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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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A judge in Georgia has dismissed a lawsuit filed against a city's so-called "guns in cars ordinance."
The lawsuit was filed by a gun owner challenging an ordinance in Savannah, Georgia, that penalizes individuals with fines and potential jail time for leaving firearms in unlocked vehicles.
The Ruling
Chatham County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf's decision did not weigh in on claims that Savannah's ordinance conflicts with a Georgia state law barring local governments from broadly regulating firearms.
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The case was dismissed on November 22 after the judge ruled that Clarence Belt, the gun owner who filed the lawsuit, lacked legal standing. Belt is not a Savannah resident and has not been cited for violating the city's gun ordinance.
The Ordinance
In April, Savannah's mayor and city council unanimously approved a measure prohibiting the storage of firearms in unlocked vehicles. The "guns in cars ordinance" carries penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. Officials argued the law would help deter gun thefts, citing police data showing that over 200 firearms were stolen from unlocked vehicles in 2023.
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Savannah officials enacted the ordinance as part of an effort to promote gun safety in a state where Republican lawmakers have largely eliminated restrictions on firearm ownership and carry.
Arguments
During a September court hearing, Belt's attorney, John R. Monroe, contended that Savannah's ordinance violates Georgia law, which prohibits local governments from imposing restrictions on "the possession, ownership, transport or carrying" of firearms.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, echoed this argument in a May letter to Savannah officials, asserting that "no local ordinance can regulate firearms." Despite Carr's warning that enforcing the measure could expose the city to civil liability, officials proceeded with the ordinance.
"It's just a matter of time that this ordinance is going to be struck down," Belt's attorney told The Associated Press on Monday.
Attorney John R. Monroe said he and his client, Belt, have not yet decided whether to appeal the dismissal. Belt, a resident of Jesup—a Georgia town located about 66 miles southwest of Savannah—regularly keeps a firearm in his vehicle and believes he is at risk of being cited during his frequent visits to the city.
"He has trouble walking and his car doesn't have power locks," Monroe said of his client. "To comply with the ordinance, among other issues, he'd have to get out and walk around the car to lock it manually. That extra walking is hard on him."
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, has championed the city's ordinance as a measure to promote responsible gun ownership while respecting individuals' rights to possess and carry firearms.
Bates Lovett, Savannah's city attorney, argued in court that Georgia law does not explicitly prevent local governments from enacting gun storage regulations. He also contended that the ordinance targets the vehicle rather than the firearm by mandating that cars containing guns be locked.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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