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Court Orders New York Drugstore to Pay Punitive Damages to Artist Represented by NYCLU (03/12/2004)
NEW YORK CITY--A New York Supreme Court justice has ordered Duane Reade, Inc. to pay punitive damages to a local artist who criticized the drugstore giant's plan to place a large, lighted billboard on the roof of a Rockaway store, and to a newspaper that ran his advertisement urging a boycott, the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today.

ACLU Warns House Approval of Increased Indecency Fines Will Have a Chilling Effect on Speech (03/11/2004)
WASHINGTON - As the House today passed legislation to increase Federal Communications Commission fines for broadcast indecency, the American Civil Liberties Union called the measure ill-advised, saying that current ambiguities in the definition of indecency, coupled with the increased penalties, would chill free speech over the nation's airwaves, and called on the Senate to preserve First Amendment protections.

Court Reverses Ohio Man's 11-Year Prison Term for Sexually Explicit Diary (03/05/2004)
COLUMBUS, OH - A Franklin County Common Pleas Court yesterday dismissed charges against a man who had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for recording fantasies of child molestation in a secret journal. The conviction of Brian Dalton in 2001 gained international attention as the first time in memory that an American had been sentenced to prison over the content of his private diary.

After ACLU Intervention, University Drops Charges Against Arkansas Students Who Sought to Investigate Voter Fraud in Student Election (02/27/2004)
LITTLE ROCK-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas today announced the dismissal of disciplinary charges against two student government senators at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville who were charged with harassment after seeking to investigate voter fraud in a student election.

ACLU Names Colorado Attorney General as Defendant in Challenge to Criminal Libel Law (02/19/2004)
DENVER-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado announced today that it has added Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar as a defendant in a lawsuit that asks a federal court to declare Colorado's criminal libel statute unconstitutional.

ACLU and Drug Policy Groups Sue Over Censorship of Advertisements Criticizing "War on Drugs" (02/18/2004)
WASHINGTON-The nation's major drug policy reform groups today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for censoring the speech of those critical of the government's ""War on Drugs.""

ACLU of Ohio Initiates Investigation into Secret Meetings of Cleveland School Board (02/12/2004)
CLEVELAND--The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today sent public records requests to Cleveland School Board officials to investigate recent claims that school Board members have been conducting official business in private, in a potential violation of Ohio's Sunshine Laws.

ACLU Says Increased Indecency Fines Threaten Greater Chilling Effect on Speech (02/11/2004)
WASHINGTON - In light of a House hearing on legislation to increase Federal Communications Commission fines for broadcast indecency, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged caution against such a move, saying that current ambiguities in the definition of indecency, coupled with the increased penalties, would serve to chill free speech over the nation's airwaves.

Citing First Amendment, ACLU of Ohio Urges Local Officials to Revise Political Sign Ordinance (02/10/2004)
CLEVELAND - Saying that the city of Willowick's requirements regarding political signage violate residents' free speech rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today urged officials to revise its sign ordinance to comply with constitutional standards.

ACLU of New Mexico Wins Temporary Halt to Albuquerque's Anti-Panhandling Ordinance (01/16/2004)
ALBUQUERQUE -- State District Court Judge William F. Lang today granted the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico's request for a temporary restraining order barring Albuquerque from implementing an anti-panhandling ordinance that was to go into effect on January 21.

ACLU of Ohio Settles First Amendment Lawsuit Against City of Cleveland (01/15/2004)
CLEVELAND-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today announced a settlement in its First Amendment lawsuit against the City of Cleveland filed on behalf of three African American police officers and the African American Supervisors Association.

ACLU of Colorado Sues To Stop County's Criminal Libel Investigation Over "Howling Pig" Newsletter (01/08/2004)
DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado today filed a lawsuit in federal district court to stop Weld County law enforcement authorities from pursuing a criminal investigation and prosecution of Thomas Mink, the publisher of a satiric Internet-based publication called ""The Howling Pig.""

In First Amendment Victory, Appeals Court Nixes Mattel's Attempt to Block Artist's Use of Barbie Dolls (12/29/2003)
LOS ANGELES-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today hailed an appeal court ruling in favor of artist Tom Forsythe in a case involving toy giant Mattel's attempt to suppress his use of the Barbie doll in his artwork.

ACLU Opposes British-American Extradition Treaty; Says Measure Removes Crucial Due Process Protections (12/19/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today weighed in against the ratification of a new extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States, saying that the measure contains a number of ill-considered erosions of judicial review and would threaten the due process rights of Americans and others accused of crimes by the British government.

ACLU of New Jersey Files Free Speech Lawsuit Against School District for Retaliation Against Eighth Grade Webmaster (12/18/2003)
NEWARK - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today filed a lawsuit against school officials in the town of Oceanport who punished an 8th grade student for creating a website from his home computer that included student comments criticizing the school.

ACLU Successfully Defends Rhode Island Resident in Free Speech Case (12/02/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today hailed the dismissal of criminal charges against Little Compton resident William Bullivant in a case that raised far-reaching free speech issues for state residents.

ACLU Wins Settlement for New Mexico Teachers Punished for Posting Anti-War Materials (11/14/2003)
ALBUQUERQUE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico today announced the settlement of a civil rights lawsuit against the Albuquerque Public Schools for disciplinary actions taken against teachers and a counselor for posting materials related to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

ACLU Files Lawsuit to Protect Free Speech Rights of Connecticut Dentist (11/12/2003)
HARTFORD -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut today filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the state Department of Public Heath from disciplining an Orange dentist, Dr. Mark Breiner, for publishing an op-ed article in the Connecticut Post.

ACLU and Planned Parenthood Ask Tennessee Court to Block Anti-Abortion License Plate (11/06/2003)
NASHVILLE - The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit today to stop Tennessee officials from sponsoring an anti-abortion-rights specialty license plate, saying the program discriminates against opposing viewpoints.

NYCLU Files Lawsuit Against Lobbying Commission Over Free-Speech Billboard (11/03/2003)
NEW YORK--The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan against David Grandeau, the Executive Director of the New York Temporary State Commission on Lobbying. The Commission has taken the position that NYCLU sponsorship of a billboard outside a shopping mall is lobbying, even though the billboard makes no mention of any legislation.