Features: ACLU of Northern California

Every Vote Counts: AB109 & Felony Disenfranchisement

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:02:00 PST

Voting is a fundamental right and despite Criminal Justice Realignment, McPherson remains the law and establishes that individuals convicted of a misdemeanor or sentenced to felony probation retain the right to vote, even if confined in local jail.

In San Francisco: Civil Rights Groups Oppose Secret Agreement with FBI

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:02:00 PST

Protections for First Amendment activity have been so robust in San Francisco because local officials, advocacy organizations and community members have heeded lessons from intelligence-gathering scandals of days past, and enacted public policies to prevent history from repeating itself. Read about San Francisco's secret agreement with the FBI...

Did you hear? Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye on CA's death penalty

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:01:00 PST

"I don't think it is working. It's not effective. We know that." This is how California's death penalty was described just a few days ago by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye.

Victory for Oakland Protesters, Despite Court Ruling

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:12:00 PST

Thousands of people demonstrated in Oakland yesterday without any violent response from police. And the Oakland Police Department reportedly relied on its own officers to manage the crowd of protesters rather than bringing in other law enforcement agencies on mutual aid agreements...

Your Health Your Rights Does What Your iPhone Won’t

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:11:00 PST

If you need movie tickets, takeout food, or even Viagra, iPhone’s Siri can help. But should you need basic reproductive health care like emergency contraception or an abortion, Siri is clueless. Fortunately for women in California, the Your Health Your Rights web guide can help you find the reproductive health care you need.

Police Violence on Peaceful Protesters Threatens the Health of Our Democracy

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:11:00 PST

We’ve heard it all over the country, that Occupy encampments must come down because of “health and safety concerns.” That was the justification offered by UC Davis Chancellor Katehi in a statement calling for tents at the fledging Occupy UC Davis encampment to "be peacefully removed" by 3 pm that afternoon. Later that day, brave students sat cross-legged, peacefully linking arms. But the UC Davis Police Department proceeded to unconstitutionally douse peaceful student protesters with pepper spray.

ACLU to OPD: No Seriously, Hand Over the Info

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:11:00 PST

The Oakland Police Department oversaw the use of excessive force against Occupy Oakland demonstrators, and now the department is refusing to hand over information about what really happened.

This is What the First Amendment Looks Like

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:11:00 PST

Yesterday's main takeaway is that the First Amendment works. As many as 10,000 people can speak out, without any need for tear gas, or flash grenades, or lines of police in riot gear. This is how our democracy and our right to free speech should work, and yesterday showed that this is how it can work.

Oakland Police Internal Investigation Isn't Good Enough

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:11:00 PST

An OPD internal investigation is a necessary step, but it alone is not adequate. The public deserves an investigation that is independent, thorough, and transparent. Excessive police force is never acceptable. It's particularly problematic when used in response to political protest because the result is to make people fearful of exercising their rights.

When Will the Oakland Police Learn?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:10:00 PST

The ACLU-NC and the NLG demanded a full investigation of yesterday's events in Oakland. The groups asked OPD to immediately produce records about the use of force in responding to the early morning raid of the Occupy Oakland encampment and the evening demonstration, and the detention of those who were arrested. The public has a right to transparency and accountability, and yesterday's events are no exception. The ACLU-NC is also urging people to email the OPD calling for transparency and an end to excessive use of force.

Oakland Police Raid on Occupy Oakland Raises Serious Questions

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:10:00 PST

Today’s early morning raid by the Oakland Police Department on Occupy Oakland raises a number of questions. There should be a thorough and transparent investigation of the way the Oakland Police Department handled the raid on Occupy Oakland and whether the department complied with its own policies on crowd control and use of force.

Ask The Experts! Comprehensive Sex Education

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

Abstinence-only-until-marriage instruction is still taught in a surprising number of Northern California school districts, despite an ACLU-sponsored state law that prohibits it in public schools. Sex Education Policy Director Phyllida Burlingame discusses the challenges of enforcing the law and what the ACLU is doing to help young people get the information they need to protect their sexual and reproductive health.

Court Upholds Race and Gender-Conscious Goals in Federal Contracting

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

While studying for a doctorate, San Francisco-based engineer Satinder P. Singh chose to specialize in the retrofitting of bridges. He joined a team charged with evaluating the structural soundness of the Bay Area’s bridges following the Loma Prieta earthquake. Soon thereafter, Singh was hired as a Caltrans engineer. And in 1999, he founded his own structural engineering firm.

Zero Tolerance = Zero Help

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

Would it surprise you to hear that almost 85% of LGBT students are verbally harassed at school? Or that 40% are physically harassed? Perhaps you’ve already heard these troubling statistics, and know that when it comes to stopping bullying, “zero tolerance” is the new catchphrase.

The Other Front: U.S. Servicewomen Denied Abortion Coverage

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

Denying abortion coverage to rape survivors is a serious injustice to those who are honorably serving our country. This is especially true when a woman’s risk of being sexually assaulted more than doubles when she joins the military. Women who are deployed overseas or to remote areas of the U.S., like Alaska, face an added burden when there are no other safe medical facilities. The military is effectively asking women who serve to completely disregard their health and rights, no matter the circumstances.

Breaking California's Prison Habit

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

In May, in Brown v. Plata, the U.S. Supreme Court spoke definitively: California must stop imprisoning so many people. The High Court concluded that California’s prison system is so bloated that it poses extreme risks to prisoners and to staff, and that reducing the number of people in state prisons is the only way to end grossly inadequate health care and “needless suffering and death.” The Court invoked the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

The ACLU's 12-Step Plan to End California's Addiction to Incarceration

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

The Golden State has a problem. An addiction problem. California is addicted to incarceration. We've hit rock bottom, and it's time for an intervention. To help the state break the addiction, yesterday the ACLU of California sent a 12-step plan to every county in the state, as part of a larger ACLU comprehensive public safety realignment report. The report urges a fundamental shift in criminal justice policies toward smart on crime alternatives to incarceration.

What is Realignment? The Basics

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

La Pena de Muerte: Informese en Español

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:07:00 PST

La Pena de Muerte: Informese en Español

No Vale La Pena

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:07:00 PST

Bring Back Balance - Sentencing Reforms Save Money & Improve Realignment

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:06:00 PST

Two simple sentencing reforms—reducing the penalties for simple drug possession and for low-level property crimes like vandalism or writing a bad check—will begin to bring balance to the system, ensure that the punishment fits the crime and help reduce state prison and county jail overcrowding.

ACLU of California Urges Sentencing Reform to Reduce California Prison Population

Mon, 23 May 2011 12:05:00 PST

The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the state of California to reduce its prison population in order to alleviate extreme overcrowding that endangers the health and safety of the state’s prisoners and prison staff. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California applauds today’s U.S. Supreme Court order and is encouraging legislators to take a long-term approach to solving the problem of prison overcrowding by instituting sentencing reforms to reduce the penalties for low level non-violent offenses from felony sentences to misdemeanors.

Sentencing Reform: Balance the Budget, Balance Our Priorities

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:04:00 PST

To balance the state budget, we need to balance our priorities. California is slashing funds for education and health care, while billions in prison spending remain untouched. If we stop sending people to prison for low level non-violent offenses, CA can free up hundreds of millions of dollars, and redirect these funds into education and social services, where the needs are greatest. The ACLU of California, along with the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, proposes two simple sentencing reforms to balance the scales of justice as we balance the budget.

Illinois Ends the Death Penalty—a Wake-up Call for California

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:04:00 PST

Ask the Experts! Free Speech in Schools

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:04:00 PST

Social media and other emerging technologies are fundamentally altering how students interact and express themselves in school. Staff Attorney Linda Lye explains the history of student free speech, and discusses technology's modern twist on the First Amendment.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia Takes a Stand Against the Death Penalty

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:03:00 PST

Connect With Us

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:03:00 PST

Like social networking? Love the ACLU of Northern California? Find out how to get updates from us across many different platforms. Let's be friends on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Google + and more.

Same-Sex Marriage: Why Should I Care?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:03:00 PST

Winning marriage for LGBT couples in California is essential to full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Same-sex couples deserve the same dignity and respect that heterosexual married couples enjoy. Marriage equality is a hallmark civil rights issue of our time.

This is What Democracy Looks Like

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:02:00 PST

The ACLU has championed the fundamental rights of unions to organize—the rights of associational freedom and freedom of speech—since its inception more than 90 years ago, beginning with efforts to counter the vehement anti-union crusades of the 1920s. Laws that inhibit workers' First Amendment rights have no place in our democracy. Indeed, our democracy is reinvigorated by people across the nation exercising their own First Amendment rights to protect this crucial principle—as recently happened on college campuses across California.

Video - Policías usan dinero en leyes migratorias

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:02:00 PST

Police practices with immigration consequences take a significant toll on local budgets and communities. Watch the ACLU-NC weigh in on Univision's national newscast on how local practices that target immigrant communities are harmful and costly to everyone.

Ver el video en espanol - Tus Derechos Ante la Policia

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:02:00 PST

La constitución de los EE.UU garantiza los derechos y las libertades fundamentals de todos, sin importar estatus migratorio. El video detalla el que hacer--y no hacer--si te enfrentas con la policía. El contenido del video solo aplica al estado de California. / The U.S. Constitution guarantees fundamental rights and liberties to all residents of this country, regardless of immigration status. This video has tips for what to do--and not do--if you are stopped by the police. The information in the video applies only to the state of California.

Campus Events

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:01:00 PST

Are you a college student, faculty or staff member who cares about social justice and civil rights? Then the ACLU Campaigns for Justice Tour is for you! Leanr more about when the Campaigns for Justice Tour is coming to a campus near you.

Community Events

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:01:00 PST

Are you a community activist who cares about social justice and civil rights? Then the ACLU Campaigns for Justice Tour is for you! Learn more about when the Campaigns for Justice Tour comes to a city near you.

Congress Passes Tax Law Allowing Donations from IRAs

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:01:00 PST

The 2010 tax law extends a previous provision allowing people who are 70 ½ or older to make tax-free transfers up to $100,000 from their IRAs to a charitable organization. If you have IRA assets you don’t need, consider contributing them, tax-free, to the ACLU Foundation.

2010 Death Penalty Year in Review

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:01:00 PST

2010 was a rollercoaster year for California’s death penalty. The year began with positive news that the world and the rest of the U.S. were seeing trends away from the death penalty and embracing alternatives such as permanent imprisonment. We in California unfortunately saw just the opposite– more death sentences, high rates of unsolved murder, more money spent on death penalty trials, visions of expanding death row, and dollars being moved from crime prevention programs, education budgets, and social services. These bleak realities only inspired us to work harder to advance our cause and getting our message out in 2010: it’s time to replace the death penalty in California with permanent imprisonment and save the state an estimated $1 billion in five years.

Prop 19 Was Only The Beginning

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:11:00 PST

California voters came out in droves to support Proposition 19 this November. More than 4.1 million people voted for Prop. 19, which would have allowed adults 21 and older to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for personal use and allow cities and counties to tax and regulate commercial sales. That’s more votes than Meg Whitman or Carly Fiorina garnered. Though the measure didn’t pass, the degree of support marks an undeniable leap forward in the movement to end marijuana prohibition. In the end, Prop. 19 achieved a higher percentage of "yes" votes (46%) than any state-level legalization measure on the ballot over the past decade.

Vote on November 2

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:10:00 PST

ACLU of Northern California positions on Propositions on the November 2 Ballot.

Let's Make It Better for LGBT Youth

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:10:00 PST

Your Rights, Your School is the ACLU in California's contribution to the Make it Better Project, which was launched in response to tragic suicides by LGBTQ youth in recent weeks. Youth have the right to a safe and supportive school environment. No one should suffer through bullying and harassment. Don't just wait for it to get better - let's make it better together! Your Rights, Your School: Inspired by the Make It Better Project, the ACLU's California Affiliates have released a new video on youth bullying and LGBTQ students' rights. A range of clients, youth activists, and staff remind LGBTQ youth in California that they have the right to a safe and supportive school environment. No one should suffer through bullying and harassment. Watch the video and spread the word - let's make it better together!

Ask the Experts! Marijuana Law Reform

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:10:00 PST

Drug law enforcement in the United States is a driving force behind most of the problems we see in the criminal justice system, including the incredible racial disparities. Department of Justice figures show that over 800,000 people are arrested in the U.S. for marijuana offenses each year.

When Will California Stop Shackling Pregnant Women?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:10:00 PST

On Sept. 27, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have ordered California county jails and prisons to stop shackling pregnant women. The bill, AB1900, required new guidelines on restraining pregnant women and would have encouraged counties to adopt these policies. It had overwhelming bipartisan support and passed the legislature without a single "no" vote.

Stop Next Week's Execution!

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

Despite the fact that there are still many unresolved legal issues related to the administration of lethal injection in California, the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) is pushing forward with plans to execute Albert Brown on Thursday, September 30th at 9:00 p.m. The CDCR's actions are hasty and we need your help to stop this execution from happening.

The Price-tag for 1 Death Penalty Case.

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

Honor or Memorial Gifts

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

Give a gift the ACLU in honor of a friend's birthday, a wedding, or in memory of a loved one, and protect freedom for future generations.

Video - Immigration Detainers: What They Are and How to Challenge Them

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

This video discusses immigration detainers in the context of the expansion of ICE partnerships with state and local law enforcement, limitations on immigration detainers, challenges to immigration detainers, and a current lawsuit in Sonoma County, California.

Protecting the Legal Rights of Immigrants

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

A man named Carlos was waiting at a bus stop in San Bernardino County one recent evening when officers stopped and questioned him “because he looked suspicious.” When Carlos was unable to show identification, the police arrested him. Carlos, who works as a janitor, has lived in the United States for 12 years and is married to a U.S. citizen, was jailed and slated for deportation. Carlos is among thousands of people in California who pose no threat to public safety but have been pulled into the criminal justice system unnecessarily, only to find themselves in immigration proceedings.

Your Rights & the Police

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:09:00 PST

Practical tips about interacting with police officers in California, with ''dos'' and ''don'ts'' sections about being stopped for questioning, stopped in your car, and being arrested or taken to a police station.

Moving Towards Rational Marijuana Policy: California ACLU Affiliates Endorse Prop 19

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:08:00 PST

Every year tens of thousands of people in California are arrested for simply possessing small amounts of marijuana. These arrests overload our already stressed courts and jails. California's Proposition 19 offers a remedy that will move marijuana policy in a direction that makes sense.

California's Military Women Support Our Freedom. Shouldn't We Support Theirs?

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:08:00 PST

The thousands of women California sends into military service are being deprived of the fundamental right to make pregnancy decisions because federal law prohibits almost all abortion services at U.S. military hospitals. To obtain safe, legal abortion care servicewomen must sometimes travel abroad (and arrange leave) or take their chances with an unsafe, illegal, local or self-induced abortion. Congress should end the ban on private funding of abortion at military facilities. Our Armed Services women deserve more from their country.

Is the FBI Spying on Muslims in California?

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:08:00 PST

Is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spying on Muslim communities in Berkeley, Fresno, Visalia, San Jose or other Northern California communities? We don't know. But the ACLU of Northern California is determined to find out.

Tus Derechos Ante La Policia

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:07:00 PST

La constitución de los EE.UU garantiza los derechos y las libertades fundamentals de todos, sin importar estatus migratorio. Siguiente hay unas recomendaciones básicas sobre el que hacer y no hacer si te enfrentas con la policia.

Cut This - The Death Penalty

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:06:00 PST

At a time of fiscal crisis, cutting the death penalty and replacing it with the swift and certain punishment of permanent imprisonment is a smart way to save money that can better be spent elsewhere—on programs that will actually improve public safety.

You Have the Right to Remain Silent - Only if You Speak Up

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:06:00 PST

You have the right to remain silent, but be sure to specifically tell police you want to talk to a lawyer and want to remain silent. In a 5-4 ruling June 1 in Berghuis v. Thompkins, the U.S. Supreme Court weakened long-standing protections against coercive police interrogations--Miranda warnings.

California's Sex Education Program: Ongoing Struggles Behind the Success Story

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:06:00 PST

California's policies have undeniably made a positive impact on sex education in the state. But, unfortunately, sex education advocates can't dust off our hands and move on. Many California public schools are still providing abstinence-only-until marriage programs, in spite of policies that forbid them.

The Legacy of Harvey Milk - Take a Stand for LGBTQ Students' Rights

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:05:00 PST

May 22, 2010 marks the first statewide Harvey Milk Day, recognizing the lifetime achievements of the first openly gay public official. In honor of his legacy, let's make sure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in California know that state law protects their rights at school. Tell Congress: Protect LGBTQ Students. Pass the Student Non-Discrimination Act. Get the essential guide on rights at school for LGBTQ youth in California.

Gang Injunctions Fact Sheet

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:05:00 PST

Gang injunctions are civil court orders that attempt to address crime by using a lower legal standard than required by the criminal justice system, resulting in serious civil liberties violations. Law enforcement use them as a tool to label people gang members and restrict their activities in a defined area. Gang injunctions make otherwise legal, everyday activities--such as riding the bus with a friend or picking a spouse up from work late at night--illegal for people they target.

Sample Letter to District Attorney - Seeks Death Penalty LESS

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:04:00 PST

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:07:00 PST

Wireless Silicon Valley

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:07:00 PST

Fri, 22 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

Levels of Engagement for Chapters - Marriage Equality

Fri, 22 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

Marriage Equality Talking Points

Fri, 22 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

Lesbian Student Teaches School District a Lesson

Tue, 19 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

For Rochelle Hamilton, starting high school was the beginning of relentless harassment from teachers and school staff because she’s openly gay. One teacher told her, "You're going to hell. This is a sin." After months of asking the school and the district to intervene—to no avail—Rochelle and her mom reached out to the ACLU for help. Together, we took on the school district—and won. ACLU-NC reached a settlement with the Vallejo School District, designed to combat anti-gay harassment and discrimination at all the district’s schools.

1st Person: Kill the Death Penalty

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

Listen as anti-death penalty activist and new grandmother Delane Sims sums up California's death penalty: it's arbitrary, biased, completely ineffective and unbelievably expensive. Sims explains how shifting our priorities can help end the cycle of violence in Oakland.

Two Takes On Illegal Immigration

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:04:00 PST

Listen as ACLU attorney Julia Harumi Mass shares what the ACLU has learned from records gathered on the activities of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. ICE agents have been going far beyond the agency's stated priority of targeting "criminal fugitives," instead sweeping up parents walking their kids to school and anyone living in or visiting the home -- or former home -- of a target.

New Report - Death in Decline '09

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:03:00 PST

As the United States moves away from death sentences to permanent imprisonment, California—particularly Los Angeles County—lags behind, according to a new report on the death penalty by the ACLU of Northern California.

Being Harassed About Your No on 8 Law Sign?

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:02:00 PST

Ongoing activism for marriage equality - like opposition to Proposition 8 itself - has been controversial in many parts of our state. Recently, we have heard reports that local police departments are asking No on 8 supporters to take down their election signs. You may not need to take down your sign! Learn more.

Six Books We Loved in 2008

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:01:00 PST

ACLU supporters tend to be critical thinkers, often with steady intrigue for the lessons of history and an eye to the ways that the exercise of power shapes human experience. To help fuel our collective knowledge base and inspire conversation, we asked a few booklovers among our current and former staff for a sampling of their "best picks" - books that they read in 2008 and wholeheartedly recommend. Each of the books reviewed below concerns themes related to freedom, liberty and dignity. We hope you enjoy them.

Marriage Equality and Beyond: ACLU-NC’s Ongoing Efforts after Proposition 8

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:12:00 PST

The ACLU of Northern California, LGBT rights groups, and many other civil rights groups were joined by tens of thousands of activists across the state in working tirelessly to defeat Proposition 8 in the November 2008 election. Sadly, the ballot measure passed by a narrow margin of 52 percent. If found valid, Proposition 8 would write discrimination into our Constitution by taking away the fundamental right to marry from a single group lesbian and gay Californians.

ACLU-NC Site User Agreement

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:11:00 PST

Welcome to the general website ("ACLU-NC Site") for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Northern California (collectively, "ACLU-NC"). The ACLU-NC Site is the website whose home page is located at www.aclunc.org and includes all web pages whose domain name contains the following: www.aclunc.org and some pages of secure.aclu.org where a link to this privacy statement exists. The ACLU-NC also operates other websites that don’t contain these domain names, such as www.trackedinamerica.org. This User Agreement does not apply to those websites (unless those websites specifically link to this User Agreement) and the terms of the user agreements for those other ACLU-NC websites may differ from the terms of this User Agreement. Additionally, this is not the user agreement for any blogs, forums or social networking sites where ACLU-NC has a presence that are on websites other than the ACLU-NC Site. This is not the user agreement for the websites of the national operations of the ACLU, The American Civil Liberties Union or the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (“ACLU National”) or for any ACLU local affiliates other than ACLU-NC, and you should refer to the user agreement on those organizations’ websites or contact those organizations to learn those websites’ terms of use. Please read this User Agreement carefully, including the ACLU-NC Online Privacy Statement. By using the ACLU-NC Site, you agree to follow the rules set forth on these web pages. From time to time we may revise this User Agreement including its Online Privacy Statement, so be sure to check these web pages occasionally. If we do make material changes, we will post a notice on our home page that the User Agreement has been modified and provide a link to the revised User Agreement. When you continue to use the ACLU-NC Site after we post a change, it means you agree to the new rules.

Parental Notification - Three strikes and you’re out!

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:11:00 PST

For the third time in four years, voters in California rejected a measure that would have endangered the health and safety of pregnant teenagers. Proposition 4 represents a third strike against mandatory parental notification laws and the harms they cause.

Friedman Youth Investigate - Visions of Justice and Equality in Schools

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:10:00 PST

For some the investigation was a shock; for others, an affirmation of personal experience.

But all the students who spent their summer exploring California’s embattled schools agreed on one thing: something has to change.

Renting While Black - Antioch Tenants Charge Police with Campaign of Intimidation

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:10:00 PST

All Mary Scott wanted was a quiet place to raise her girls. With high-ranking schools, low crime rates and plenty of affordable housing, Antioch seemed to fit the bill. That was before the police tried to run her out of town.

Taking Politics Personally - Peninsula Activists Collaborate to Defend Marriage Rights

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:10:00 PST

ACLU-NC is fortunate to have thousands of members and supporters on the Peninsula, so much so that two active chapters--North Peninsula (North Pen) and Mid Peninsula (Mid Pen)--span the region, bordered by the Santa Clara Valley Chapter to the south. Increasingly, North Pen and Mid Pen chapter activists have stepped it up to work together in coordinated efforts, especially with regard to the NO on 8/Equality for All Campaign.

Join the Lawyers Council

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

By joining the Lawyers Council, members of the northern California legal community make possible the impact litigation and regional public education programs undertaken by the ACLU-NC Foundation.

John Crew, Former ACLU-NC Interim Executive Director

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

John Crew, who served as Interim Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California from September 2008 to April 2009, has a connection to the ACLU that spans three decades.

A Mother's Fight to Keep Her Son Safe in School

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

"My greatest hope for Robby is that he will just grow up accepting and loving himself," said his mother, Tracy Martinazzi, who took on a school district -- and a way of thinking -- that allowed her son to be the victim of name-calling, taunts, and, finally, brutal physical abuse based on his sexual orientation.

Ending Anti-Gay Harassment on Campus

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

If school officials know about harassment or discrimination against an LGBT student, the law says they must take adequate measures to protect the youth. But that's not what happened in the case of Robby Martinazzi, who, since the third grade, was subjected to verbal taunting and physical abuse based on his sexual orientation. When the taunting culminated in a vicious attack on school grounds, Robby's family called the ACLU-NC. In June 2008, we reached a settlement with the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District that spells out steps the district will take to protect students from anti-gay harassment and discrimination.

Overturning School Expulsions

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

In March 2007, a group of African-American students from Antioch's Deer Valley High School were pepper-sprayed, handcuffed, and forcefully arrested for what can fairly be described as a minor incident near a shopping mall. Despite the facts that the incident occurred off campus and after school, and that the students did not violate the education code, the school district expelled them. The ACLU-NC and co-counsel sued on behalf of two of the students. In May 2008, a judge overturned the expulsions. Studies show that African-American students are suspended and expelled from schools at higher rates and for more minor offenses than their peers. Students who are suspended or expelled and transferred to other schools often get behind in their school work and are much more likely to drop out than their peers. This, in turn, leaves them more vulnerable to falling into the criminal justice system.

Safeguarding Equal Educational Opportunity in Modesto

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

Continuing our work with parents and community members to address unequal treatment of students of color in Modesto City Schools, we issued a report in 2007 highlighting key concerns and making policy recommendations to improve practices in the schools. Ultimately, the school board adopted several of the ACLU-NC's recommendations, including modifying the conduct code. Much of what our investigation found in Modesto mirrors what many students of color are experiencing in schools around the country. We continue to work with the Modesto school district to monitor the progress of the reforms and to push for additional changes.

Schools for All Campaign: Preventing Bias and Pushout

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

The Schools for All Campaign works to ensure that all children attend schools that are inclusive, respectful, and welcoming. In California and throughout the nation, students are being subjected to bias, harassment, and discrimination. The failure to address these experiences is leading to a dangerous trend: Youths stop engaging, misbehave, are disproportionally disciplined, and, ultimately, become so alienated that they choose to leave school or are forced out. The ACLU of Northern California has launched this multidisciplinary campaign aimed at keeping students in comprehensive schools that are supportive, safe, and equitable.

Stopping Abuse of Native-American Schoolchildren

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

No child should go to school worried about being injured by a school official. In October 2005, a campus police officer in the small eastern Sierra town of Bishop physically harmed several Native-American students, causing one to lose consciousness. An ACLU-NC investigation found that the incident was just part of a long and troubling history. After more than a year of negotiations, a groundbreaking settlement was reached with the Bishop Union Elementary School District that protects Native-American children from racial discrimination and harsher disciplinary treatment than their peers by school officials and campus police officers. “I hope this settlement will provide the positive learning environment that every child deserves,” said the grandmother of a 13-year-old boy who was thrown to the ground by a campus police officer.

Setting New Policies to Stem Racial Profiling in Fairfield Schools

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:08:00 PST

How would you feel if you were harassed by police just because of the color of your skin or the clothes you were wearing? That's what happened in March 2007 to a group of Latino students at Rodriquez High School when police officers came onto campus and accused them of being gang members, lined them up in front of their peers, and photographed them. "It was embarrassing," said then-sophomore Rosa Mares. "I felt afraid to go to school after that." The ACLU-NC helped the students' families reach a settlement with the city of Fairfield that provides for important reforms, including comprehensive new policies that outline student rights and standards for police conduct on campuses throughout the district. In addition, the Fairfield police chief and the high school principal sent an open letter to the school community clearing the reputations of the targeted students. The parents decided to pursue this comprehensive resolution to benefit all Fairfield families instead of taking their claims to court for damages.

No on 4 – How You Can Help

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:08:00 PST

Learn how you can help to defeat proposition 4 on the November 2008 ballot in California.

No on 4 – Learn More

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:08:00 PST

Proposition 4 would amend the state constitution to require parents to be notified or for the teenager to obtain approval from a judge - both of which could dangerously delay pregnant teenagers’ ability to receive counseling and medical care... Topics covered: Government Can’t Mandate Good Family Communication, Prop 4 is More Dangerous , and The Harmful Impact on Teens

Vote No on Prop 4 - Keep Teens Safe

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:08:00 PST

For the third time in four years, opponents of legal abortion are attempting to restrict teenagers’ access to abortion. Proposition 4 is similar to two ballot measures that voters wisely struck down in recent years - Prop 85 in 2006 and Prop 73 in 2005. Like them, Prop 4 would amend the state constitution to require parents to be notified or for the teenager to obtain approval from a judge - both of which could dangerously delay pregnant teenagers’ ability to receive counseling and medical care.

Enacting Justice: 2008 Legislative Priorities

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:06:00 PST

In the second year of a two-year legislative session, the ACLU-NC’s top priorities reflect our sense that even in a tight budget year, we can gain ground in a number of our core areas. The following bills call for stemming wrongful convictions, ensuring access to disaster-relief services, and protecting Californians from increasing violations of personal privacy. Included below are new bills as well as familiar bills that stalled or failed in prior years.

Same-Sex Couples Not the First to Face Marriage Discrimination

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:06:00 PST

The memory of another monumental day in court, 60 years earlier, hung over the March 4 hearings on marriage equality, and not just because the famous Perez v. Sharp decision was invoked repeatedly by lawyers.

California Declares Marriage Equality for All

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

Today is the day we’ve been working for—a watershed for basic fairness and human dignity. The California Supreme Court has recognized that equality means that everyone must be free to marry the person they love.

Profound social change starts in California, and does not end here. It influences the rest of the nation. Today’s decision means that Californians will extend the franchise of fairness to gay and lesbian couples who enter into the committed, loving relationship we call “marriage.” And this decision will take its rightful historic place alongside those that have formally recognized what we, as Americans, have always aspired to: a more perfect, more egalitarian union of free people, free to choose our destiny, including whom to marry.

Fresno Homeless Case: Synopses of Plaintiffs Declarations

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

National Security Letters

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

The government uses National Security Letters (NSLs) to demand access to sensitive records in the custody of Internet service providers, financial institutions, credit reporting agencies, and many other kinds of organizations. In almost all cases, recipients of the NSLs are served with gag orders that prohibit them from disclosing that they have received the letters.

The Internet Archive

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

The Internet Archive is a digital library, founded in 1996 with the purpose of offering permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format. Internet Archive's collections includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages.

The Truth Behind the Camouflage

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:03:00 PST

Twenty-three high school-aged young people from northern California spent eight days last summer investigating a civil liberties topic of their choice: the myths and truths of military recruitment and military service. The result is an empathic, impassioned, evocative series of essays, poems, photographs and drawings titled “The Truth Behind the Camouflage.”

San Francisco and the Marriage Cases: Legal Documents

ACLU and California Marriage Equality Cases: A Brief History

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

A a brief history of the California Marriage cases. ACLU, Lambda Legal, Heller Ehrman, the Law Office of David Codell, and lead counsel National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) are representing a group of committed gay and lesbian couples denied the ability to marry in California.

No Equal Justice in Jena

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Student and Parent "Know Your Rights" Materials on School Discipline

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Short guides (.pdf) on what you or your child's rights are under California state and federal law.

More Than Levees Need Mending in the Gulf Coast

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Does Torture Pay?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Students Seek the Truth Behind the Camouflage

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Order "Your Health, Your Rights"

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

Thank you for your interest in our “Your Health, Your Rights” brochures that provide comprehensive reproductive rights information to teenagers in California. These free brochures provide information about teens’ legal rights and options as well as give contact information for organizations that provide youth services. Use this form to order the information in English or Spanish.

Your Health, Your Rights (Spanish)

Facts About Recent Gang Injunctions

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:07:00 PST

Injunctions against alleged criminal street gangs started in California in the 1980s as an attempt to curtail the harmful activities of gangs in specific areas. Since then, the gangs that have been targeted by injunctions are invariably black and Latino, and in low-income neighborhoods, raising serious concerns that injunctions are another form of racial profiling.

Invest More in Education, Not Incarceration

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:06:00 PST

Frequently Asked Questions about Copley Press and SB 1019

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:06:00 PST

SB1019 is endorsed by the following individuals and organizations:

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:06:00 PST

Articles and Editorials

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:06:00 PST

Maya Harris, Post Newspaper Columns

Wed, 02 May 2007 12:05:00 PST

Bill Supports Ex-Prisoners Return to Normal Lives

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:04:00 PST

ACLU Introduces Legislation to Provide Equal Educational Opportunity

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:04:00 PST

Execute Justice, End the Death Penalty

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:04:00 PST

Too Many Wrongful Convictions in California

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 12:04:00 PST

Black Men Barred from the Ballot Box

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:03:00 PST

Court Bans San Quentin's Secret Execution Procedures

Sat, 01 Mar 1997 12:03:00 PST

Upholding the First Amendment right to witness California's executions, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled on February 28, that public witnesses - including the media - have a constitutionally protected right to observe executions. [Story from March/April 1997 ACLU News.]

North Carolina Wants to Know What You Bought from Amazon

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:04:00 PST

Ann Brick, staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, discusses the ACLU v. AT&T and Verizon Cases

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:02:00 PST

Since September 11, 2001, the telephone companies have been providing the NSA with customers' records, including phone numbers for incoming and outgoing calls, and time, date, and duration of each call. This information was turned over without customers’ knowledge or consent, and without any court order, warrant, or other proper legal process. The three California ACLU affiliates (Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego & Imperial Counties) filed the lawsuits on behalf of 17 individual plaintiffs and more than 100,000 ACLU members statewide. Podcast is of Ann Brick, staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, discussing the these lawsuits (via telephone).

Closure Myth

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:01:00 PST

Kincaid v. City of Fresno

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:10:00 PST

Video footage of City of Fresno employees confiscating (and trashing) the property of homeless people.

The Faces of Wrongful Conviction: Racial Disparities and the Death Penalty

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:08:00 PST

From The Faces of Wrongful Conviction, a conference examining California justice gone wrong.

The Faces of Wrongful Conviction: Where Do We Go From Here?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:08:00 PST

From The Faces of Wrongful Conviction, a conference examining California justice gone wrong.

Shaffy Moeel

Wed, 10 May 2006 12:05:00 PST

Interview with Shaffy Moeel, Friedman Project Activist.

Margaret Russell

Tue, 09 May 2006 12:05:00 PST

Interview with Margaret Russell, former ACLU-NC Board Chair.

Jim Hormel

Mon, 08 May 2006 12:05:00 PST

Interview with Jim Hormel, philanthropist and ACLU Supporter.

Eveline Chang

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 12:04:00 PST

Interview with Eveline Chang, Friedman Project Director

Faces of Wrongful Conviction: Executing the Innocent: Compelling New Evidence in Three Execution Cases (PART I)

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:02:00 PST

From The Faces of Wrongful Conviction, a conference examining California justice gone wrong.

Faces of Wrongful Conviction: Executing the Innocent: Compelling New Evidence in Three Execution Cases (PART II)

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 12:02:00 PST

From The Faces of Wrongful Conviction, a conference examining California justice gone wrong.

Past Event: Close Guantanamo Volunteer Activist Night

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:01:00 PST

On Tuesday, Jan. 8, more than 70 activists from around the Bay Area gathered at the ACLU of Northern California in San Francisco to demand the close of the Guantánamo Bay detention center.

Past Event: Bill of Rights Day 2007 Featuring Harry Belafonte

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:12:00 PST

On Dec. 9, ACLU-NC celebrated the Bill of Rights with more than 500 guests at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco.

Press Conference: 5-30-2007

Press Conference: 4-26-2006

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:04:00 PST

Uelian de Abadia-Peixoto, et al. vs. United States Department of Homeland Security, et al.

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:12:00 PST

The ACLU-NC, the LCCR, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati filed a class action suit against the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency on behalf of adult immigration detainees, all of whom appear in immigration court shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles, regardless of their history or capacity for disruption.

Committee for Immigrant Rights of Sonoma County et al. v. County of Sonoma et al.

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:12:00 PST

The ACLU-NC filed a lawsuit in September 2008 charging that the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been collaborating beyond the law to target, arrest, and detain Latino residents of Sonoma County. For three years sheriff deputies and ICE agents have stopped and searched people who appear to be Latino, interrogated them about their immigration status, and detained them in the county jail without lawful authority. The lawsuit charges that the actions by the local sheriff and ICE violated constitutional guarantees of due process, equal protection, and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, and that the Sheriff's Department acted beyond its authority in enforcing federal immigration law.

Benjamin Brown, et al., v. Shasta Union High School District, et al.

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:09:00 PST

Join the math team, take a drug test. That was the rule at the Shasta Union High School District, which enacted a policy requiring students to submit to random drug testing in order to participate in any school-sponsored activities, including choir, the science bowl, and the mock trial team. Mandatory suspicionless school drug testing, an approach promoted with fervor by the Bush Administration, violates students' right to privacy.

ACLU and SF Bay Guardian v. Food and Drug Administration

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:08:00 PST

On January 4, 2011, The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and The San Francisco Bay Guardian (The Guardian) submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FDA seeking records related to the federal government’s role in assisting – or failing to oversee – efforts by states to acquire controlled substances from outside the United States to carry out executions. While the FDA has provided some responsive documents, the FDA has failed to produce documents that would shed light on the agency’s shifting positions, and heavily redacted many of the documents produced to date.

Harris v. LADA

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:05:00 PST

The office of District Attorney Steve Cooley has failed to disclose public documents on the costs of prosecuting Harvard Law School. The lawsuit is for public records on expenses related capital cases, according to a lawsuit filed today by the ACLU on behalf of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice (CHHIRJ) at to homicide cases, and discretionary spending generally, by the D.A. of California's most populous – and murderous – county.

ACLU and SF Bay Guardian v. Drug Enforcement Administration

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:04:00 PST

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and The San Francisco Bay Guardian (The Guardian) filed a preliminary injunction motion on April 28, asking the court to order the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to disclose records regarding the worldwide scramble for execution drugs by state prison officials. The ACLU-NC and The Guardian filed a federal lawsuit on Friday, April 22, 2011, to enforce a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which the DEA had ignored for nearly four months. The suit was filed after Arizona and Nebraska set execution dates intending to use imported drugs of questionable legality and quality.

ACLU, Asian Law Caucus, SF Bay Guardian v. FBI

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:02:00 PST

Following reports of anxiety and fear over FBI surveillance tactics in Muslim communities, the ACLU of Northern California joined with the Asian Law Caucus and the San Francisco Bay Guardian in 2010 to file a Freedom of Information Act request in order to understand the scope of the FBI's activities, including the infiltration of Muslim communities and mosques through the use of informants. The ACLU and our partners are concerned that the FBI's tactics have a chilling effect on the right to worship freely, and that the use of race-based criteria for targeting purposes invites unconstitutional racial profiling by law enforcement.

ACLU v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:01:00 PST

The ACLU-NC filed a suit to demand records from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) about its mysterious acquisition of sodium thiopental, a controlled substance used as part of California's lethal injection protocol for executing death row inmates.

Perry v. Schwarzenegger

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:10:00 PST

On July 8, 2009, ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights — representing LGBT community organizations Our Family Coalition, Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, and PFLAG — filed a motion to intervene in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry. The motion to intervene was denied on August 19, 2009.

Latif v. Holder

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:08:00 PST

The ACLU and its affiliates in Oregon, Southern California, Northern California, and New Mexico have filed a legal challenge on behalf of ten U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who cannot fly to or from the United States or over U.S. airspace because they are on the "No Fly List"—a component of the government's watch list system. None of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including a disabled veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, a U.S. Army veteran, and a U.S. Airforce veteran, have been told why they are on the list or given a meaningful chance to clear their names. Yet, they have been prevented from visiting relatives, accessing employment and educational opportunities, and—for those stranded abroad—returning home to their families, jobs, and needed medical care in the United States.

Haskell v. Brown

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:07:00 PST

ACLU-NC filed a lawsuit in federal court on Oct. 7, 2009 seeking to stop California's policy of mandating that DNA is collected from anyone arrested for a felony, whether or not they are ever charged or convicted. The policy is a result of Proposition 69, which was enacted by voters in 2004 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2009.

ACLU to School District: Students Have First Amendment Right to Wear U.S. Flag

Mon, 10 May 2010 12:05:00 PST

The ACLU of Northern California has written the attached letter to Morgan Hill Unified School District in response to media reports regarding students at Live Oak High School being prohibited from wearing American flag t-shirts to school on May 5, 2010. The letter criticizes the school's censorship of the students' patriotic expression in light of student speech rights under the First Amendment and California law.

People v. Gallego

Wed, 05 May 2010 12:05:00 PST

Should the police be able to follow you around and collect and analyze your DNA from something you discard, without a warrant or even a reason to believe you have committed a crime? Many police departments throughout the United States believe they have the authority to do just that. In this amicus brief, we argue that analyzing a person's DNA under these circumstances implicates the values protected by the Fourth Amendment and therefore that the Constitution limits the authority of the police to engage in such tactics.

ACLU Calls on UC Berkeley to Respect Constitutional Rights in Student Disciplinary Process

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:04:00 PST

On April 6, 2010, the ACLU of Northern California sent a letter to U.C. Berkeley, criticizing its handling of discipline against students involved in on-campus protests on December 11, 2009. Students were issued overbroad suspensions that limited even their off-campus communications with members of the University community, in violation of the rights to free association and speech, and the University’s disciplinary procedures fell short of constitutionally-required due process.

In re E.J., S.P., J.S., K.T., et al on Habeas Corpus

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:02:00 PST

Can the state retroactively enforce Proposition 83's residency restrictions against sex offenders who committed their offenses before the law went into effect? In November 2006, California passed Proposition 83, which made it unlawful for a registered sex offender to live within 2000 feet of a school or a park. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation decided to start enforcing the law against anybody with a sex offense on his or her record who was in prison for any reason on or after the day the law passed. In October 2007, the Prison Law Office filed a petition in the California Supreme Court asking the court to declare that the residency restrictions in their entirety were unconstitutional. The ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief in support of the petition, arguing that the department is improperly applying the residency restrictions to people who committed their offenses before the law took effect.

People v. Milligan

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:02:00 PST

This case brings to light some of the ACLU-NC’s concerns about a state law that makes it unlawful for a registered sex offender to live within 2,000 feet of a school or park. We argue that by applying the law to people who committed their crimes before the law went into effect, the state of California is advancing an overbroad interpretation that violates the state Constitution and the intent of the voters.

Darensburg v. MTC

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:01:00 PST

On November 23, 2009, the ACLU-NC and civil rights allies filed an amicus brief in Darensburg v. Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Plaintiffs argued that MTC, the planning body for all twenty-six independent transit operators in the Bay Area, consistently under-funded AC Transit, a bus line with high minority ridership, in comparison to other transit systems like BART, with lower minority ridership.

Associated General Contractors of America v. California Department of Transportation

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:10:00 PST

On September 14, 2009 ACLU-NC and civil rights allies filed a motion to intervene in Associated General Contractors of America v. California Department of Transportation. The lawsuit, currently pending in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, was brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation and seeks to dismantle support Caltrans' Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program . DBE aims to give minority and women-owned businesses equal opportunity to compete for federal contracts. The ACLU-NC motion to intervene was filed on behalf of small businesses led by women and people of color who support DBE program and oppose the lawsuit.

People of the State of California vs. Norteño

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:09:00 PST

On June 29, 2009 ACLU-NC submitted an amicus brief in The People of the State of California vs. Norteño, urging the Solano County Superior Court to limit the overly broad scope of a gang injunction proposed by the City of Fairfield. The ACLU-NC brief expressed concerns with several aspects of the injunction, including the potential for racial profiling and the ability of the police to serve the injunction on an individual without presenting clear and convincing evidence of gang membership and without court approval. On July 24, 2009, a preliminary injunction was granted, and a number of ACLU-NC's recommendations were adopted.

Strauss v. Horton

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:08:00 PST

On Nov. 5, 2008, ACLU-NC, along with the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Lambda Legal, filed a writ petition in the California Supreme Court challenging the validity of Proposition 8. Proposition 8, passed by a narrow majority of California voters in the November 2008 election, purports to amend California's Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Equality California and six couples who did not marry before the election but would like to be able to marry now.

AFL-CIO et al. v. Chertoff et al.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:07:00 PST

On August 28, 2007, the AFL-CIO, San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Central Labor Council for Alameda County filed suit to enjoin defendant officials of the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), Immigration Customs and Enforcement, and the Social Security Administration ("SSA") from implementing a DHS regulation promulgated August 15, 2007. The rule created a new standard for employer liability based on inaction in response to a Social Security "no-match" letter, which was formerly treated merely as notice of a clerical or other error in the employee's, employer's or SSA's records. The new rule's suggestion that employers can and should terminate the employment of employees who are unable to resolve such errors within 93 days of receiving the letter created widespread concern about anti-immigrant discrimination in employment and unnecessary and unjust terminations.

Rochelle H. v. Vallejo City Unified School District

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:06:00 PST

On May 18, 2009, ACLU-NC announced a settlement with the Vallejo City Unified School District on behalf of Rochelle Hamilton, a high school student who faced anti-gay harassment from teachers and school staff. The settlement is designed to combat harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity at all the district's schools, and includes district-wide anti-harassment training for students and staff.

San Leandro Teachers Association and California Teachers Association v. Governing Board of the San Leandro Unified School District, San Leandro Unified School District, Christine Lim and Mike Hernandez

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:06:00 PST

Can a school district employer censor political messages concerning the local school board election in a teachers newsletter distributed through school district employee mailboxes? Our amicus brief in support of the teachers association argued that the California Supreme Court should follow its tradition of providing broader speech protection than the U.S. Constitution and, in particular, that it should apply a functional compatibility test, rather than the federal public forum analysis. Under a functional compatibility test, the teachers union's use of the mailboxes would be protected because the newsletters and their political content would not be incompatible with the District's own use of employee mailboxes.

ACLU of Northern California v. City of Fresno

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:05:00 PST

In February 2009, a Fresno television newscast aired a video of a police officer repeatedly punching Glen Beaty, a homeless man, as two officers took him into custody. In the video, Beaty does not appear to be struggling, resisting, or doing anything else that could warrant this level of force: he is lying on the ground as one officer holds his arm and the other punches him in the head. His arms are behind his back when the officer delivers a final blow to the back of his head.

International Society of Krishna Consciousness of California v. City of Los Angeles

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:04:00 PST

Should the California Supreme Court apply the federal forum doctrine or the "incompatible use" test to evaluate solicitation restrictions at the Los Angeles International Airport under the California Constitution's Liberty of Speech Clause? This case presents an opportunity to urge the California Supreme Court to continue its departure from the limits of First Amendment jurisprudence in the federal courts.

Mohamed v. Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc.

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:04:00 PST

In a historic decision on April 21, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reinstated our landmark lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan Inc. for its role in the Bush administration's unlawful extraordinary rendition program. The court ruled that cases like this one may not be dismissed on the grounds that "the very subject matter" of the lawsuit is a state secret. Rather, the government must invoke the state secrets privilege with respect to specific evidence, on an item-by-item basis. The Government and Jeppesen have now asked the Ninth Circuit to have an 11-member panel of judges rehear the case en banc. We are awaiting the court's decision as to whether it will grant the request.

Parkmerced Investors v. Does 1-18

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:02:00 PST

Moving to protect the free speech rights of anonymous online posters, the ACLU of Northern California filed a motion on Nov. 19, 2008 asking a San Francisco federal court to reject two landlords' attempt to require a website to identify people who had posted anonymous criticisms of their apartment complexes. The motion was jointly filed with Public Citizen. We further sought to have the landlords' entire complaint dismissed as a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation).

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children v. Bowen

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:01:00 PST

Throughout California, thousands of people are not allowed to vote because they are on parole for such statutory felonies as drug offenses and shoplifting. And while African-Americans constitute less than 7% of California's adult population, in 2006 they were approximately 28% of all those disenfranchised as a result of being in prison or on parole for a felony. The ACLU-NC and the Impact Fund filed an amicus brief in the CA Court of Appeal in the case Legal Services for Prisoners with Children v. Bowen, outlining the breadth and implications of disproportionate disenfranchisement of people of color.

Ahmadi v. Chertoff

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:12:00 PST

Seeking to address years-long delays in the processing of citizenship applications, the ACLU-NC and other civil rights organizations filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government for its violation of the Constitution and federal law. Ahmadi v. Chertoff sought to enforce federal laws that require the government to decide a citizenship application within 120 days of the naturalization test.

Maternal and Child Health Access v. Department of Health Care Services

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:12:00 PST

On Dec. 16, 2008, the San Francisco Superior Court struck down a state law requiring that low-income working women must have resided in California for at least six months before becoming eligible to receive prenatal and other medical care services through California's Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) insurance program.

Kebin Reyes v. Alcantar

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:09:00 PST

A settlement was finalized September 16 between the ACLU-NC and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) in its case involving Kebin Reyes, a U.S. citizen who was six years old when he was illegally detained for ten hours by immigration officials. We argued that Kebin’s constitutional rights were violated when he was taken from his home in San Rafael during a raid in which ICE officials arrested his father, who is from Guatemala.

Legal Services for Prisoners with Children; Immigrant Legal Resource Center; and Asian Law Caucus v. California Department of Corrections

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:07:00 PST

The California corrections department is using underground, non-public guidelines, rather than lawful regulations, to decide whether to transfer California prisoners to other states as far away as Mississippi and Tennessee. This means that inmates and their families do not know how the prisons decide whom to transfer. It also leaves open the possibility that prison officials are using arbitrary and subjective judgments regarding race, ethnicity, and immigration status to transfer inmates thousands of miles from their families. The ACLU-NC is representing three advocacy groups in seeking to require that the prison system follow the law and make these crucial decisions using fixed, public rules, developed with input from the public.

Kincaid v. City of Fresno

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:07:00 PST

A Federal judge approved a historic $2.35 million class action settlement to hundreds of Fresno's homeless residents. United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger had previously ordered that the City and the California Department of Transportation had violated homeless residents' constitutional rights in the practice of immediately seizing and destroying personal property. Throughout a two-year period City employees had conducted a number of raids in areas where homeless people live, indiscriminately seizing and immediately destroying clothing, medication, tents and blankets, as well as irreplaceable personal possessions such as family photographs.

Williams et al. v. City of Antioch

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:07:00 PST

The ACLU and co-counsel filed a class action lawsuit in federal court July 16, 2008, charging that the city of Antioch and its police department are engaged in a concerted campaign of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination against African Americans who receive federally funded Section 8 housing rent assistance. The lawsuit charges violations of state and federal laws, including the Fair Housing Act; the Fourth Amendment; and the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits intentional discrimination on the basis of race. It seeks an injunction against the city of Antioch to force it to stop its targeting of African-American tenants.

Settlement Protects Students from Anti-Gay Harassment

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:06:00 PST

The ACLU-NC reached a settlement with a Lake County school district that contains a series of steps the district will undertake to protect students from anti-gay harassment and discrimination. The agreement is on behalf of a student who was persistently subjected to verbal taunting and physical abuse based on his sexual orientation. The ACLU-NC sought this settlement, reached without a lawsuit with the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District, in light of federal and state laws that allow for school administrators to be held liable if they fail to take adequate measures to remedy anti-LGBT harassment and discrimination.

ACLU-NC & Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area v. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:06:00 PST

ACLU-NC and co-counsel filed a lawsuit on June 2, 2008, to compel U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to comply with a request for documents under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The FOIA request stems from concerns over alleged violations of law and due process during immigration raids in Northern California since May 2006. Despite repeated assurances from ICE staff, the agency has failed to provide any records since documents were first requested in March 2007.

In re Marriage Cases

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the state to ban same-sex couples from civil marriage. The ACLU-NC and co-counsel represent a group of committed lesbian and gay couples as well as two non-profit organizations, Equality California and Our Family Coalition. Our co-counsel are the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David C. Codell.

N.P. and M.H. v. Antioch Unified School District

Wed, 07 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

Does a school district have the authority to expel students based on an incident involving a school resource officer that occurred off campus and after school? A Contra Costa County Superior Court ruled in May 2008 that the Antioch Unified School District violated the rights of two students when it expelled them from school following an off-campus incident in which police officers pepper-sprayed the students and forcefully arrested them. The judge overturned the expulsions. The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and Berkeley attorney Jivaka Candappa sued the district on behalf of the students, arguing that it lacked the authority to expel the students based on the incident, and that the students' due process rights were violated during the expulsion hearings.

Internet Archive v. Mukasey

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:05:00 PST

On November 26, 2007, the FBI served a National Security Letter (NSL) on the Internet Archive, a digital library. The letter sought personal information about one of the Archive's users, including the individual's name, address, and any electronic communication transactional records pertaining to the user. The NSL also included a gag order, prohibiting the Archive and its counsel from revealing the existence of the letter.

School District Changes Its Unconstitutional Cell Phone Search Policy

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:04:00 PST

In response to a March 3, 2007, letter from the ACLU-NC, the Linden Unified School District has agreed not to read private text messages stored on students’ cell phones unless there is good reason to believe that the search will provide evidence that the student was violating the law or breaking a school rule. The district’s new policy also limits the scope of the search to the alleged infraction leading to the seizure of the cell phone.

Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommate.com

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:04:00 PST

Two Southern California fair housing organizations sued Roomate.com, an Internet-based roommate matching service, arguing that the website must be held responsible for postings on the site that violate federal fair housing laws. Roommate.com argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects websites from liability for content posted by third parties, gives it complete immunity from suit. After agreeing to have the case re-heard en banc, the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion that holds housing websites accountable for their own actions that violate the fair housing laws but sustains the important free speech protections of section 230 by holding that housing websites may not be held liable for the discriminatory comments of users of the site. The ACLU-NC filed a friend of the court brief urging the court to carefully separate content and conduct by Roommate.com from that of the individuals who use its service.

San Francisco Gang Injunctions

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:03:00 PST

The ACLU-NC has historically opposed civil gang injunctions because of their unfair impact on civil liberties, their potential for racial profiling, and due process concerns. In September 2006, the City Attorney of San Francisco sought the city's first civil gang injunction in the Bayview neighborhood. On June 21, 2007, the city filed two new gang injunction cases, targeting the Mission and Western Addition neighborhoods. The ACLU-NC filed amicus briefs in all three cases, first successfully bringing the court's attention to due process concerns in the Bayview case and then raising concerns about excessive breadth, vagueness, and racial profiling in the two following cases . However, the San Francisco Superior Court ultimately issued injunctions in all three cases. In order to make these injunctions as fair as possible, the ACLU-NC and LCCR worked with the City Attorney to develop a process so that people who are not active gang members can seek removal from the gang injunction enforcement list. This process, which includes a periodic review of the underlying need for each injunction, will now be implemented by the City Attorney.

ACLU v. AT&T and Verizon

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:03:00 PST

In May 2006, the three California ACLU affiliates sued AT&T and Verizon Communications on behalf of their members and a distinguished group of plaintiffs, including former member of Congress Tom Campbell, noted criminal defense attorney Dennis Riordan, other defense attorneys, journalists, and members of the clergy and the medical profession. The suits allege that AT&T and Verizon have been turning over confidential customer calling records to the National Security Agency in violation of state constitutional and statutory provisions. The lawsuits are part of a much larger group of lawsuits filed across the country against the telephone companies that gave the NSA access to the calling records and contents of the electronic communications of millions of their customers. Those lawsuits have now all been consolidated in federal district court in San Francisco. The government has asked the court to dismiss these cases, arguing that letting the truth out about how the telephone companies help the government spy on innocent Americans will harm national security. Those motions are currently under submission.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. LTD. v. Wikileaks

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:03:00 PST

The ACLU of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) successfully defended the First Amendment when they persuaded a federal district court judge in San Francisco to dissolve an order requiring a domain registrar to shut down the domain name Wikileaks.org in a dispute over documents allegedly posted on the site by a former employee of Swiss Bank Julius Baer.

ACLU Prompts State Hospitals to Halt Forced Medication of Patients

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:10:00 PST

In May 2007, the ACLU of Northern California and Protection and Advocacy, Inc., a statewide disability rights organization, issued a letter to the California Department of Mental Health stating our concern that the state hospital system was forcibly drugging patients who have been tried for crimes and were found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Sheehan v. San Francisco 49ers

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:10:00 PST

Should San Francisco 49ers' fans have to give up their privacy as the price of admission to the game? Dan and Kathleen Sheehan think the answer is no and have a filed a lawsuit challenging the 49er's requirement, instituted in 2005, that requires every man, woman, and child attending a 49ers home game to submit to a pat-down search of their bodies. On March 2, 2009, the California Supreme Court rejected the 49ers' claim that because our clients knew of the 49ers' pat-down policy at the time they renewed their season tickets, they "consented" to the searches and therefore could not challenge the practice. The case now goes back to San Francisco Superior Court where the 49ers will be required to prove that pat-downs are justified.

ACLU Protects Native American Children in Landmark School Settlement

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:09:00 PST

On September 12, Bishop Union Elementary School District (BUESD) agreed to a groundbreaking settlement that will protect Native American children from racial discrimination and harsh disciplinary treatment after nearly two years of negotiations between the school district, Native American parents, and the ACLU of Northern California.

Scott et al. v. Napa Valley Unified School District et al.

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:07:00 PST

On March 19, 2007, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California filed in Napa Superior Court on behalf of five families, seeking judicial relief from an unconstitutionally vague, overbroad and restrictive dress code enforced by Redwood Middle School and the Napa Valley Unified School District.

People v. Broderick Boys

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:04:00 PST

The District Attorney of Yolo County in late December 2004 sought a permanent injunction against the Broderick Boys “gang,” attempting to place on permanent probation, without any trial or due process, hundreds of residents of a predominantly Latino neighborhood in West Sacramento. In July 2005, the ACLU-NC filed a motion to set aside the permanent injunction for lack of notice, which the judge denied. The ACLU-NC appealed, filing the final brief in that appeal in June 2006. On April 23, 2007, the California Court of Appeal agreed with the ACLU-NC and voided the permanent injunction imposed on the so-called Broderick Boys gang.

ACLU Victorious in Defense of Online Free Speech

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:03:00 PST

A federal district court on Thursday ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union’s longstanding challenge to an Internet censorship law. Although the law was enacted in 1998, courts immediately forbade the government from enforcing it because it suppressed a substantial amount of constitutionally protected speech. In ACLU v Gonzales, the ACLU sued on behalf of its members, including San Francisco’s own Lawrence Ferlinghetti, co-founder of City Lights Bookstore, which maintains a Web site.

Zhang v. Gonzales

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:02:00 PST

The ACLU of Northern California, the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, the Asian Law Caucus and the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a class action lawsuit challenging the United States Custom and Immigration Services' (USCIS) failure to process citizenship applications within a reasonable time period. The lawsuit is based on federal laws that require timely processing of immigration benefits applications, including a provision which allows individuals to go to court if USCIS takes more than 120 days after completing the naturalization examination.

Berkeley Police Association v. City of Berkeley

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 12:10:00 PST

The Berkeley Police Association is seeking to shut down the open public hearing process that has made Berkeley's Police Review Commission (PRC) a model for the nation since its creation in 1973. In the wake of the recent Copley Press v. San Diego County decision (which severely limits public access to the disciplinary records of police officers), the police association is hoping to exclude the public from the Police Review Commission process. The ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief in support of the City of Berkeley's defense of an open civilian process.

People of the State of California v. Oakdale Mob

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 12:09:00 PST

In response to the City's first request for a civil injunction against an alleged gang in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood, the ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief on October 17, 2006 asking the Court to deny the City Attorney's request for preliminary injunction at the scheduled October 30, 2006 hearing. The ACLU-NC asked the Court to continue the hearing and to direct the City to provide constitutionally adequate notice to all the individuals whom it is targeting so that they may have the opportunity to appear in Court and contest the allegations against them before issuing a preliminary injunction.

League of Women Voters of California v. McPherson

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:08:00 PST

The ACLU-NC filed League of Women Voters v. McPherson to restore the voting rights of over 145,000 Californians (mostly young men of color with non-violent felony convictions), who were recently disenfranchised by the Attorney General. The Attorney General's opinion challenged by the ACLU-NC states that individuals in jail as a condition of felony probation cannot vote, contrary to the language and legislative history of the California Constitution which disenfranchise only people in prison or on parole.

United States v. Jamison

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:08:00 PST

The ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief arguing that the government violates the Sixth Amendment and attorney-client privilege when it records telephone calls between a pre-trial detainee and his lawyer and then provides the recordings to the prosecution team.

Pacific News Service v. Cate

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:08:00 PST

Does California's three-drug execution protocol for capital punishment violate the public and the media's First Amendment rights because it conceals important information? The three-drug combination includes: first, sodium pentothal, a short-acting barbiturate; second, pancuronium bromide, which paralyzes all voluntary muscles; third, potassium chloride, which causes cardiac arrest. The Pacific News Service (PNS) says the second drug, pancuronium, is a chemical curtain serving no legitimate purpose in the execution and only masks any pain or suffering inflicted on the inmate by the potassium chloride. In an earlier ACLU case, CFAC v. Woodford, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2002 held that the prison's use of an actual curtain to hide the condemned inmate from spectators during the first part of California's first lethal injection "was motivated at least in part by a desire to conceal the harsh reality of executions from the public." On behalf of the PNS, the ACLU-NC filed a lawsuit in March 2006 raising a constitutional challenge to the three-drug execution protocol and seeking a permanent injunction to stop the Department of Corrections and San Quentin State Prison from using pancuronium bromide, also known as Pavulon.

Joshua Wolf v. United States of America

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:07:00 PST

A federal grand jury issued a subpoena seeking the unpublished portions of a journalist's videotape of a political demonstration. The journalist refused to hand over the material, asserting his First Amendment rights. The ACLU-NC filed amicus briefs arguing that a journalist does have a qualified First Amendment privilege in such circumstances and that a court must balance the reporter's and the public's interest in effective newsgathering versus the government's interest in compelling disclosure.

ACLU v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:06:00 PST

Is the US Government lawfully implementing its deportation program targeting non-citizen sex offenders?

Cheema v. Thompson

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 12:06:00 PST

Baptized Sikh students are permitted to wear symbolic ceremonial knives to school.

Velazquez v. Henderson

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 12:06:00 PST

Without any trial or due process, hundreds of West Sacramento residents of a predominantly Latino neighborhood were served a permanent "gang" injunction. In addition to challenging this injunction in a separate case, California v. Broderick Boys, the ACLU-NC is representing one such resident, a 28-year-old father, who was served by the injunction that imposes a lifetime 10 P.M. curfew, among other restrictions. The ACLU-NC is seeks a court order establishing that the Velazquez is not an active gang member, and thus the injunction must be vacated as to him and his name must be purged from the police gang files.

O'Connell v. City of Stockton

Fri, 05 May 2006 12:05:00 PST

Is due process violated by a city forfeiture ordinance that authorizes the immediate seizure of vehicles allegedly involved in the solicitation of prostitution or drugs without any provision for a prompt hearing to determining probably cause and the necessity for retaining the vehicle during the pendency of the forfeiture action?

ACLU-NC v. Department of Defense

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:03:00 PST

ACLU v. NSA

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:01:00 PST

The ACLU files a first-of-its-kind lawsuit claiming that the NSA's no-warrant wiretapping program is unconstitutional and that President Bush exceeded his authority by authorizing it.

Commission on Peace Officers Standards & Training v. Superior Court for County of Sacramento

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:01:00 PST

The Los Angeles Times sought release of records from the California Commission on Police Officers Standards and Training regarding the appointment, promotion, and termination histories of various police officers. Trial court granted access to some of the requested information. Court of Appeal reversed it. The Los Angeles Times appealed. The ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court supporting the right of access to the information.

Michael Morales Cases

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 12:01:00 PST

Clarence Allen Cases

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 12:12:00 PST

Darensburg v. Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Fri, 25 Nov 2005 12:11:00 PST

Are plaintiff's claiming intentional discrimination able to allege an injury in fact based only on the non-economic, psychic harm of discrimination absent a facial classification scheme?

Hawaii - R.G., et al. v. Koller, et al.

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 12:09:00 PST

Ruling requires policies to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in juvenile correction facility.

R.G. v. Koller

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:09:00 PST

A federal civil rights lawsuit against Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), the state's juvenile detention facility. The three plaintiffs were abused and harassed because of their sexual orientation and gender identity while at HYCF.

Angelucci v. Century Supper Club

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 12:08:00 PST

Must victims of discrimination affirmatively request and be denied equal treatment before they may sue under the Unruh Act or the Gender Tax Repeal Act? Does advertising a sex-based price discount violate the Unruh Act or the Gender Tax Repeal Act?

In re Scott, On Habeus Corpus

Fri, 27 May 2005 12:05:00 PST

Benitez v. Montoya

Wed, 18 May 2005 12:05:00 PST

The Union City School District agrees to destroy all records collected in a “gang” sweep, and not to engage in racial profiling of students.

Cheema v. Chandless

Wed, 18 May 2005 12:05:00 PST

The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging restrictions on an asylum seeker's right to wear a religious head covering. The plaintiff, Harpal Singh Cheema, is a devout Sikh, imprisoned since 1997 while awaiting a decision on his asylum application. The lawsuit charges that the restrictions on Cheema's religious practice violate religious freedom as guaranteed by the First Amendment and federal laws, including the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

California Statewide Communities Developement Authority v. All Persons Interested in the Matter of the Validity of the Purchase Agreement

Thu, 07 Apr 2005 12:04:00 PST

The issue in this case is whether the California Constitution allows the government to underwrite part of the cost of a religious school's borrowing money to construct facilities. The government issues tax-exempt bonds to nonprofit organizations, acting as a conduit between the organization and lender, so that the interest on the loan is not taxed. This allows the organization to borrow money at a lower rate. The state therefore loses revenue, essentially subsidizing part of the cost of the loan. The question presented by this case is whether providing this benefit to a pervasively sectarian school, which integrates religion into every aspect of the curriculum and discriminates in admission and hiring along religious lines, violates the California Constitution's ban on public aid to religious institutions.

Williams v. State of California

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:03:00 PST

A Class-action lawsuit aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunity for all California children.

Williams v. State of California

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:03:00 PST

A Class-action lawsuit aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunity for all California children.

Johnson v. California

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 12:02:00 PST

The Supreme Court says California's policy of separating incoming inmates by race must be halted unless state officials can show the policy is the only way to maintain safety and security.

Kesser v. Cambra

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 12:02:00 PST

Should a criminal defendant have the burden of proving that a prosecutor's peremptory challenges to all of the Native American jurors in the jury pool were "predominantly" based on race or is it enough to show that one of the reasons for the challenges was based on racial stereotypes?

Beardslee v. Woodford

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 12:01:00 PST

An appeal was filed to halt the execution of Donald Beardslee, arguing that one of the drugs used in the procedure, Pavulon, would paralyze and leave him unable to signal if he was in pain, violating Beardslee's Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The ACLU-NC and Death Penalty Focus filed an amicus brief arguing that the paralyzing drug forms a chemical curtain that prevents the First Amendment right of the media and the public to know whether the condemned man is in pain.

Weber v. Lockyer

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 12:12:00 PST

Does compulsory testing and maintenance of DNA from persons who are arrested for felony offenses and persons with past convictions who are no longer supervised by the criminal justice system violate the Fourth Amendment and federal privacy rights?

Local 10, ILWU v. City of Oakland

Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:11:00 PST

The Oakland Police Department agrees to implement sweeping reforms to end the use of less lethal weapons against demonstrators.

American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California v. Department of Justice

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 12:10:00 PST

Kaczynski v. United States of America

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:10:00 PST

May the government block the donation of the Unabomber's writings to a university library to prevent the glorification of his crimes?

Knight v. Schwarzenegger

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 12:09:00 PST

Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 12:08:00 PST

Green v. Transportation Security Administration

Tue, 06 Apr 2004 12:04:00 PST

Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Ashcroft

Thu, 25 Mar 2004 12:03:00 PST

In September 2003, President Bush signed the so-called “Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003,” the first federal criminal law banning abortion in the United States. This is one of three cases challenging that law.

Maltez v. Alvaro

Fri, 19 Mar 2004 12:03:00 PST

Barrett v. Rosenthal

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:03:00 PST

The issue raised in Barrett v. Rosenthal was whether the protection of the Communications Decency Act's Section 230 applies to individuals who frequently use the Internet to pass on information obtained elsewhere, whether by forwarding an email written by someone else or, as was the case in Barrett, posting an email from someone else to a newsgroup. The ACLU-NC filed an amicus brief in the California Court of Appeal arguing that Section 230 means what it says and applies to “users” of interactive computer services as well as “providers.”

Propostion 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund v. City and County of San Francisco

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 12:02:00 PST

People of the State of California v. George T.

Fri, 24 Oct 2003 12:10:00 PST

Walters v. Conant

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 12:10:00 PST

Evans v. City of Berkeley

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 12:09:00 PST

After the City terminated the Sea Scouts' free berth space, the Sea Scouts sued the City, claiming that it had violated their First Amendment and equal protection rights. The trial court dismissed the action, and plaintiffs appealed. The First Appellate district affirmed. Evans v. City of Berkeley, 104 Cal. App. 4th 1 (2002). The appellate court (after affirming the dismissal of contract and other common-law claims) held that the City did not violate the plaintiffs' First Amendment or equal protection rights.

Sothwest Voter Education Registration Project v. Shelley

Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:08:00 PST

Southwest Voter Registration Education Project v. Shelley

Thu, 14 Aug 2003 12:08:00 PST

Sharon S. v. Superior Court of San Diego County

Mon, 04 Aug 2003 12:08:00 PST

California Supreme Court affirms the validity of second-parent adoptions, which permit both partners in a lesbian or gay couple to establish a legal relationship with their child.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10 v. City of Oakland

Wed, 25 Jun 2003 12:06:00 PST

Castaneda v. The Regents of the University of California

Wed, 18 Jun 2003 12:06:00 PST

Filed in 1999 on behalf of African-American, Latino, and Pilipino American applicants to UC Berkeley, Castaneda v. Regents of the University of California alleged that the university's admission procedures unfairly disadvantaged applicants of color in violation of their federal civil rights by not taking into account the full range of indicators of "merit." The parties were able to settle the case because of UC Berkeley’s decision to use "comprehensive review" for every applicant. A federal judge in San Francisco approved a consent decree, which requires the Regents to take certain steps to ensure compliance with civil rights laws.

Citizens for Parental Rights v. Novato Unified School District

Mon, 02 Jun 2003 12:06:00 PST

Gordon v. FBI

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 12:04:00 PST

The federal government settles a lawsuit that made public, for the first time, hundreds of records about the government's secret "No-Fly" list.

Flores v. Morgan Hill Unified School District

Tue, 08 Apr 2003 12:04:00 PST

A historic ruling holds that schools must take steps to eliminate harassment when they learn that lesbian, gay, or bisexual students are abused at school.

Rodriguez v. CHP

Thu, 27 Feb 2003 12:02:00 PST

Settlement in racial-profiling case establishes moratorium on California Highway Patrol consent searches.

Williams v. Woodford

Thu, 07 Nov 2002 12:11:00 PST

In re Rozencrantz, In re Smith, On Habeas Corpus

Thu, 08 Aug 2002 12:08:00 PST

Intel Coporation v. Hamidi

Wed, 07 Aug 2002 12:08:00 PST

DVD Copy Control Association v. Bunner

Thu, 11 Jul 2002 12:07:00 PST

Kasky v. Nike

Fri, 05 Jul 2002 12:07:00 PST

Debro v. San Leandro Unified School District

Fri, 28 Jun 2002 12:06:00 PST

Clement v. California Department of Corrections

Mon, 17 Jun 2002 12:06:00 PST

The landmark case Clement v. California Department of Corrections was brought on behalf of Pelican Bay prisoner Frank Clement by the ACLU of Northern California and the Prison Law Office. Clement filed a federal court challenge to the California Department of Corrections policy prohibiting inmates at the prison from receiving any mail that contains material printed from the Internet. A U.S. district court judge ruled that prisoners have a First Amendment right to receive mail that contains material printed from the Internet and barred the California Department of Corrections from "enforcing any policy prohibiting California inmates from receiving mail that contains Internet-generated information."

Chowdhury v. Northwest Airlines Corporation

Tue, 04 Jun 2002 12:06:00 PST

The ACLU-NC, along with the law firm Relman & Associates, filed a discrimination lawsuit against Northwest Airlines for refusing to allow Arshad Chowdhury, a 26-year-old Bangladeshi-American, to board a Northwest flight even though he posed no security threat. The complaint was filed on the same day and in collaboration with four other similar complaints filed across the country by other ACLU affiliates against major airlines. All of the lawsuits concern airlines' widely-reported practice since September 11 of discriminating against passengers who are, or are perceived to be, of Middle Eastern origin.

Yahoo v. La Ligue Contre le racisme et L'antisemitisme

Mon, 06 May 2002 12:05:00 PST

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal rejects an attempt by the French courts to force Yahoo! to block French users' access to web pages that contain speech related to Nazism. The ACLU-NC filed an influential amicus brief in the case.

Pavlovich v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Mon, 29 Apr 2002 12:04:00 PST

Gebin v. Mineta

Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:01:00 PST

Flores v. Morgan Hill Unified School District

Sun, 16 Dec 2001 12:12:00 PST

After more than five-and-one-half years of litigation, including two trips to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the ACLU reached a ground-breaking settlement in a lawsuit challenging a school district's failure to stop a vicious barrage of harassment directed at students based on their perceived sexual orientation. The ACLU represented six former students of Live Oak High School in this federal court suit against the Morgan Hill Unified School District. The settlement, in addition to garnering more than $1.1 million in damages and attorneys' fees, set up a comprehensive 4-year training program for both students and staff designed to combat harassment of LGBT students in the district. The litigation also resulted in an important Ninth Circuit decision establishing that if a school knows harassment is taking place against LGBT students, it is obligated to take meaningful steps to end it and to protect the students.

NAACP v. Davis

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 12:11:00 PST

Catholic Charities of Sacramento Inc. v. The Superior Court of Sacramento County

Thu, 18 Jan 2001 12:01:00 PST

Gay Straight Alliance Network v. Visalia Unified School District

Fri, 29 Sep 2000 12:09:00 PST

California First Amendment Coalition (CFAC) v. Calderon

Fri, 27 Feb 1998 12:02:00 PST

Witnesses–including the media–are permitted to have full view of entire execution process.

Academy of Pediatrics vs. Lungren

Tue, 05 Aug 1997 12:08:00 PST

The California Supreme Court strikes down the 1987 California law requiring teenagers under 18 to obtain parental or judicial consent to end a pregnancy.

Conant v. Walters

Tue, 14 Jan 1997 12:01:00 PST

Physicians and patients file a class action suit in response to Prop 215’s threat to punish doctors if they are found to be recommending medical marijuana to their patients.

Carpenter v. City and County of SF

Tue, 20 Aug 1996 12:08:00 PST

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that San Francisco's Mount Davidson Cross violates the No Preference Clause of the California Constitution.

Fierro v. Gomez

Thu, 16 Apr 1992 12:04:00 PST

The State of California is prohibited from using the gas chamber to execute condemned prisoners.

Bennett v. Livermore Unified School District

Fri, 24 Jul 1987 12:07:00 PST

The California Court of Appeals rules that organized graduation prayers are not constitutional.

McCoy v. Hearst Corp

Thu, 13 Nov 1986 12:11:00 PST

The California Supreme Court establishes that the First Amendment requires a higher standard of proof and review to find libel, especially when the respondents are public figures.

Committee to Defend Reproductive Rights v. Myers

Fri, 20 Mar 1981 12:03:00 PST

The California Supreme Court rules that the state cannot manipulate poor women's reproductive choices by funding childbirth but not abortion.

Reverend Floyd Harris

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:02:00 PST

"If we don’t know each others’ stories, we don’t know each other. Ethnic communities have to tell their own story. I can support Latinos, but I cannot speak for them. A Hmong can support me, but I must speak for myself. Then the community at large reaps more unity and strength by relating to each other through our common issues. The ACLU is a vehicle for this larger community."

Christine Thomas

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:11:00 PST

"Each week I send my clients who are on death row articles about what the ACLU is doing, which cases are being tried, and what action they can take. It gives them hope to know that people out there are working on their behalf."

Natalie Wormeli

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:09:00 PST

"The people, each and every one of us who benefit from the freedoms of the Constitution, are responsible to keep those freedoms relevant."

Bob Capistrano

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:04:00 PST

"I am proud that the ACLU-NC recognizes that civil liberties are bound up with economic rights and human rights."

Nancy Otto

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:02:00 PST

"During my tenure at the ACLU, I got to work with young people who may not have heard about the ACLU previously, but once they understood what we were all about, they were so motivated to fight for their own rights and for the rights of others."

Bill Simon

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:10:00 PST

"For me, a patriot is the person who loves his/her country and is willing to oppose whatever is wrong in the country. We have to do everything we can so that our country lives up to its potential and its Constitutional promise. "

Ruth Borenstein

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:08:00 PST

“Freedom of speech is one of the most important issues to me, especially after 9-11, when many people took the position that any form of dissent was unpatriotic.”

Linda Lye

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:06:00 PST

"The ACLU…never shrinks back from taking on the cause of the unpopular, the forgotten, and the disenfranchised."

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 12:09:00 PST

Protections provided by the U.S. Constitution have probably never been under more serious threat than today.

Gil Bendix

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:07:00 PST

The ACLU-NC is a bulwark against encroachment of civil liberties by our government.

Alan L. Schlosser, Legal Director

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 12:06:00 PST

Maya Harris, ACLU-NC Executive Director

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 12:06:00 PST

Maya Harris, ACLU-NC Executive Director

Kathy Schick

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 12:09:00 PST

I can see first-hand how unequally (and unfairly) the death penalty is imposed.

Jahan Sagafi

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:08:00 PST

"There are many who seek to consolidate their power at the expense of others, and the ACLU helps right the scales by defending justice, freedom and fairness."