Cook County and Connecticut defend firearm bans at Supreme Court

Cook County, Illinois, and the state of Connecticut have filed briefs urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold their restrictions on semi-automatic firearms. The Washington Examiner and Law360 reported that the local governments submitted arguments this week ahead of oral hearings expected later this term. According to Ammoland, arguments in the consolidated legal challenges are set for December. [1][8][11]

The Supreme Court will review two consolidated cases, Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, which directly challenge the firearm bans. The Washington Examiner reported that the local authorities describe the targeted weapons as exceptionally dangerous firearms responsible for severe crimes. According to Reason Magazine, Cook County argued in its brief that the high court should ignore the popularity of the rifle. [1][8][9]

The legal filings focus on whether AR-15 rifles fall under constitutional protections. USA Carry reported that Cook County told the Supreme Court that AR-15s are not in common use. However, gun rights organisations contend that between 20 million and 40 million of the firearms exist across the United States. [10]

The upcoming hearings will determine if local and state governments can maintain sweeping bans on specific semi-automatic rifles. According to Ammoland and the Washington Examiner, the justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments in December before issuing a ruling on the two consolidated cases. [1][11]