Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke has announced the legal team that will defend the county’s assault weapons ban before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The State's Attorney said at the press conference downtown "the team brings together leading Supreme Court lawyers, constitutional law experts, experienced government attorneys and gun-safety advocates."
The case will be argued on December 2, 2026. The county's ordinance has been in place since 1993 and was amended in 2013 to honor Blair Holt, a teenager who lost his life to gun violence while heroically shielding friends from gunfire that erupted on a CTA bus.
It bans the sale, possession and transfer of all assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
State's Attorney Eileen Burke says this case will decide whether the state can put common-sense rules on weapons that cause devastating harm, "It's not common to see someone walking around with an AR-15."
The case was brought by two Cook county residents, who argue that only firearms that are both "dangerous and unusual" can be banned.
The office states "the outcome of the case, Viramontes v. Cook County, will determine the future of commonsense gun-safety regulations across the country."
Burke serves as the attorney of record for Cook County. She is supported by Cook County Assistant State’s Attorneys Yvette Loizon, Anastasia Harper, Jessica Scheller, and Prathima Yeddanapudi.
Their brief is due on October 21st.
