Latest From ACLU of Washington

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

A Great Day for American Values: The U.S. Supreme Court Rejects DOMA

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Today is a great day for everyone who treasures our country’s basic values of freedom and fairness. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized, as have so many Americans, that all loving, committed couples must be treated equally under law. Now, in the eyes of the federal government, there are no longer any second-class marriages.
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Why the NSA’s gathering of metadata matters

Published: 
Monday, June 17, 2013
Goverment power that operates unchecked behind closed doors is inevitably abused. The recent disclosures about the secret NSA surveillance programs prove this maxim.
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Victory! Seattle Bans the Box

Published: 
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Seattle City Council voted unanimously to enact a law that would prevent employers from automatically rejecting any applicant with a criminal record.  The goal of the bill, sponsored by Councilmember Bruce Harrell, is to reduce the long-term effects of a criminal record by allowing applicants to be considered on their merits before being denied simply because of a record.
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Grant County Public Defense Suit Ends with Major Improvements

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
A landmark lawsuit to ensure fairness for the accused in Grant County has concluded with major improvements in the county’s felony indigent defense system. The suit wrapped up in April after seven years of court-ordered monitoring – the first time a county public defense system in Washington had undergone such comprehensive oversight. The suit was brought by the ACLU of Washington and Columbia Legal Services.
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Prevention and Treatment Comments on I-502 Initial Draft Rules

Document, Published: 
Monday, June 10, 2013
A group of substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and public health advocates, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502.
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Prevention and Treatment Experts Urge Liquor Board To Emphasize Public Health Over Marijuana Industry Profits

News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 10, 2013
Today, a group of substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and public health advocates, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502. 
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Minority Racial and Ethnic Communities Call on Liquor Board To Pay Attention to Concerns About Implementation of New Marijuana Law

News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 10, 2013
Today, a group of leaders from Washington’s ethnic and racial communities, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502.
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Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional Public Defense System Goes to Trial

News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 3, 2013
A class-action lawsuit is challenging a public defense system that deprives indigent persons of their constitutional right to assistance of counsel. The suit says that Mt. Vernon and Burlington are not meeting their duty to ensure that low-income individuals have a fair chance to defend themselves in court. A two-week trial has wrapped up, and the judge is expected to rule later this summer.
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Sentenced to Jail for Being Poor: Modern-day Debtor’s Prisons

Published: 
Friday, May 31, 2013
When people are convicted of a crime, they expect to be sentenced to jail time or probation.  But there are other long-lasting consequences – and these can be unfair and counter-productive.
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