A Connecticut Superior Court judge has ruled that discovery should begin immediately as a lawsuit goes forward against the maker of the rifle used in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Judge Barbara Bellis previously ruled that a federal law protecting gunmakers from lawsuits does not prevent lawyers for the families of Sandy Hook victims from arguing that the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle is a military weapon and should not have been sold to civilians.
On Thursday, she ruled that the gun company must begin handing over internal documents and communications.
"Given the April 3,2018 trial date, even a temporary stay of discovery through October of 2016 would translate into a delay of the trial, which the court is unwilling to consider given the fact that the case was filed in January of 2015. The motions to stay discovery are therefore denied," the decision says.
