A Georgia judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging a Savannah city ordinance that imposes fines or even jail time for people who leave guns in unlocked cars.

The ruling by Chatham County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf did not address the civil lawsuit’s argument that the Savannah ordinance violates a Georgia state law that broadly prohibits local governments from regulating guns.

Instead, the judge dismissed the case on Nov. 22 after finding that gun owner Clarence Belt lacked legal standing to sue the city. Belt isn’t a Savannah resident and hasn’t been cited for violating the city’s gun ordinance.

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 in 2023 from vehicles that weren’t locked.