Second Amendment Foundation Appeals Cook County 'Assault Weapons' Ban

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens have filed an appeal with the Seventh United States Court of Appeals to challenge Cook County, Illinois' ban on se -called “assault weapons”.

The Viramontes v. Cook County was originally filed in 2021 and seeks to determine whether the Second Amendment allows a ban on popular semi-automatic firearms.pen_spark

SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb says banning these commonly used firearms is unconstitutional. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut further highlights their legal use for self-defense, hunting and other activities, citing FBI data showing their limited involvement in homicides.

Read: Second Amendment Foundation Challenges Pennsylvania Age Restriction on Concealed Carry Licenses

“The question presented in this case is simple,” noted SAF founder and executive vice president Alan M. Gottlieb, “whether the Second Amendment authorizes the government to ban America's best-selling rifles and firearms. Similar semi-automatic weapons mislabeled as 'assault weapons.' We maintain that the answer to this question is clearly no.

“Modern semi-automatic rifles are commonly used for all manner of lawful purposes,” said Adam Kraut, executive director of the SAF. “While millions of Americans own tens of millions of them, these guns are used in only a tiny fraction of all homicides, according to FBI data. They are used for self-defense, hunting, predator control, competition, and recreation, and there is no doubt that they are protected by the Second Amendment.

The case was temporarily put on hold while the Supreme Court issued the 2022 Bruen decision and Illinois banned similar firearms statewide. Despite the plaintiffs' request to delay the case pending a resolution on the constitutionality of the statewide ban, the court refused.

As the case moves forward, the Second Amendment Foundation and its co-plaintiffs are pushing for a resolution to this ongoing legal battle over Cook County residents' Second Amendment rights.

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