FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Oakland Tribune
April 22, 2003

Co-defendant Bryco Arms makes this J-38 pistol and other easily concealable, cheap guns frequently used by criminals and known as "Saturday Night Specials."

An Alameda County jury found a Costa Mesa gun maker partially liable Monday for a 1994 accidental shooting that paralyzed a 7-year-old boy, potentially setting a precedent against gun manufacturers, experts said.

The trial against Bryco Arms and others will continue today when jurors begin deciding whether to award damages to Brandon Maxfield.

The Mendocino County boy was accidentally shot in the jaw with a .38-caliber handgun that a family friend was trying to unload.

The jury found Bryco 10 percent liable after concluding it manufactured a defective firearm. The jury also found negligence among the family friend, the pawn shop that sold the gun and the boy's parents.

If the jury awards damages, then each party may have to pay a percentage of its liability.

"There's literally millions of these guns on the street," said the boy's attorney, Richard Ruggieri.

The gun maker has long hailed itself as a provider of affordable handguns, with sales numbering well over three million. Company officials declined to comment Monday.

Victoria Ni, with Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, said the verdict could ensure gun makers take more pains to improve safety.

"These are junk guns," Ni said. "They admit they sell a bare bones gun without all the bells and whistles, but it's the bells and whistles that make it safe."