health adjudication — are not transmitted between states, making the proof of state residency pivotal to keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people.

Although the court could have only addressed Colorado’s residency requirement, the Tenth Circuit held more broadly that “the carrying of concealed weapons is not protected by the Second Amendment,” thus rejecting the plaintiff’s claim. This decision is particularly noteworthy because Second Amendment challenges to concealed carry licensing laws are currently pending in several other federal appellate courts around the country, setting an important precedent for other courts to uphold existing licensing laws.

Want more? Check out the other recent success stories.