CT ACLU Director on Jones' TV Show Today to Discuss Senior Safety Zones

The Connecticut American Civil Liberties Union executive director will appear on Town Councilor Rosetta Jones’ public access television show today.

Jones said she invited Town Councilor Billy Caron on the show as well. It was unknown at press time if Caron would be appearing.

Jones said she invited Andrew Schneider on the show to “discuss the constitutional implications of the Senior Safety Zone ordinance.”

The recently passed controversial Senior Safety Zone ordinance is the subject of a 500-plus-signature petition calling for it to be repealed. Opponents argue the law would make the town vulnerable to a constitutional challenge by the ACLU. The zones were created to keep sex offenders away from senior citizens. Some seniors, previously supportive have now said the town would let the state take the lead and if it should pass such a law, it ha could sustain a legal challenge. The ACLU has said it would challenge the Montville ordinance.

Jones said she and Schneider would discuss the question of restricting sex offenders from accessing property and areas where seniors congregate, which includes town and public property. She said they would examine “why the town would be at risk of a legal challenge by the ACLU, and what legal measures can the town take to ensure senior safety on town property.”

“I believe Mr. Schneider's legal expertise on Constitutional law is invaluable to the majority council's action to proceed or reverse this ordinance; focus its resources on effective senior safety strategies and allow the General Assembly to take the lead on establishing Senior Safety Zones for our state,” she wrote in an email.

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