Arizona Citizens Defense League
2005
Dave Kopp
- June 2005 – Present – President, Arizona Citizens Defense League
Charles Heller
2005 One of the Four co-founders of the Arizona Citizens Defense League
About the Arizona Citizens Defense League
The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) is an all-volunteer, nonpartisan grassroots gun rights organization formed in 2005 by a group of local activists. Organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and funded by member dues and donations, it concentrates on Arizona law: tracking bills at the Legislature, alerting members, and working with lawmakers to expand and protect the rights of gun owners. It shares its name and volunteer-driven approach with other state citizens defense leagues, including the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
AzCDL is best known for its role in making Arizona one of the first states with Constitutional Carry. In 2010 the state made a concealed carry permit optional for adults who may legally possess a firearm, a change the group lists as its signature accomplishment. It also credits itself with restoring the presumption of innocence in self-defense cases in 2006, the 2012 Crime Victims Protection Act shielding victims from civil suits by their attackers, stronger state preemption and Castle Doctrine laws, and reduced permit training requirements.
Key Facts
- 2005: AzCDL founded by Arizona gun rights activists
- 2006: Helps restore the presumption of innocence in self-defense cases
- 2010: Arizona adopts Constitutional Carry, making the CCW permit optional
- 2012: Crime Victims Protection Act passes, protecting victims from civil suits by attackers
Learn More
Sources
Profiles on Minuteman University.com are editorial content compiled from public sources. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of, sponsorship by, or affiliation with this site or the Gun Websites Firearms Network. Corrections and removal requests are welcome through Contact Us.