A Georgia gun owner’s attorney asked a judge Wednesday to halt enforcement of a Savannah city ordinance that imposes fines and possibly jail time for people who leave guns inside unlocked cars.
The lawsuit by Clarence Belt could ultimately determine whether city officials successfully found a niche where they can legally regulate gun safety in a state where Republican lawmakers have widely abolished restrictions on owning and carrying firearms.
Savannah’s mayor and city council voted unanimously in April to outlaw keeping firearms in unlocked vehicles, with maximum penalties of a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. They said the law would make it harder for criminals to steal guns, and cited local police statistics showing more than 200 guns reported stolen last year from vehicles that weren’t locked.
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