Home : Criminal Justice

ACLU and Sentencing Experts Urge Federal Court to Uphold Judges’ Right to Reject 100-to-1 Crack/Powder Ratio (01/20/2006)
SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union joined a group of renowned criminal law and sentencing experts in filing a friend-of-the-court brief today in a case concerning the right of judges to depart from the controversial 100-to-1 crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity imposed by Congress. The case, U.S. v. Starks, is being argued in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

New Report Challenges Rhode Island Drunk Driving Statistics (01/09/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today released a 35-page report that challenges recent highly publicized claims about Rhode Island's high alcohol fatality accident rate and the accompanying push for punitive drunk driving legislation at the State House this year. The report was released at a news conference today at which the ACLU and the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island (DATA) called for an emphasis on treatment and other non-punitive measures to address the problem of drunk driving.

ACLU of Florida Clarifies Position on “Miami Shield” Program (11/29/2005)
MIAMI -- There is some confusion over the specifics of the "Miami Shield" Program. Reports differ as to whether the plan involves large squads of officers stopping everyone at a locale and then demanding people to produce identification. Although the Miami Police Department has claimed that "Miami Shield" will respect people's rights, much of its constitutionality will depend on how the program is implemented.

ACLU of Michigan Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Reform "Juvenile Life Without Parole" Sentences (11/03/2005)
DETROIT - One year after the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan released a report calling attention to the more than 300 juveniles living out life sentences in Michigan prisons with no hope of rehabilitation or release, legislation was introduced in Lansing today to correct the laws that punish children as adults.

Florida Judge Stops Pat-Down Searches at Buccaneers Games (10/28/2005)
TAMPA -- Late this afternoon, Judge Perry A. Little of the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County stopped the suspicionless pat-down searches of all persons entering Raymond James Stadium for National Football League games. The ruling comes in the first legal challenge to a controversial policy the NFL has sought to impose on stadiums across the country.

ACLU Joins Business and Legal Groups on Attorney-Client Privilege Concerns, Says Bedrock American Principle Should Not Be Waived (10/14/2005)
WASHINGTON -The American Civil Liberties Union today joined prominent business and legal organizations in calling for lawmakers to clarify provisions in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that encourage corporations and organizations to waive their attorney-client privilege or work-product protections in order to receive leniency in federal criminal cases. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Bar Association are among the organizations coordinating their efforts on the issue.

ACLU of Florida Challenges Pat-Down Searches at NFL Games (10/13/2005)
TAMPA, FL -- Acting on behalf of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a lawsuit seeking to stop officials from conducting suspicionless pat-down searches of all persons entering Raymond James Stadium to watch National Football League games.

ACLU Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Review Iowa's Sex Offender Residency Restriction (09/29/2005)
DES MOINES - The Iowa Civil Liberties Union announced today that its is asking the Supreme Court to overturn Iowa's unprecedented law that restricts where sex offenders with victims under the age of 18 can reside. The Court will likely decide by the end of the year whether to hear the case.

Amendment Attached to the Violence Against Women Act Would Invade the Privacy of Innocent Americans by Collecting and Storing their DNA (09/29/2005)
WASHINGTON - Calling the Violence Against Women Act one of the key laws protecting women from domestic violence and sexual assault, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate to reject an amendment, authored by Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX), that would permit the government to collect and maintain DNA samples of individuals who are arrested or detained by federal authorities - even if they are not convicted, or even charged with a crime.

ACLU of Washington Files Lawsuit over Issaquah Housing Ordinance (08/31/2005)
ISSAQUAH, WA -- The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local mother and her son, challenging a recently passed Issaquah ordinance that imposes highly restrictive limits on housing for people with past convictions for sex offenses.

ACLU Urges Hawai'i to Act on Department of Justice Report on Youth Correctional Facility (08/12/2005)
HONOLULU -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i is urging state officials to act immediately on the Department of Justice's report released today about its investigation into problematic conditions and practices at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility, many of which were uncovered by an earlier ACLU inquiry.