Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting state and local restrictions on certain semiautomatic firearms, including AR-15-style rifles.
The brief supports Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut in two cases challenging restrictions on assault-style weapons. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on December 2, 2026, with a decision expected by summer 2027.
Brown and the other attorneys general argue that states have the constitutional authority to regulate certain firearms to address public safety concerns. The brief contends that the restrictions are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
The cases involve Cook County’s assault weapons restrictions, first adopted in 1993, and Connecticut’s assault weapons ban, which was expanded following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The Supreme Court will consider whether the restrictions are consistent with the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Opponents of such bans argue that they infringe on constitutional protections for firearm ownership.
