Brady Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins Supporting State and Local Regulation of Assault Weapons

WASHINGTON — Today, Brady, the nation's oldest gun violence prevention organization, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the assault weapons bans of Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut. The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Second Circuits previously upheld both laws. These common-sense measures have broad public support and have proven effective at preventing mass shootings. Assault weapons, including firearms such as AR-15s and similar military-style rifles, are weapons designed for war and disproportionately chosen by mass shooters looking to inflict maximum casualties. 

“These weapons have no place in our homes and communities,” said Brady President Kris Brown. “Assault weapons are designed for use in military combat; they are not an appropriate means of home protection or lawful self-defense. AR-15s and similar rifles have been used to carry out some of the deadliest mass shootings in our nation’s history, including six of the seven deadliest acts of intentional mass violence since September 11. These weapons make it easier for shooters to inflict mass casualties in seconds, turning our schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces into scenes of devastating violence. They have no place on our streets.”

In the amicus brief, Brady’s legal team explains that bans on AR-15s and similar weapons are constitutional because, among other things, the features of these firearms are ill-suited for and hardly ever used for lawful self-defense. Brady Chief Legal Officer Douglas Letter said, “Since early English times and through to the modern United States, the law has recognized that lawful self-defense has certain requirements. For example, harm must be imminent and responsive force must be proportionate. Assault weapons do not meet these criteria.” 

Brady is represented on the brief by Carter G. Phillips, Kathleen Moriarty Mueller, Ansley C. McDurmon, and Claire G. Lee of Sidley Austin. The full brief is available here.