Pennsylvania Users Blocked From 3D-Printed Gun Files After Emergency Court Hearing
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Federal court documents obtained by Eyewitness News Monday morning reveal a tense back-and-forth between lawyers for the Attorney General's office and the owner of Texas-based company Defense Distributed, that now offers downloadable files to use 3D-printed guns.
They asked the federal court to issue a temporary restraining order, blocking the site and its downloadable firearms from view in Pennsylvania.
"The harm to Pennsylvanians would have been immediate and irreversible," said Shapiro. "Defense Distributed was promising to distribute guns in Pennsylvania in reckless disregard of the state laws that apply to gun sales and purchases in our Commonwealth. Once these untraceable guns are on our streets and in our schools, we can never get them back. The decision tonight to block Pennsylvania users from downloading these 3D gun files is a victory for public safety and common sense. The company also agreed to not upload any new gun files to its sites, another important development."
"We got ambushed by the PA Attorney General," said Attorney for Defense Distributed Josh Blackman.
Attorney Josh Blackman, represents Cody Wilson of Texas, the owner of Defense Distributed, and a man state prosecutors in court documents say is, "a self-described crypto-anarchist and insurrectionist."
Blackman plans to sue Shapiro's office in Texas federal court claiming the Attorney General is violating his civil rights.
They've already filed suit against New Jersey's Chief Prosecutor.
The Supreme Court says that you cannot stop the publishing of information, you can't impose a restraint on free speech, and that's where we are.
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The company promised to release the instructions on Aug. 1, but began distributing gun files Friday, July 27.
By Sunday, 1,000 people had downloaded 3D plans for AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles.
Federal court Judge Paul Diamond denied on Monday morning the Attorney General's request for a restraining order after the company agreed to block the files from being viewed in Pennsylvania.
