Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins: The Supreme Court AR-15 Case Set for Argument Dec. 2, 2026

Viramontes v. Cook County (No. 25-238) is the Supreme Court case on Cook County, Illinois's ban on AR-15s and other rifles it calls "assault weapons." The Court joined it with Grant v. Higgins (No. 25-566), the challenge to Connecticut's law. Argument is Wednesday, December 2, 2026. This page explains the case, the filings and the dates, each linked to the Court's own records. For every gun case on the Court's docket, see our Supreme Court gun cases tracker.

The case at a glance

What Cook County's ordinance bans

We describe the ordinance through the Seventh Circuit's June 2, 2025 order, which quotes and cites it.

• The ordinance "prohibits the possession, acquisition, and transfer of assault weapons." The order cites Cook County, Ill. Code § 54-212(a).
• It covers "semiautomatic rifles capable of accepting large-capacity magazines and possessing certain features" (§ 54-211(1)).
• It also "specifies by name some 125 prohibited rifles, such as AR-15s" (§ 54-211(7)).

Who is suing

In Viramontes: Cutberto Viramontes, Christopher Khaya, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). They sued Cook County in 2021, per the Seventh Circuit's order. The respondents are Cook County, Illinois, and others.

In Grant: Eddie Grant, Jr., and others sued over Connecticut's "assault weapon" laws, Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53-202a through 53-202d, as cited in their petition. The respondents are Ronnell Higgins, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and others. The Second Circuit (No. 23-1344) ruled on August 22, 2025. The petition was filed November 7, 2025. For what Connecticut's law covers, see assault weapons bans by state.

Counsel of record on the docket: David H. Thompson, Cooper & Kirk, for the petitioners in both cases; Eileen M. O'Neill-Burke, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, for Cook County; and Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar, Cooley LLP, for the Connecticut respondents. Who will argue on December 2: Not yet verified.

How it got here

The case began in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (No. 21 CV 4595, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer). The district judge entered judgment for the county. On June 2, 2025 a Seventh Circuit panel (Judges Sykes, Brennan and St. Eve) affirmed in a "nonprecedential disposition." It said the challenge "falters for want of an adequate record." It relied on its 2023 decision in Bevis v. City of Naperville, 85 F.4th 1175, and noted that Bevis "upheld the constitutionality of this very ordinance, at least preliminarily." The order says the plaintiffs had conceded early on that older Seventh Circuit cases foreclosed their claims, declined to retain expert witnesses, and later submitted 105 exhibits at summary judgment.

The mootness fight, explained

The trigger. On October 29, 2026, Viramontes asked to be dismissed from the case under Supreme Court Rule 46.2. The motion gives no reason. It says: "This motion does not apply to any other petitioner. No other petitioner is seeking dismissal, so this case remains pending as to all other petitioners."

Cook County's argument (Nov. 5, 2026)

The county's suggestion of mootness is filed under Rule 21.2(b). Its main points:

• It is conditional. If Viramontes is permitted to withdraw, "the Court should dismiss the case as moot or as improvidently granted."
• The other individual petitioner, Christopher Khaya, wants an IMI Galil. The county says petitioners told the district court that rifle "is not an AR-15 style rifle but is largely based on the AK-47 design." So, the county argues, Khaya has no stake in a question limited to "AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles."
• It quotes Khaya saying in district court he was "most likely to use [the IMI Galil] at the range, to be honest."
• It says FPC and SAF "identified only two members in all of Cook County: Viramontes and Khaya."
• If petitioners dispute this, it asks the Court to "require Viramontes to submit a declaration" that he still qualifies the groups for standing.

The petitioners' response (Nov. 11, 2026)

The response, signed by David H. Thompson of Cooper & Kirk, makes these points:

• The county's filing "is really an argument about the scope of the question presented."
• "If anything is 'similar' to an AR-15, an AK-47-style rifle such as the IMI Galil sought by Petitioner Khaya would qualify."
• Cook County's own ordinance groups AR-15s and AK-47s together as "assault weapons."
• The county "waived, or at least forfeited" the argument that the Galil falls outside the question.
• It attaches two declarations. In one (dated Oct. 21, 2026), Khaya says he would also acquire and possess an AR-15 platform rifle in Cook County if it were lawful. In the other (dated Nov. 10, 2026), a Cook County member of FPC and SAF says he has owned an AR-15 since 2011, keeps it out of state, and would keep it at home in Cook County if it were lawful.
• Its conclusion: "The Court should deny Cook County's request to dismiss the case as moot or improvidently granted."

Both sides agree on one thing

Each filing has a footnote saying the Court could still decide the question in Grant v. Higgins. Cook County's footnote 1: "The jurisdictional issue raised would not prevent the Court from deciding the question presented given that Grant v. Higgins, No. 25-566, was consolidated with this matter." The petitioners' footnote 1: "The County correctly concedes that even if this case were dismissed as moot or improvidently granted, the Court could still decide the same question presented in the consolidated case."

Status: as of November 12, 2026 the docket shows no ruling on the Rule 46.2 motion or the suggestion of mootness. Argument is still set for December 2, 2026.

Amicus briefs

From the docket entries (leaving out briefs marked not accepted and the one brief filed at the petition stage on Sept. 29, 2025):

• 45 briefs filed August 27 to September 4, 2026. Two of them state they support neither party: Prof. Akhil Reed Amar and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The United States' brief supports the petitioners.
• 42 briefs filed October 26 to October 28, 2026.

Every brief is listed on docket 25-238.

Argument day: December 2, 2026

• When: Wednesday, December 2, 2026. The Court convenes at 10 a.m. Eastern. The Court's December argument calendar lists the two cases as consolidated.
• Time: one hour total. In its September 9 motion, the United States had asked the Court to "allot 20 minutes to petitioners, 10 minutes to the United States, and 30 minutes to respondents." The motion says "Counsel for petitioners consents." The Court granted the motion on November 9, 2026.
• Who argues: Not yet verified. The docket lists counsel of record, shown above.
• Listen and read: the Court says an audio feed "is live-streamed on the Court's website, and the Court posts the audio later in the day," and that "On the afternoon of each argument, the Court posts transcripts" (source). Transcripts: argument transcripts, 2026 Term. Audio: argument audio, 2026 Term.

What happens next

The Court doesn't set decision dates. Its procedures page says "Usually Court sessions continue until late June or early July." As of November 12, 2026 there is no ruling on the Rule 46.2 motion or the suggestion of mootness. We don't predict the result.

Other petitions on the Court's docket raise related rifle and magazine questions, including New Jersey's petition in No. 26-452. See pending petitions that could turn on the decision on our tracker.

Related reading: Supreme Court gun cases tracker · Assault weapons bans by state · Magazine capacity laws by state

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. U.S. Supreme Court docket No. 25-238, Viramontes v. Cook County (checked Nov. 12, 2026)
2. U.S. Supreme Court docket No. 25-566, Grant v. Higgins (checked Nov. 12, 2026)
3. U.S. Supreme Court, No. 25-238 question presented and grant (PDF)
4. Petition for a writ of certiorari, No. 25-238 (Aug. 27, 2025) (PDF)
5. Petition for a writ of certiorari, No. 25-566 (Nov. 7, 2025) (PDF)
6. Brief of the petitioners, Nos. 25-238 and 25-566 (Aug. 28, 2026) (PDF)
7. Brief for the United States as amicus curiae, No. 25-238 (Sept. 4, 2026) (PDF)
8. Motion of the United States for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument (Sept. 9, 2026) (PDF)
9. Brief of respondents Cook County, Illinois, et al. (corrected) (PDF)
10. Brief of respondents Ronnell Higgins, et al. (Connecticut) (corrected) (PDF)
11. Motion to Dismiss Petitioner Cutberto Viramontes Pursuant to Rule 46.2, No. 25-238 (Oct. 29, 2026) (PDF)
12. Suggestion of Mootness of Cook County, et al., No. 25-238 (Nov. 5, 2026) (PDF)
13. Response to Suggestion of Mootness of Cutberto Viramontes, et al., No. 25-238 (Nov. 11, 2026) (PDF)
14. Viramontes v. Cook County, 7th Cir. No. 24-1437, nonprecedential order (June 2, 2025)
15. U.S. Supreme Court argument calendar, session beginning Nov. 30, 2026 (amended Oct. 1, 2026)
16. U.S. Supreme Court: argument transcripts, 2026 Term
17. U.S. Supreme Court: argument audio, 2026 Term
18. U.S. Supreme Court: Oral arguments (audio and transcript posting)
19. U.S. Supreme Court: Court procedures (Term timing)

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