SPRINGFIELD – A legal challenge to Cook County’s ban on assault weapons got new life Thursday when the Illinois Supreme Court reversed lower-court rulings that found the ban constitutional.

The unanimous decision sends the case back to trial court, where the two sides will present evidence on whether assault weapons qualify for full protection under the Second Amendment. Weapons that are “dangerous and unusual” – such as machine guns or sawed-off shotguns – can be restricted.

Lawyers on both sides of the issue insisted the evidence will support their position.