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Our lawyers and advocates are among the nation's leading experts on civil liberties and constitutional freedoms. Read the latest on the ACLU of Northern California’s work. To schedule a press interview, call (415) 621-2493 or contact press@aclunc.org.
Court Orders San Francisco Sherriff’s Office to Stop Unconstitutional Surveillance of Individuals Released on Electronic Monitoring
Feb 14, 2024
A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office (SFSO) from requiring that individuals agree to unconstitutional “four-way” searches and GPS location data-sharing as conditions of pretrial release on electronic monitoring absent a court order.
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Plaintiffs Say Majority of Legal Issues in San Francisco Homelessness Lawsuit Unrelated to Grants Pass case
Jan 30, 2024
In a brief filed in federal district court, plaintiffs in Coalition on Homelessness v. City of San Francisco argued that the case should proceed while the U.S. Supreme Court reviews Grants Pass v. Johnson.
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Despite U.S. Supreme Court Review of Grants Pass Case, San Francisco Homelessness Case Should Continue
Jan 18, 2024
Although one of thirteen claims directly builds on the findings in the Grants Pass case, the San Francisco lawsuit also deals with separate issues affecting unhoused individuals including the City’s destruction of property and failure to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
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U.S. Supreme Court Grants Cert in Grants Pass Case, but Unrelated Constitutional Issues Still to be Resolved in San Francisco Homelessness Case
Jan 12, 2024
The decision could upend decades of established Supreme Court precedent, and reopen a definition of cruel and unusual punishment that protects all Americans from unconstitutional treatment in the criminal legal system.
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Ninth Circuit Affirms Preliminary Injunction Against San Francisco for Cruel and Unusual Treatment of Thousands of Unhoused Residents
Jan 11, 2024
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a federal judge’s finding that San Francisco had likely violated the constitutional rights of homeless people thousands of times in recent years by criminalizing their existence.
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San Francisco: Vote No on Proposition E
Jan 10, 2024
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California opposes Proposition E, a measure on the March 2024 San Francisco ballot.
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Report Finds Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Most Likely to Stop Black People For Traffic Violations
Dec 21, 2023
An analysis of 2019 data collected under California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) found that Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office deputies disproportionately stop Black people for traffic violations, a disturbing finding given the number of high-profile, tragic police killings of Black people during traffic stops.
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Civil Rights Organizations Call on FTC to Investigate Meta, X, for Allowing Companies to Mine User Data for Government Surveillance on Platforms
Dec 12, 2023
Today civil rights organizations sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, urging the agency to investigate whether X (formerly Twitter) and Meta are providing surveillance companies that work with law enforcement special access to user data, contrary to the platforms’ official policies and public promises.
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The ACLU of Northern California Opposes Recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price
Nov 27, 2023
The ACLU of Northern California announced its strong opposition to the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, the first Black woman DA in the county’s history.
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First Amendment Coalition, ACLU Sue City of Fresno for Open Meetings Law Violation
Nov 15, 2023
Since at least 2018, the Fresno City Council has had a Budget Committee that negotiated the city’s annual budget behind closed doors, violating California’s law on open public meetings and depriving the people of their fundamental right to transparency in local government.
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In Response to Lawsuit, Santa Clara Superior Court Takes Step to Change Policy Discriminating Against Poor Defendants
Nov 13, 2023
The new policy allows a defendant with an active arrest warrant to schedule an initial court appearance through their attorney regardless of their financial means. Someone who can’t afford bail must still appear at the jail for an informal booking. However they won’t be taken into custody. Once in court, a judge makes an individualized determination about whether that person should remain out of c...
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