Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

A Landmark Case on Indigent Defense: Infographic

Published: 
Friday, June 13, 2014
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Schools: Don’t Show the Door to Pregnant Students, Make Them Feel Welcome

Published: 
Thursday, May 29, 2014
May has been National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month—a month-long opportunity for parents, schools, policy-makers, and organizations to promote and support effective teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. As becoming pregnant as a teen is a significant stumbling block to a financially secure future, measures devoted to preventing teen pregnancy certainly are important.
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Psychiatric Patients Entitled to Treatment, Not Warehousing, Advocates Tell State Supreme Court

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Advocates for psychiatric patients have filed a friend of the court brief with the Washington Supreme Court urging it to uphold a trial court ruling invalidating a practice called “boarding” – holding civil commitment patients in hospital emergency rooms unable to provide adequate treatment.  The brief was filed by statewide mental health, disability rights, and civil liberties organizations.
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Inslee Stands Up for Net Neutrality

Published: 
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee sent a letter to FCC Chairman Wheeler urging him to delay a vote on proposed rules that would allow Internet service providers to discriminate among lawful content providers changing the free and open nature of the Internet.
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You Might be Getting Married on June 30th

Published: 
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Did you know that all same-sex state registered domestic partnerships (SRDPs) in Washington will automatically be converted to marriages on June 30th?  Last week at Seattle City Hall, a panel of experts gathered to answer questions from the public about what should be expected and more importantly, what can be done to prevent their SRDPs from converting into a marriage.
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Otis Walter Leaves a Legacy for Civil Liberties

Published: 
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Otis Walter passed away last June at the age of 92. He left his entire estate to the ACLU of Washington and the ACLU of Pennsylvania because he so strongly believed in the broad range of issues on which the ACLU works. He first became a card-carrying member as a teenager in Pennsylvania.  Dr. Walter said he did not want any sort of recognition for his planned gift during his lifetime. We wish to honor Dr. Walter as a kind and loving advocate for civil liberties.
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CLS and ACLU Protect Detainees’ Free Speech Rights at the Northwest Detention Center

News Release, Published: 
Monday, May 12, 2014
Today, the ACLU of Washington (ACLU) and Columbia Legal Services (CLS) voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit after successfully getting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release hunger striking detainees from solitary confinement at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Washington.  The ACLU and CLS had filed this lawsuit on April 2, 2014 to prohibit ICE from retaliating against detainees at the NWDC who engage in First Amendment protected activities by placing them in solitary confinement.
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Hopes for Police Reform: Signs of Change, Need for Vigilance

Published: 
Monday, May 12, 2014
Transforming an institution’s practices and culture takes endurance, dedication, and tenacity.  Doubly so when attempting to transform a police department - an institution modeled on the military - into one that understands its roles as “servants of the Constitution” and “guardians of the community,” as Sue Rahr describes it.
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A Gain for Transparency: Hospitals Must Post Their Policies

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
In December, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) filed a state code rule that will increase transparency around religious-secular health system affiliations. The new rule requires hospitals to reveal their policies on reproductive health care, end-of-life care, and nondiscrimination.
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Awards Recognize Legal Team’s Outstanding Work

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
The legal team that worked on the ground-breaking case, Wilbur vs. Mount Vernon, to ensure constitutional indigent defense is being recognized for the excellence and importance of its work.
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