News

San Francisco — The California Supreme Court heard arguments today in a lawsuit challenging the San Francisco 49ers' pat-down policy at Candlestick Park.  At issue is whether the state's constitution allows the 49ers to force fans at home games to undergo pat-down searches as a condition of attending the games.The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) filed the lawsuit on behalf of ... Read More

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Lambda Legal filed a reply brief on Jan. 5 in the California Supreme Court, the next step in the lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition 8, which passed by a mere 52 percent on Nov. 4. Read More

The San Francisco Superior Court today struck down a state law requiring that low-income working women must have resided in California for at least six months before they can be eligible to receive prenatal and other medical care services through California's Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) insurance program. Read More

The San Francisco Superior Court today struck down a state law requiring that low-income working women must have resided in California for at least six months before they can be eligible to receive prenatal and other medical care services through California's Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) insurance program. Read More

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC), in cooperation with national law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of students in the Shasta Union High School District, challenging the District’s newly adopted random and suspicionless drug testing policy. In August 2008 the District adopted a policy requiring that all students who participate in non-athletic compet... Read More

The Berkeley City Council has adopted a resolution calling on the District Attorney of Alameda County to stop pursuing the death penalty and to focus instead on investing public resources in solving homicides, preventing violence, and expanding public safety programs. Read More

An attempt by two landlords to identify two dozen people who posted comments anonymously about the apartment buildings where they live is nothing more than an effort to intimidate critics and should be denied, Public Citizen and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California said in a federal court brief filed today in California. Read More

On November 19, 2008, the California Supreme Court granted review in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, which passed by a narrow margin of 52 percent on November 4. In an order issued today, the Court agreed to hear the case and set an expedited briefing schedule. The Court also denied an immediate stay. Read More

The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) today filed a California Public Records Act request seeking to prompt the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) to release police reports relating to all 2007 arrests for public intoxication. The formal request for the reports stems from the recent revelation, reported in the San Jose Mercury News, that the SJPD arrests people for alleged public drunkenness at... Read More

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone b... Read More

The California Attorney General, Equality California, and the nation's leading LGBT legal groups agree that the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who married between June 16, 2008 and the possible passage of Proposition 8 are still valid in the state of California and must continue to be honored by the state. Read More

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone ... Read More