The Brady Center has been ordered to pay the legal fees of defendants in a failed lawsuit that defied the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Brady attempted to hold Lucky Gunner, the Sportsman’s Guide and BTP Arms responsible for the actions of accused Aurora, Colo., theater mass murderer James Holmes.
In ordering Brady to pay $203,000, Senior District Judge Richard Matsch criticized the organization for misusing the court to further its own political agenda: “The Brady Center may be pursuing a righteous cause, but the defendants should not have to bear the burden of defending themselves in this inappropriate forum.”
In announcing the settlement on June 17, Matsch wrote, “Those who ignite a fire should be responsible for the cost of suppressing it before it becomes a conflagration.”
The Brady Campaign lost a similar lawsuit against Armslist.com in August 2014.
