Annapolis, MD (October 8, 2024) - Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman issued the following statement after the United States Supreme Court denied the Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed by challengers seeking to invalidate the validity of an Anne Arundel County gun safety law established by Bill 108-21, upholding the ruling of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold our right to require gun retailers to distribute suicide prevention and conflict resolution pamphlets to customers is a validation of our efforts to curb gun-related deaths and suicides through education and targeted interventions.
“This law, which arose from the work of our Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, makes it possible for us to place life-saving information in the hands of those who need it most. While our right to take this step was challenged by Maryland Shall Issue, Inc. and four local gun shops, all courts that examined the law agreed that safety-focused and common-sense gun laws like ours are both constitutional and essential.
“My hope is that gun retailers recognize that providing this information is a good business practice, one that demonstrates their commitment to the safety of their customers and our communities.
“I want to thank Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien, our Department of Health’s Gun Violence Intervention Team, Attorney General Anthony Brown, the American Medical Association, MedChi, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Maryland Psychiatric Society, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, our outstanding Anne Arundel County Office of Law, and our outside counsel at Everytown Law and Hogan Lovells who all played a key role in helping to secure this victory.”