SUCCESS

United States District Court Judge Richard A. Paez today (10/15/99) ruled that the LA County ordinance banning the sale of firearms on county property was illegal, and granted the Great Western Show's request for an injunction against the County to stop it from enforcing the ordinance at the October show. Because of the ruling, the October Great Western Show will go on as planned, and firearms and ammunition can be sold there as it has been for over 30 years.

The Judge ruled that the ordinance was an illegal attempt by the County to legislate outside the unincorporated territorial jurisdiction of the County (the Fairgrounds where the Great Western Show is held are in the incorporated City of Pomona), and also that state law preempts the county from banning the sale of firearms or ammunition! The preemption ruling could stop many California cities (like Los Angeles and West Hollywood) that are considering such a blanket sales ban from passing such a law. The jurisdictional ruling should stop efforts by a number of other California counties from banning firearms sales on county owned property within an incorporated city (as Sonoma is trying to do with the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa).

Judge Paez did not rule on the Great Western Show's 1st Amendment challenge, citing procedural rules that require a court to avoid ruling on such constitutional issues if a case can be resolved on other grounds. The Judge did, however, appear very critical of the County's argument that the First Amendment was not implicated.

A written order on these issues is forthcoming from the Court.

Although the case not over, this is a tremendous victory for the Great Western Show and for all self-defense civil rights activists in California.  The law suit was brought by firearms civil rights attorney Chuck Michel of Trutanich-Michel, LLP in Los Angeles, and Michael Wright of Case, Burnett, & Wright, LLP in Century City.