News Releases

Reversing an appeals court ruling, the Washington Supreme Court today found that a child has no right to counsel under the due process clause of the state or federal constitutions at initial truancy hearings. The ACLU of Washington submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the case (Bellevue v. E.S.) supporting the right to counsel at such hearings. The brief said that the child’s liberty, privacy, and education were all at stake, and that the risks of error – even in initial truancy proceedings – warranted the child’s right to be represented by counsel.

The ACLU of Washington and National Voting Rights Advocacy Initiative are urging the Washington Redistricting Commission to establish a majority-minority state legislative district in Yakima County.  In a letter submitted to the commission, the groups said the district is needed as a matter of democratic governance and in order to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Major Margaret Witt has reached a final settlement in her landmark lawsuit challenging her dismissal under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Major Witt attended the signing ceremony for the repeal of DADT in December and now will retire with full benefits, the ACLU-WA announced.  Pictured:Maj. Witt (right) with her partner Laurie McChesney.

The ACLU of Washington has filed a brief in support of a medical marijuana patient convicted of possession and cultivation of marijuana, even though she had a written medical recommendation to use it as medicine.The ACLU of Washington has filed a brief in support of a medical marijuana patient convicted of possession and cultivation of marijuana, even though she had a written medical recommendation to use it as medicine. The Washington Supreme Court heard arguments in the case on June 8.

The final settlement of a lawsuit in which the ACLU intervened will protect the privacy of what customers read, view, and listen to via their purchases on Amazon.com.  

A new ACLU-WA booklet provides information on a cutting-edge area of civil rights: The Rights of Transgender People in Washington State. It answers many common questions about practical legal issues encountered by transgender individuals. 

The ACLU-WA is co-sponsoring a new competition for mobile application developers to address privacy concerns surrounding mobile phones and other portable devices. The Develop for Privacy Challenge aims to show that privacy should be a fundamental building block in new technologies, not just an afterthought.

The ACLU-WA announced it will proceed with a lawsuit on behalf of the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign, seeking to have King County honor its contract to carry the Campaign’s approved ad on Metro buses. The action came after a federal judge denied a request for a preliminary injunction to have the ad run.  Pictured: Ed Mast of SeaMAC speaking at press conference, with the ACLU-WA’s Kathleen Taylor

The ACLU of Washington deplores King County’s decision to back away from its previous transit advertising policy.  Initially King County officials affirmed that advertising by the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign would run on Metro buses, saying the signs are protected by the First Amendment.

After 17 years, the unjust “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military has finally been relegated to the scrap heap of history.   The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell means that thousands of active duty military personnel will soon be able to enjoy the freedoms and fair treatment that they are defending. Pictured: Major Witt serving in Oman.