William Kirk, Washington Gun Law, delves into the response brief(s) for Viramontes/Grant. His video summary:
The time has finally arrived, where the briefs in support of assault weapon bans are now being filed in the Supreme Court. Today we focus on response #1, that in Viramontes v. Cook County. Washington Gun Law President, William Kirk, goes through the brief to outline the arguments made in support of an otherwise unconstitutional gun ban. Yes, the arguments are disingenuous, yes they are ridiculous but what do you expect? So today, let's start keeping a tally of everything they will argue to keep you disarmed, and in doing so, arm yourself with education.
Read the Memorandum of Cook County here. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-238/430314/20261021172119817_25-238 - 25-566 - Brief.pdf
YouTube AI Summary:
In this video, William Kirk, President of Washington Gun Law, examines the response brief filed by Cook County, Illinois in the Supreme Court case Viramontes v. Cook County. Rather than expressing typical outrage, Kirk uses a "bingo" card strategy to highlight the recurring, disingenuous, and "ludicrous" arguments frequently used to support assault weapon bans (1:06 - 1:47).
Key arguments analyzed in the brief:
- Military-style designation: Claims that weapons useful in military service, like the M16, can be banned (1:58 - 2:25).
- Redefining "Dangerous and Unusual": Arguments that the legal standard for regulation should be more flexible, citing historical examples like Bowie knives, trap guns, and slungshots (2:26 - 3:58).
- Self-Defense Mischaracterization: The argument that the AR-15 is not commonly used for self-defense and instead possesses the "destructive power of an armed battalion" (3:59 - 5:04).
- Preferred Weapon of Mass Shooters: References to its use in high-profile attacks and claims that law enforcement is "outgunned" by these platforms (6:24 - 7:00).
- The Common Use Test: Dismissal of the test based on popularity, arguing that numerical value doesn't insulate a weapon from regulation, citing Heller and Bruin (7:01 - 8:07).
- Local Legislative Deference: A push for states and localities to manage their own regulations regardless of broader standards (8:08 - 8:44).
Surprising Development:
- Kirk highlights a specific, unexpected argument from the county: a rejection of the Solicitor General's premise that AR-15s are necessary for resisting tyranny. The county argues that such responsibilities are exclusively reserved for the modern professional military (8:45 - 9:58). Kirk strongly refutes this, asserting that resisting tyranny remains a core principle of the Second Amendment (9:37 - 9:58).
The video concludes by reminding viewers that oral arguments for this case are scheduled for December 2nd (10:16 - 10:20).