The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Viramontes v. Cook County, a case challenging the constitutionality of local "assault weapon" bans similar to Maryland's law. The case, consolidated with Grant v. Higgins, which challenges Connecticut's ban, will address whether laws prohibiting possession of widely owned but politically disfavored rifles are consistent with the Second Amendment.
Cook County, Illinois, enacted its assault weapon ban in 2006 and revised it in 2013. The ban targets rifles including the AR-15, one of the most popular rifles sold in the United States. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Americans own more than 32 million "modern sporting rifles," the term preferred for models covered by bans like Cook County's.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh previously noted that millions of Americans own AR-15s and that a majority of states allow possession of these rifles. He said petitioners have a strong argument that AR-15s are in "common use" by law-abiding citizens and thus protected by the Second Amendment. Although he voted against granting review last year in a similar Maryland case, he predicted the Court would address the AR-15 issue soon, a prediction fulfilled by the Court's recent decision to hear this case.
The Firearms Policy Coalition and other plaintiffs argue that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to possess AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles. They also contend that the lower courts have misapplied Supreme Court precedent in arms bans cases. The Court's ruling could settle the long-standing debate over the constitutional protections for commonly owned rifles that are politically controversial.
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