Our Mission Statement

The Connecticut Citizens Defense League is a non-partisan, grassroots organization devoted to advocating rights affirmed by the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Connecticut. We are especially dedicated to protecting the unalienable right of all citizens to keep and bear arms, for the defense of both self and state, through public enlightenment and legislative action.

We welcome anyone who believes that the defense of our constitutional rights is critical to the longevity of our freedom and to the success of this nation, and in particular that the rights to self defense and to keep and bear the arms to actualize that defense, are fundamental and undeniable.

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A Brief Summary

In 2016, California passed a law, Cal. Penal Code ยง 32310. This Act banned not just the sale, but also the possession of any magazine holding more than ten rounds.  There are estimates of more than 100
million such magazines in the United States, and they are perfectly legal in most states.  In California, this new law would have required citizens who possessed such magazines to remove them from the state, transfer them to a licensed dealer, or surrender them to a law enforcement agency for destruction. In 2017, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California enjoined (prohibited) the enforcement of this new law.  The State of California has appealed the preliminary injunction to the Ninth Circuit.  In 2018, a panel of judges of the Ninth Circuit affirmed the issuance of the preliminary injunction.  Though en banc review of the panel decision was sought by California, it was not granted.  Hence the case was remanded to the District Court for trial. 

PDF of Brief Here

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CCDL (along with other groups) is filing an Amicus Brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of the plaintiffs in this case. The petitioners have already been granted a writ of certiorari. This means that oral arguments will be presented at some point soon, and a landmark decision that could impact gun rights throughout the nation will likely result.

CCDL participates in out-of-state cases like this because the results would impact Connecticut gun owners either positively or negatively depending on how the cases are decided.  The brief should be filed with the court by Tuesday May 14th and we will be discussing it at our meeting that evening.   

CLICK HERE for the SCOTUS Blog discussion

PDF of Brief Here

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AN ACT CONCERNING GHOST GUNS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 29-36 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019):

  • No person shall remove, deface, alter or obliterate the name of any maker or model or any maker's number, unique serial number or other mark of identification on any firearm as defined in section 53a-3. The possession of any firearm upon which any identifying mark, number or name has been removed, defaced, altered or obliterated shall be prima facie evidence that the person owning or in possession of such firearm has removed, defaced, altered or obliterated the same.
  • Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class C felony for which two years of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced by the court, and five thousand dollars of the fine imposed may not be remitted or reduced by the court unless the court states on the record its reasons for remitting or reducing such fine, and any firearm found in the possession of any person in violation of said provision shall be forfeited.

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AN ACT CONCERNING THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS IN THE HOME AND FIREARM SAFETY PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

 Section 1. Section 29-37i of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019):

No person shall store or keep any [loaded] firearm, as defined in section 53a-3, on any premises under such person's control if such person knows or reasonably should know that (1) a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor, (2) a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law, or (3) a resident of the premises poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself or to other individuals, unless such person (A) keeps the firearm in a securely locked box or other container or in a [location] manner which a reasonable person would believe to be secure, or (B) carries the firearm on his or her person or within such close proximity thereto that such person can readily retrieve and use the firearm as if such person carried the firearm on his or her person. For the purposes of this section, "minor" means any person under the age of [sixteen] eighteen years.

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AN ACT CONCERNING THE STORAGE OF A PISTOL OR REVOLVER IN A MOTOR VEHICLE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) (1) No person shall store or keep any pistol or revolver in any motor vehicle that is unattended unless such pistol or revolver is in the trunk, a locked safe or locked glove box.