Latest American Civil Liberties Union News
ACLU plans to spend $1.3M in educate Montana voters about state Supreme Court candidates
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union plans to spend $1.3 million on campaign advertising to educate Montana voters about where state Supreme Court candidates stand on abortion and other civil rights issues with a measure constitutionally protecting protect abortion access also...
Nebraska's Supreme Court to decide if those with felony convictions can vote in November
Nebraska's top election official has no authority to declare unconstitutional a state law that restores the voting rights of those who’ve been convicted of a felony, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union told the state Supreme Court on Wednesday. ACLU attorney Jane Seu...
Judge blocks 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Ohio, citing 2023 reproductive rights amendment
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A county judge in Ohio temporarily blocked several state laws on Friday that combined to create a 24-hour waiting period for obtaining an abortion in the state, in the first court decision on the merits of a 2023 constitutional amendment that guarantees access to the...
Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is suing the city of Medford, saying its police department has been unlawfully monitoring progressive political activists who aren't suspected of criminal activity. City officials insisted they have not monitored the...
Honolulu mayor vows tougher approach on homelessness
Emboldened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that gives local governments more power to clear homeless encampments, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi plans to double down on removing homeless people from the street. “I’m going to be very aggressive about that, and you’re...
Judge keeps alive Vermont lawsuit that accuses police of force, discrimination against Black teen
A Vermont judge has denied the city of Burlington’s request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that police used excessive force and discriminated against a Black teenager whose mother had called law enforcement to teach him a lesson about stealing. When the 14-year-old, who has...
Sept. 11 families group leader cheers restoration of death penalty option in 9-11 prosecutions
The head of a group of family members of victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks said Saturday that she’s hearing nearly unanimous praise of the U.S. defense secretary’s nullification of plea deals for the accused 9/11 mastermind and two others that would have removed the death penalty as a...
ACLU sues Washington state city over its anti-homeless laws after a landmark Supreme Court ruling
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the city of Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, alleging that its anti-camping laws violate the state constitution. It is believed to be the country's first such legal challenge since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that cities can enforce outdoor sleeping...
Honolulu Police Department releases body camera footage in only a fraction of deadly encounters
In 2018, the Honolulu Police Department for the first time released body camera footage of a fatal officer-involved shooting. But since then, it’s been a rarity, with HPD sharing footage in just three of 22 deadly incidents. In some instances, the department released surveillance...
Voting group asks S. Carolina court to order redraw of US House districts that lean too Republican
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A group that works to protect and expand voting rights is asking South Carolina's highest court to order lawmakers to redraw the state's U.S. House districts because they lean too far Republican. South Carolina’s congressional map was upheld two months ago...
