7th Cir. Ponders Own Precedent in Cook County Weapons Ban Case

The Seventh Circuit wrestled Tuesday with the continuing vitality of its recent ruling regarding assault weapons bans in Illinois as it considered a Second Amendment challenge to a ban in Cook County.

The appeals court heard oral arguments Tuesday in gun rights advocates’ appeal seeking to reverse a lower court’s ruling that a Cook County, Ill., ban on semiautomatic rifles is constitutional. The county, which includes the City of Chicago, defines banned weapons as a “semiautomatic firearm that can accept a detachable magazine and has one or more military-style features.”

Cutberto Viramontes wants to own an AR-15-style rifle for self-defense ...