American Civil Liberties Union

Abuse by police continues to be a major civil liberties problem in the U.S., particularly for the poor and for people of color.  Everyone needs and deserves effective and humane law enforcement in communities and courtrooms.



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Police Practices : Police Abuse : Press Releases

ACLU Applauds State Senate Vote to Restore Public Oversight of Police (06/04/2007)
SACRAMENTO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California applauded today's state Senate vote to restore public access to records and public hearings related to complaints about police misconduct.

New York City to Pay $60,000 to Settle Lawsuit by Bronx Teachers Arrested for Questioning Police Treatment of Students (05/31/2007)
NEW YORK - The New York Civil Liberties Union and co-counsel Morrison & Foerster LLP today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed last year on behalf of two high school teachers who were arrested, handcuffed and verbally abused by the New York Police Department without cause after they questioned police officers handcuffing students who had been involved in a fight.

In Wake of Bell Shooting, NYCLU Protests NYPD Failure to Comply with Racial Profiling Reform Mandated After Diallo Shooting (11/29/2006)
NEW YORK - In light of rekindled debates about race and policing after the Sean Bell shooting, the New York Civil Liberties Union today protested the New York Police Department’s failure to comply with a city law enacted in the aftermath of the 1999 Amadou Diallo police shooting to address concerns about racial profiling.

ACLU of Southern California Denounces Police Brutality Captured on Video (11/09/2006)
LOS ANGELES - The following statement can be attributed to Ramona Ripston, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

Colorado Woman Was Wrongly Arrested, Jailed and Strip Searched, ACLU Charges (10/17/2006)

ACLU of New Mexico Sues DEA, Police Officers for Roughing Up Amtrak Passengers (08/21/2006)
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a lawsuit today against a federal drug enforcement agent and two police officers who illegally searched and roughed up an Armenian couple last summer while their Amtrak train was stopped in Albuquerque. Today’s lawsuit seeks multiple violations of the civil rights of both individuals.

ACLU of Colorado Challenges Abuse of Prisoners in Garfield County Jail (07/19/2006)
DENVER, CO -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado filed a sweeping class action lawsuit today in federal court on behalf of prisoners in the Garfield County Jail who have been subjected to widespread excessive force by deputies’ misuse and abuse of pepperball guns, restraint chairs, Tasers, pepper spray, and electroshock belts.

ACLU of Wisconsin Says Taser Death Demonstrates Need to Restrict Police Use of Potentially Lethal Weapons (07/17/2006)
MILWAUKEE, WI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin today demanded that the Town of Mukwonago police and other Wisconsin police agencies adhere to professional standards when deploying and using stun guns

ACLU Settles Harassment Lawsuit Against Pennsylvania Police Chief (01/24/2006)
PITTSBURGH -- The American Civil Liberties Union Greater Pittsburgh Chapter announced today that it has reached a settlement with a Washington County municipality and its suspended police chief that will ensure the freedom of residents to debate political issues on a local Web site without fear of retaliation from local authorities.

ACLU Sues Miami-Dade Police for Shooting Driver, Beating Passengers After Traffic Stop (10/07/2005)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Greater Miami Chapter today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a driver who was shot in the chest and then severely beaten by Miami-Dade police officers after a traffic stop for an expired license plate. Two of the passengers in the car who were also beaten by police are suing the county as well.

Unregulated Use of Taser Stun Guns Threatens Lives, ACLU of Northern California Study Finds (10/06/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO - Few if any controls are imposed on police using Taser stun guns to subdue suspects, which could explain the rise in Taser-related deaths throughout the region, according to a new study released today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

ACLU of Massachusetts Issues Recommendations on Less Lethal Force Policies for Police (05/10/2005)
BOSTON -- Citing safety concerns following the death of Victoria Snelgrove and other fatal incidents arising from the introduction of new police weaponry around the country, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today issued a report setting forth specific recommendations for improved training, use, and monitoring of so-called ""less lethal"" weapons by the Boston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth.

ACLU Sues New Mexico Sheriff's Deputies for Beating Two Young Men (05/04/2005)
SANTA FE, NM -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Chaves County Sheriff's deputies for brutalizing two young men at a private home in Roswell two years ago.

ACLU Calls on Denver Officials to Deliver on Promised Police Reform (03/24/2005)
DENVER--The city administration is already failing to deliver on one of its promised reforms in how it deals with incidents in which police officers kill or seriously injure civilians, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said today.

ACLU of Arkansas Calls on Justice Department to Investigate County Officer Over Harassment of African Americans (10/25/2004)
LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas announced today that it has sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting an investigation into the harassment of African Americans by a county police officer in Brinkley, Arkansas.

ACLU of New Jersey Sues Manalapan Police for Targeting African American Youths (08/25/2004)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Manalapan Police Department on behalf of three African American teenagers who said that officers searched them without justification and called them names while the boys' three white friends were told to go home.

ACLU of Rhode Island Settles Case with Police Over Illegal Strip-Search of Woman (06/30/2004)
PROVIDENCE, RI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island today announced that a settlement had been reached in a federal lawsuit against the Woonsocket Police Department on behalf of a woman who was strip-searched and left naked in a holding cell for over five hours after being arrested for ""driving under the influence."" Under the settlement, the defendants agreed to pay $65,000 to Joann Lanoue in exchange for dismissal of the suit.

ACLU of West Virginia Sues Brooke County Sheriff for Conducting Intrusive Strip Search of Woman (04/26/2004)
CHARLESTON, WV - The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of a woman who says local police demanded that she pull down her pants so they could photograph her tattoo.

ACLU of New Mexico Sues Albuquerque Police Over Mistreatment of Peaceful Protestors (03/22/2004)
ALBUQUERQUE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and the New Mexico chapter of the National Lawyers Guild filed a civil rights lawsuit today against the Albuquerque Police Department over its handling of a protest against the Iraq war last March.

Federal Judge Upholds Police Misconduct Claim Against Connecticut Police Officers in Case of Mistaken Identity (10/08/2003)
HARTFORD-A federal judge today upheld a police misconduct claim filed by the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a man who was mistakenly identified as a suspect and then kicked and beaten by city police officers.

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