dissent is patriotic signs

News

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.

ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Applauds Court Order Removing the Circumcision Ban From the San Francisco Ballot

Jul 28, 2011
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) applauds the ruling by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Giorgi invalidating the proposed circumcision ban and removing it from the November ballot."The Court's ruling protects the rights of parents to direct their children's religious upbringing and medical care, and ensures that San Francisco voters will not have to vote on som... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Announces Settlement of Case to Protect Immigrants' Rights in Sonoma County

Jul 20, 2011
San Francisco – The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) announced a settlement today with the Sonoma County Sheriff and County of Sonoma that will limit collaboration between Sonoma County and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)."Innovative changes to the Sheriff's policies adopted under this agreement will, we believe, increase public safety and reduce ineff... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU of California Statement on California Prison Hunger Strike

Jul 19, 2011
The ACLU of California supports the striking prisoners' demands to end cruel and inhumane conditions in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay State Prison. These conditions include prolonged, solitary confinement in small, windowless concrete boxes with little to no human interaction and other severe physical deprivations.Not only are such conditions inhumane and harmful, but they also je... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Urges Court to Invalidate SF Circumcision Initiative

Jul 15, 2011
San Francisco – The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) today urged San Francisco Superior Court to order the city's Director of Elections, John Arntz, to remove the proposed circumcision ban from the ballot now. In an amicus curiae brief filed today, the ACLU of Northern California argues that Article 50 is clearly invalid because California law explicitly preve... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Summer 2011 ACLU News

Jul 15, 2011
Download the Summer 2011 ACLU of Northern California Newsletter and read about our latest events and initiatives. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Report: California Death Sentences Drop to Lowest Level Since 1978

Jul 06, 2011
Just three death sentences were handed down in California from January to June 2011 compared with the same period last year when there were 13, according to a new report released today by the ACLU of Northern California. This is the lowest number of new death sentences in a six month period since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Sweeping Anti-Bullying Settlement Announced Following Federal Investigation into Teen Suicide

Jul 01, 2011
Today the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education reached a significant settlement with the Tehachapi Unified School District, following an investigation into harassment of Seth Walsh based on his non-conformity with gender stereotypes. Seth Walsh killed himself in September 2010 after enduring years of bullying and harassment at school. (Please see the DOJ press release here)T... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Seth's Law Passes Critical Senate Committee

Jun 22, 2011
The Senate Education Committee today passed a law designed to address the pervasive problem of school bullying by providing California schools with tools to create a safe school environment for all students. The bill is named in memory of Seth Walsh, a 13 year-old gay student from Tehachapi, California, who took his life in September 2010, after facing years of relentless anti-gay harassment at sc... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Court Rules Redding Library May Not Restrict Freedom of Speech; ACLU, Tea Party Share Victory

Jun 20, 2011
A Superior Court judge granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the City of Redding from enforcing a policy at its library that would have restricted the ability of residents to share their ideas and opinions in front of the library through peaceful leafleting. The ACLU of Northern California and the North State Tea Party teamed up to enjoin specific sections of the policy because it violates t... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Seth's Law Passes State Assembly

Jun 02, 2011
The California State Assembly passed a law designed to address the pervasive problem of school bullying by providing California schools with tools to create a safe school environment for all students. The bill is named in memory of Seth Walsh, a 13 year-old gay student from Tehachapi, California, who took his life in September 2010, after facing years of relentless anti-gay harassment at school. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Judge Declares SF Housing Authority Injunctions Unconstitutional

May 25, 2011
A judicial decision handed down today effectively ends the San Francisco Housing Authority's use of city-wide nuisance injunctions and dismisses all pending criminal cases against alleged violators. The injunctions are unconstitutional, vague, and overly restrictive to the point of infringing on an individual's ability "to exist in San Francisco," wrote the judge in his eight-page decision. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Arizona, Nebraska, Other States Broke Federal Law Importing Execution Drugs, Records Show

May 24, 2011
The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released records today which show that Arizona, Nebraska, and other states broke the Federal Controlled Substances Act when they imported sodium thiopental, a dangerous controlled substance commonly used in executions that is no longer available in the U.S. The DEA released all import declarations filed for sodium thiopental from January 1, 2010, t... Read More