N.J. and Mass. AGs Lead Fight to Uphold Assault Weapons Ban in Cook County, Illinois

19 states back Cook County's defense of assault weapons restrictions in federal appeals court

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell are leading a coalition of 19 states in defending Cook County, Illinois' assault weapons ban, which is under challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The group filed an amicus brief supporting Cook County's law, arguing that it aligns with Second Amendment protections and public safety needs.

“We can respect the Second Amendment while implementing commonsense firearms restrictions that promote public safety,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Weapons intended for wartime use, which have the capacity to kill the maximum number of people in the shortest amount of time, were never intended to be used for self-defense purposes.”

Cook County has regulated assault weapons since 1993, and its Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban, enacted in 2006, strengthened these restrictions. The law is named after Blair Holt, a 16-year-old killed in a Chicago bus shooting. The coalition's brief contends that assault weapons, like AR-15 and AK-47-style rifles, are not designed for self-defense but are meant for military use, inflicting devastating injuries in mass shootings.

The brief also highlights that U.S. laws have a long history of regulating dangerous weapons and that states have the right to enact restrictions on arms posing a threat to public safety. It supports a March 2024 district court ruling upholding Cook County’s assault weapons ban.

In addition to New Jersey and Massachusetts, 17 other states and the District of Columbia joined the brief.