Home : Criminal Justice

Landmark Lawsuit Seeks Repairs to Michigan Justice System (02/22/2007)
LANSING, MI - The Michigan Coalition for Justice filed a landmark lawsuit today against the state of Michigan and Governor Jennifer Granholm for failing to fulfill their constitutional obligation to provide adequate defense services to those who cannot afford private counsel. The coalition charges that Michigan has long abdicated its duty to ensure that poor people accused of crimes receive timely, qualified and appropriately resourced lawyers for their defense.

ACLU Alarmed At Justice Department Move to Collect DNA, Violates Privacy Rights and Causes Further Delays in Overwhelmed System (02/05/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the Justice Department’s move to collect DNA samples of individuals who are arrested or detained by federal authorities - even if they are not convicted, or charged with a crime. That collection was authorized in an amendment authored by Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to the Violence Against Women Act in 2005.

ACLU Welcomes Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act, Says Bill Would Safeguard Constitutional Right to Counsel (12/07/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union put the weight of its over 550,000 members behind Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) today as he introduced legislation to guard the Constitution’s guarantee to fair legal representation. His bill, the “Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act of 2006,” would allow prosecutors to pursue information they believe is not confidential but would recognize and protect valid claims of attorney-client privilege.

ACLU Testifies Before United States Sentencing Commission for Fair Drug Sentencing Policies (11/14/2006)
WASHINGTON - Jesselyn McCurdy, Legislative Counsel at the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, testified today at a public hearing held by the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) about the continued unfairness and racial impact of federal drug sentencing policy. Despite repeated recommendations by the USSC, Congress has not addressed a 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between distribution of powder and crack cocaine.

ACLU Urges Ohio Supreme Court to Restore Fair Trials (10/24/2006)
COLUMBUS, OH -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today called on the state Supreme Court to revise Ohio’s rules for criminal prosecutions to ensure that persons accused of crimes will have timely access to the evidence against them. Currently, the law permits the state to conceal some evidence, which the ACLU says sets up an unfair system of “trial by ambush.”

ACLU Urges Florida Candidates to Clarify Position on Restoration of Civil Rights (10/20/2006)
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- In a letter sent today to the two major party candidates for governor, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida urged Attorney General Charlie Crist and Congressman Jim Davis to clarify their position on the restoration of civil and voting rights to former felons. The ACLU is asking the candidates to make it clear that they will use the authority of the governor to make a change in the system of lifetime disfranchisement.

ACLU Urges House of Representatives to Protect Students’ Fourth Amendment Rights (09/19/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to protect students’ Fourth Amendment rights and reject a bill granting schools broad authority to search students and their personal belongings. H.R. 5295, the “Student Teacher Safety Act of 2006,” would allow school officials to conduct random, wide-scale searches of students without having any individualized suspicion that a particular student is participating in criminal activity or breaking school rules.

New Jersey Citizens on Parole and Probation Bring Plea For Right to Vote to Human Rights Body (09/14/2006)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Rutgers Law School Constitutional Litigation Clinic filed a petition today urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule that denying New Jersey citizens on parole and probation the right to vote violates universal human rights principles.

Tampa Buccaneers Fans Free from Mass Random Searches (07/28/2006)
TAMPA, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that a federal judge has blocked mass pat-down searches at Buccaneer games, stating that the public "has a compelling interest in preserving the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion."

U.N. Human Rights Body Slams Louisiana Actions During Katrina (07/28/2006)
NEW ORLEANS — A United Nations human rights body today criticized Louisiana officials for their actions during Hurricane Katrina, including a police blockade on Gretna New Orleans Bridge, which left thousands of mostly black residents trapped in the city, and the failure to evacuate prisoners from the flooded Orleans Parish Prison. The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, which has long called for investigations into the conditions at the prison and on the bridge, welcomed the report and its recommendations.

ACLU of Rhode Island and Community Groups Denounce Rules Denying Compensation to Certain Crime Victims (07/27/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Seven organizations that service people with substance abuse problems today sharply criticized as “discriminatory and mean-spirited” regulations approved earlier this week by General Treasurer Paul Tavares, allowing the state to deny compensation to victims of violent crimes based solely on their past drug-related criminal history.