3/04/2020
(Southbury, CT)
For Immediate Release:
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League President Holly Sullivan issues the following statement in response to an Act Concerning a Risk Protection Order or Warrant (HB5448):
“The Connecticut Citizens Defense League is extremely concerned about the removal of law enforcement investigatory procedure in order to proceed with an expanded red flag order as is proposed in HB5448. The proposed bill states that a complainant may go directly to a judge bypassing the unbiased and trained input of law enforcement.”
“This bill contains no stipulated penalties for false reporting. Since the temporary restraining orders were passed several years ago, 40% of these complaints have been dismissed by numerous courtroom judges.
However, not a single perjury charge was filed against anyone. The State of Connecticut is allowing some of its most vulnerable residents to be disarmed while they may be in their greatest need. More than 60,000 Connecticut women are permitted to lawfully carry firearms and do so primarily for self-defense. Complainants may be ex relations with whom the lawful gun owner has a child, in-laws and estranged spouses.”
“The bill would demand that anyone who has had a risk warrant filed against them prove by a preponderance of evidence that they are no longer a risk before any of their property will be returned. All Connecticut residents who value any of their constitutionally protected rights should be concerned about the precedent being suggested and how far government overreach will be allowed to go.”
“This bill is a phony solution created by the same politicians who fail to hold accountable actual violent criminals who steal guns and commit other crimes. CCDL has fought to get the Gun Trafficking Task Force funded and to increase penalties for those who steal firearms. The educational component of Ethan’s Law has yet to be initiated from 2019.
The very proponents of this bill have fought against these common sense measures in our state.”
Holly Sullivan
President
CCDL, Inc.
