Archive

Picture this. In response to a peaceful anti-war protest, the Oakland Police Department uses large wooden bullets, sting ball grenades and shot-filled bean bags, as a result of which at least 58 protesters are injured. That was 2003, and unfortunately sounds eerily similar to reports of OPD's response to an Occupy Oakland demonstration yesterday evening, in which bean bags or other projectiles app... Read More

Today's early morning raid by the Oakland Police Department on Occupy Oakland raises a number of questions. Read More

The City of Fresno is violating the constitutional rights of homeless people whose personal possessions are being destroyed and confiscated in ongoing raids, according to a lawsuit filed today in federal court by civil rights groups. The groups are seeking a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction to stop the relentless attacks on Fresno’s homeless residents. The lawsuit was filed i... Read More

These days, most people carry a cell phone with them everywhere they go: to work, to church, on vacation, and more. And cell phone carriers may capture and retain records of your location even when you're not using your phone. Does that mean that the government can simply demand these records from your carrier without a warrant? Unfortunately, according to Judge Royce Lamberth of the D.C. District... Read More

Documents Received on Oct. 7, 2011On Oct. 7, 2011 the ACLU of Northern California received 98 pages of responsive documents.View DocumentsDocuments Received on May 23, 2011On May 20, 2011 the ACLU of Northern California sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration clarifying the scope of the ACLU-NC's Jan. 4, 2011 Freedom of Information Act request regarding Import Declarations (DEA form 2... Read More

Documents Received on September 30, 2011On Sept. 30, 2011 the ACLU of Northern California received 240 pages of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) documents.  View Documents - Set 1View Documents - Set 2Documents Received on April 11, 2011On April 11, 2011 the ACLU of Northern California received three pages of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) documents.  Prior to sending the documen... Read More

Reforming Criminal Justice: 12 Recommendations to Make CA's Realignment Law WorkCounty officials across the state are scrambling to get their AB 109 implementation plans drafted in the coming weeks, as the new realignment law goes into effect on October 1.What steps can counties take to enhance public safety, save money and allocate limited jail space? The ACLU of California answers these question... Read More

Taking photographs and video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right — and that includes the outside of federal buildings, as well as transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties. Read More

Sentencing Reform Key to 'Realignment'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 "ne... Read More

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 jus... Read More