Lecture Series: Bump Stocks are not Machine Guns? Garland v. Cargill

March 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EST | Virtual presentation. Zoom. Free.

RSVP: www.tinyurl.com/lwvbumpstock or https://kellogghubbard.org/calendar/lwvgarlandvcargill

Join us for “Bump Stocks Are Not Machine Guns?” the final presentation in the League’s 2024-25 Lecture Series on Recent Supreme Court Decisions. This event explore the intersection of law, firearms policy, and constitutional authority, offering diverse perspectives on one of the nation’s most pivotal recent rulings. 

Are semi-automatic rifles equipped with bump stocks considered machineguns under the National Firearms Act of 1934?  

On June 14, 2024, in Garland v. Cargill, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its authority by classifying bump stocks as “machine guns.”

Bump stocks are firearm attachments that allow a shooter to fire their weapon by using the firearm’s natural recoil to quickly reengage the trigger, resulting in an increased rate of fire.

Speakers: Billy Clark, Senior Litigation Attorney, Gifford Law Center (Burlington) and Cabot Teachout. Attorney, DesMeules Olmstead & Ostler (Norwich). Moderator: Liz Scharf.

Billy Clark develops affirmative litigation strategies to effectuate gun safety reforms and defends against constitutional challenges to gun safety policies. In addition, he consults with local governments and other organizations, providing guidance on how to actualize gun safety policies.

Cabot Teachout previously worked as a law clerk for Judge William Sessions of the Federal District Court of Vermont and Judge Peter Hall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He is a member of the National Association for Criminal Defense Attorneys and worked in the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative in Kosovo. 

Liz Scharf is Chair of the Middlesex Select Board and Director of Community Economic Development and Food Security at Capstone Community Action in Barre.

In its ninth season, the League of Women Voters of Vermont Lecture Series in collaboration with Kellogg-Hubbard Library, is designed to bring outstanding speakers to discuss contemporary issues related to democracy and social justice. 

Questions can be sent, in advance, to league@lwvofvt.org.