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ACLU Sues Rhode Island Police Department For Access to Policies on Use of Pepper Spray (12/04/2000)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today filed an open records lawsuit against the Providence Police Department for refusing to publicly release complete copies of its policies and procedures governing the department's use of pepper spray.

ACLU Comments on Beating of Suspect by Philadelphia Police Caught on Videotape (07/13/2000)
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is profoundly disturbed that Thomas Jones sustained significant injuries as the result of what appears to be an excessive use of force by Philadelphia police officers. The videotape reveals an arrest situation that was completely out of control.

Frisking Photo Puts Whitman on Defensive (07/10/2000)
TRENTON, NJ -- After enduring two years of criticism for the racial profiling practices of her state troopers, Gov. Christine Todd Whitman has a new public relations problem, The New York Times reported: a photo of the governor herself, grinning as she frisks a black man.

ACLU Report Says Response To Seattle WTO Protests was 'Flawed, Out of Control' (07/05/2000)
SEATTLE -- Drawing on more than 500 eyewitness accounts, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State today released a comprehensive examination of civil liberties violations that occurred here last fall during the World Trade Organization conference.

Top Cops Call on Next President to Form National Commission on Police Misconduct (06/03/2000)
DENVER -- According to a story in today's Denver Post, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is calling for the creation of a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of law enforcement nationwide in the wake of police misconduct and racial profiling incidents in a variety of communities.

ACLU Calls on Attorney General to Justify Use of Force in Removing Elian Gonzalez (04/24/2000)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union has long objected to the overuse of force by government authorities when a lesser degree of force would be sufficient. We are therefore troubled by the use of a heavily armed SWAT team with guns drawn to remove Elian Gonzalez from the home of his Miami relatives on Saturday. If the Attorney General has reason to believe that such a degree of force was necessary, she should present that evidence to the American people without delay.

New Policy on Pepper Spray in Oregon (02/25/2000)
Eugene, OR -- To spray or not to spray? That is the question Eugene police officers will have to ask twice before taking aim with a can of pepper spray, the Register-Guard reported.

ACLU of Washington WTO Flyer (12/06/1999)
SEATTLE - The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington is closely monitoring police treatment of WTO protesters and residents of Seattle. We are looking for information about incidents of police action against citizens that have occurred during the WTO conference.

Federal Appeals Court Says Police Interrogation Tactics Violated "Miranda" Rights (11/08/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- In a ringing affirmation of the decades-old "right to remain silent" during police interrogations, a federal appeals court today ruled that the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Police Departments had unconstitutionally authorized police officers to interrogate suspects even after they invoked their rights.

ACLU Settles Lawsuit Brought By MA Needle Exchange Worker (10/08/1999)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today settled a lawsuit against the City of Cambridge and several police officers on behalf of a man who was arrested for possession of hypodermic needles, held for more than two days, and denied his epilepsy medications, even though he showed the police evidence that he was an outreach worker for Boston's needle exchange program.

ACLU Announces Settlement in Hmong Family's Lawsuit Against Yuba County Sheriff's Dept. (10/04/1999)
SACRAMENTO -- The settlement of a 1997 police misconduct lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and others on behalf of Yuba County family has resulted in new policies aimed at preventing future abuses by local authorities, the ACLU said today.

ACLU of Southern California Calls for Special Prosecutor to Investigate Police Corruption Scandal (09/23/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today called on Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti to name a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute those involved in unlawful activities at LAPD's Rampart Division.

ACLU of Southern California Responds to Police Corruption Probe (09/17/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- The uncovering of a pattern of deception, perjury and evidence-planting by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department is shocking, but sadly not surprising. In the same manner in which the videotaped beating of Rodney King shed light on police brutality, this investigation is certain to illuminate a terrible, but not so secret fact: that the LAPD cannot be trusted to investigate itself.

Judge Rejects Efforts to Halt Civil Rights Suit of Man Imprisoned for 27 Years (09/13/1999)
LOS ANGELES -- A California judge today agreed to permit former Black Panther party leader Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt to proceed with his civil rights lawsuit against federal and local law enforcement officials for conspiring to convict him of a 1968 murder.

ACLU of Colorado Praises Swift Investigation in Car-Chase Beating (08/26/1999)
DENVER--One week after news channels aired video footage of Denver police beating suspects in a car chase, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado praised the swift response by city officials.

ACLU Urges CA Appeals Court to Declare Use of Pepper Spray Dangerous and Cruel (08/12/1999)
SAN FRANCISCO--Non-violent environmental protestors who sued Humboldt County authorities over the use of pepper spray are entitled to a jury trial, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California told a federal appeals court today.

ACLU of Ohio Blasts Police for Harassing Teens Wearing "Insane Clown Posse" T-Shirts (08/12/1999)
CLEVELAND -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today said it may take legal action against Northwood officials after police officers harassed two 8th-graders because of their T-shirt choice, confiscating one of the shirts.

Activist Groups Join to Investigate Cuban Immigration Incident (07/07/1999)
MIAMI -- The National Civil Rights Movement will investigate allegations of abuse involving the six Cubans who reached U.S. shores at Surfside last month, the Miami Herald reported today.