The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut opposes Bridgeport’s youth curfew, approved by the City Council Thursday and signed into law by Mayor Bill Finch Monday afternoon.
The ACLU successfully fought to overturn a similar curfew in the town of Vernon nearly a decade ago and believes Bridgeport’s is equally vulnerable to a court challenge.
But while city officials may not like the criticism and saber-rattling from the ACLU, for now that’s all it is.
Sandy Staub, the ACLU’s legal director, said to take the city’s curfew to court, the organization needs a plaintiff.
“Someone who has been aggrieved by the curfew. A parent. Children. Parent and children, together,” Staub said. “We need a client.”
Finch during today’s signing ceremony said it will probably be a month before the curfew is enforced. And even then first time violators are given a warning, rather than a fine.
And even if in the coming months the ACLU locates someone who wants to go through the time, effort and stress of being the poster-person waging a battle with the Finch administration over the curfew, the case would take a few years to be decided in court.
The Vernon lawsuit, for example, lasted around three to four years, Staub said. By that time Bridgeport officials may have decided to scrap the curfew themselves. Finch noted Monday the City Council is supposed to review the issue in six months.
The ACLU and Finch administration may be facing off far sooner before the state Freedom of Information Commission.
The Vernon curfew was struck down in part because that town did not make a solid case a curfew was needed.
Finch during the signing ceremony told reporters Bridgeport is in a much better position and that the city has police data establishing a pattern of youth violence during the curfew hours.
Staub said in mid-July the ACLU submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Finch administration for “any studies, evidence, reports that would substantiate there were specific problems at specific hours at specific ages. And we’ve gotten no response.”
So, Staub said, the ACLU recently filed a complaint with the FOI Commission in Hartford.
“So (the curfew) can be criticized for lack of transparency, at least at this point,” she said.
So tell the ACLU to police up the little ignorant criminals in training im tired of all this its unconstitutional crap and trying to give a pass because your African american guess what so am I. and I agree I don’t even like to come visit ct anymore and I was born and raised there. I would rather do another tour in IRAQ than come to Bridgeport its gotten out of control its hard for a hard working decent person of color to stomach the BS that’s going on in the community and the first legit idea that comes up someone yells civil rights its BS that’s why so many like me and my family have left ct and so will many more if somethings not done about these out of control parents don’t care loser ass project kids
The City of Bridgeport going to lose the case ACLU have over 2,500 lawyers and some of best lawyers in the country. They also have 110 million dollar budget so Bridgeport is out luck. There is 65% chance the Judge might possibly block the curfew. ACLU can bring in 20 lawyers for the case and Bridgeport only going have 1 that what they can afford.
It’s time to put the ACLU out of business. They fight for the rights of the wrong people and the wrong situations. I only once agreed with their purpose to fight for someone’s rights. All other battles were against the rights of the right people. The times today demand curfews… suck it up ACLU.
Finch is an idiot