National Sheriffs’ Association and Western States Sheriffs’ Association Support the 2nd Amendment
Two law enforcement organizations have submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) a joint amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in support of the petitioners in the consolidated cases of Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins addressing the constitutionality of state and local bans on AR-15 platform rifles and similar semi-automatic firearms.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of THE 2ND AMENDMENT ]
The National Sheriffs’ Association and the Western States Sheriffs’ Association write in the brief, “Any ban of an entire class of arms that is currently overwhelmingly chosen by Americans for self-defense violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Senior US District Judge Rules California’s Ban on AR-15s to Be Unconstitutional ]
The core legal question before SCOTUS is whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right of law-abiding citizens to possess these specific semi-automatic rifles under the “common use” doctrine established in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Supreme Court Affirms Right to Carry Arms in Public for Self-Defense ]
Excerpts From the Brief:
⇨ “The AR-15 rifle is just like any other semi-automatic rifle. It only fires one round of ammunition for each pull of the trigger. Its ammunition is no more powerful than most semi-automatic rifles. In addition, the AR15 rifle is the most common civilian rifle and is the most popular firearm in America, owned by 24 million Americans.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Important Judicial Decisions Regarding Self-Defense Law ]
⇨ “Law enforcement agencies generally, and the National Sheriffs’ Association and Western States Sheriffs’ Association, specifically, support the legal right of citizens to use reasonable and proportional deadly force in self-defense when faced with an imminent, credible threat of death or serious bodily harm.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Over 86% of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Support National Concealed Carry Reciprocity ]
⇨ “Home invasions and other violent crimes occur daily, and innocent victims suffer serious assaults, rapes, kidnappings, and deaths as a result. If the victims are fortunate enough to have sufficient time to call 911, that does not stop the threat of violence. Law enforcement officers cannot be everywhere at once and cannot automatically appear instantaneously at the scene of the crime. Response times may vary from a few minutes to half an hour depending on manpower and geographical area. And a violent crime, especially a home invasion, can occur in seconds. The only viable option for an innocent citizen to have immediate protection is to have a weapon for self-defense.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Circuit Judge Video Records Expert Gun Tutorial Dissent to Anti-2nd Amendment Court Ruling ]
⇨ “An AR-15 is one of the most popular guns owned by millions of Americans for home defense. It is a semi-automatic weapon just like many hunting rifles. It shoots one round with each pull of the trigger. It is not a ‘machine gun’ or an ‘assault rifle’ or a ‘military rifle.’ It does not have more lethal or faster bullets than other common rifles.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Senior US District Judge Declares Gun Magazine Capacity Limits Unconstitutional ]
⇨ “Law-abiding citizens with an AR-15 are not a threat to anyone. Millions of Americans own such weapons for self-defense and have a Second Amendment right to do so.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, As Gun Ownership Surges, Murder Rates Fall ]
⇨ “Criminals don’t follow gun laws. When we disarm law-abiding citizens, we make them vulnerable. Banning law-abiding citizens from having AR-15 type rifles will do nothing to keep weapons out of the hands of violent criminals. Such a ban will only disarm innocent victims who need protection”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Brief Answers for People Who Are Against the 2nd Amendment ]
⇨ “The purpose of the Second Amendment was to grant citizens the right to bear arms against tyranny of government. If our government is now allowed to seize the most popular weapon citizens own for self-defense, many citizens will not submit peacefully to such a government overreach. Law enforcement will bear the brunt of this conflict.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Criminals and Terrorists Overwhelmingly Select Gun-Free Zones For Mass Attacks in Public Spaces ]
⇨ “Rather than banning law abiding citizens from owning the most popular rifle, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Western States Sheriffs’ Association welcome the help of such armed citizens in fighting crime and protecting themselves to ease the burden on law enforcement.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Head of the Arkansas State Police Supports 2nd Amendment Rights ]
SCOTUS is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case Wednesday, December 2, 2026, at 10 a.m.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SELF-DEFENSE ]
Also Read:
• Second Amendment Foundation: SAF Files Opening Brief With Supreme Court in ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Lawsuit
• Firearms Policy Coalition: FPC Asks US Supreme Court to End “Assault Weapon” Bans Nationwide in Landmark Second Amendment Case
• Gun Owners of America: GOA Leads Industry Coalition in Supreme Court Fight to Defend AR-15s
• National Rifle Association: NRA Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court “Assault Weapons” Cases
• AmmoLand Shooting Sports News: New Survey Finds 60 Million AR-Style Rifles as Supreme Court Weighs AR-15 Bans
• AmmoLand Shooting Sports News: 27 States Tell Supreme Court AR-15 Bans Violate the Second Amendment
• AmmoLand Shooting Sports News: Clarence Thomas: The Second Amendment Assumes a Right—It Does Not Grant One
• Peace Officers Research Association of California, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, and The Crime Prevention Research Center: Amicus Curiae Brief
• Second Amendment Law Center: Amicus Curiae Brief
• Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (MCRGO): Amicus Curiae Brief
• United States of America: Department of Justice Amicus Curiae Brief
• Supreme Court of the United States: all Amicus Curiae Briefs
• SCOTUSblog.com: See all Amicus Curiae Briefs
• Professor Akhil Reed Amar: Amicus Curiae Brief (see the following video)
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