The Policy Debate Surrounding Gun Litigation in the United States: Handguns: the Law and Economics of the Hamilton v. Beretta Suit Against Handgun Manufacturers

One of the most influential schools of thought in evaluating the legal process is law and economics. Although this discipline has been in existence for over thirty years, no one has attempted to evaluate whether and to what extent it affects the court?s decision in a case. The issues we consider in this paper are how economic testimony affected the actual decision and the role afforded by the court to economic analysis as contrasted with the law in crafting a decision. This presentation also provides readers with a review of the issues and evidence on the important public policy issue on the handgun control. Our methodology was to examine the trial and appeal of Hamilton v. Beretta from both a legal and an economic perspective.