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ACLU of Washington Supports Professor Detained for Taking Photos on Public Property (11/15/2007)
SEATTLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Shirley Scheier, a University of Washington professor who was detained by city of Snohomish police for taking photographs of power lines as part of an art project. Filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, the lawsuit seeks compensation for her wrongful detention.

ACLU of Washington Wins Compensation For Wrongfully Arrested Photographer (11/08/2007)
SEATTLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington today announced that a Seattle man has obtained a settlement of $8,000 from the city of Seattle after he was arrested simply for taking photographs of police making an arrest. The ACLU represented the photographer in his wrongful arrest case.

ACLU Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Protecting Fourth Amendment Rights of Car Passengers (06/18/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court in Brendlin v. California, recognizing that passengers in a car that is stopped by the police are seized as well as the driver, and therefore have the same right under the Fourth Amendment to protest an unconstitutional stop that is based on the police officer’s whim rather than evidence of wrongdoing.

HipHop Against Policy Brutality, ACLU of Texas and Abilene NAACP to Co-Host Youth Summit (06/15/2007)
ABILENE, TX – Three civil rights organizations are joining forces to host the first annual Abilene HipHop Summit. The HipHop Summit will be held Saturday, June 16, 2007 at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 North 6th St. Abilene, Texas from 10 am to 2pm. Registration will begin at 9:30am. The HipHop Summit theme urges young people to “Express, Empower, and Educate” themselves to become positive agents for change in their schools and community.

Louisiana Legislators Should Not Put Taxpayer Money in the Plate for Churches and Ministries to Use for Evangelistic Purposes (06/15/2007)
BATON ROUGE - The ACLU of Louisiana urges the State Senate to strip earmarked tax dollars out of the budget that go directly to fund churches and evangelistic ministries in violation of the First Amendment. The State House has already passed the appropriations bill that contains at least 10 questionable items inserted by legislators without any detailed information about the churches and groups slated for special favors.

ACLU Sues City of New Orleans and Chief Riley on Behalf of Business Manager Brutalized by Out of Control NOPD Officers (06/13/2007)
NEW ORLEANS - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of a Central City businessman Steven Elloie, who was brutally beaten up, tasered twice with up to 50,000 volts of electricity while handcuffed and lying on the ground, falsely arrested on trumped up charges and eventually cleared of the accusation. A complaint with the Public Integrity Bureau (PIB) or internal affairs was given short shrift and appeared to be a part of a conspiracy at the highest levels to protect the offending officers.

ACLU of Southern California Statement on LAPD MacArthur Park Investigation (05/30/2007)
LOS ANGELES — American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California staff attorney Peter Bibring today criticized the L.A. Police Department’s preliminary after-action report about the May 1 action at MacArthur Park. His expanded remarks to the L.A. City Council are below:

ACLU of Southern California Asks Court to Address L.A. Police Action at MacArthur Park (05/17/2007)
LOS ANGELES - Today the ACLU of Southern California asked a judge to evaluate the May 1 actions by the L.A. Police Department's Metropolitan Division in light of the federal consent decree adopted in the wake of the Rampart brutality scandal.

Arrest of 13-Year-Old for Writing on Desk Should Be Wake-up Call for City, NYCLU Says (04/06/2007)
NEW YORK - The New York Civil Liberties Union today condemned the treatment of a 13-year-old girl who was arrested after she wrote the word "okay" on her school desk. The NYCLU said the incident sheds light on the fatal flaws in New York City's use of law enforcement to impose discipline in classrooms.

ACLU of Colorado Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Innocent Woman Who Was Wrongfully Arrested and Jailed Due to "Recklessly Sloppy" Police Work (02/12/2007)
DENVER - In a lawsuit filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado charged that a Denver police officer's "recklessly sloppy" police work - which included false statements and crucial omissions in an affidavit the officer submitted to a judge - caused a local woman with no criminal record to be falsely arrested and jailed for an incident with which she had no connection whatsoever.

City Cannot Block Release of NYPD Materials from Republican National Convention, Federal Court Rules (01/22/2007)
NEW YORK - A federal judge today rejected the city's attempt to block the New York Civil Liberties Union from making public extensive information on the mass arrests and detentions that occurred during the 2004 Republic National Convention.

ACLU Tells New Orleans Police Chief to Get Tough on Crime But Respect Civil Liberties (01/10/2007)
NEW ORLEANS - In response to the severe crime problem in New Orleans, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today called on Police Chief Warren Riley to "get tough" and lawfully target known criminals, while respecting and protecting the constitutional freedoms of residents. The ACLU also called for independent oversight of the police to build trust with the public, and urged public officials to engage in preventative measures to strengthen communities and families and rebuild support structures.

NYCLU Says City Agency Allowed Massive Backlog of Police Misconduct Cases (11/14/2006)
NEW YORK - The New York Civil Liberties Union today said it has obtained documents showing that a city agency allowed a backlog of more than 800 police misconduct cases to build up and then dispensed with them all in one day.

NYCLU Urges NYPD to Set Boundaries for "Professional Courtesy" (11/13/2006)
NEW YORK - In response to reports that New Yorkers are using police union cards to avoid prosecution, the New York Civil Liberties Union today called on the New York City Police Department to assure that the "professional courtesy" given police officers and their friends and families does not turn into law-enforcement immunity.

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

In Wake of Death, ACLU of Rhode Island Calls For Moratorium on Police “Stun Gun” Use (08/21/2006)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Following the death this weekend of a Woonsocket resident who was “stunned” with a Taser weapon while in police custody, the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter today calling on all police departments in the state currently using the controversial weapon to impose a moratorium on their use.

New ACLU Report Shows Rhode Island Police Are Backsliding on Efforts to End Racial Profiling (08/08/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- According to a 15-page report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, the latest statistics on police department traffic stops in the state show an increase in searches of racial minorities even as white drivers are more likely to be found with contraband when searches are conducted. The statistics cover January through March 2005, the second quarter of a yearlong study mandated by state law.

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 of Massachusetts Applauds Boston Police Commissioner's Opposition to the CLEAR Act (02/14/2005)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today praised Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole for opposing the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act, an act expected to be taken up again this term by Congress that would pressure local and state law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Cincinnati Police Failed to Reform Discriminatory Practices, ACLU Charges (11/19/2004)
CINCINNATI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today asked a federal court to order city officials here to comply with agreements made in the ACLU's landmark 2001 police reform case, which charged the city with a pattern of racial profiling by police.