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Criminal Justice

The Bill of Rights protects us against suspicionless searches and seizures. It guarantees due process to individuals who are accused of crimes and humane treatment to those who are incarcerated. The ACLU works to ensure that our criminal justice system indeed is just.

Employment Discrimination: Another State Bans the Box

Vanessa Hernandez, ACLU-WA Staff Attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow
May 10, 2013
This week, Minnesota joined the national movement to “ban the box.”   Its legislature passed, with bi-partisan support, a bill that would prevent public and private employers from asking about criminal history on an initial application. Read More »
 
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Choosing Reason over Revenge: Former Governor Dan Evans Speaks Out on the Death Penalty

Sharon Coleman, Safe & Just Alternatives Activist
Apr 26, 2013
Opponents to the death penalty have been stating many reasons, for many years, why the death penalty should be removed from our judicial system. In March of this year, Daniel J. Evans, our former governor, added his powerful voice and told the Washington Legislature about his reasons:

“When I became governor in 1965 the death penalty was not an issue. Challenges of redistricting, education, social services, and transportation filled the legislative agenda. Read More »

 
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Hearing Educated Legislators about Failings of Death Penalty

Brynn Smith, Safe and Just Alternatives Outreach Coordinator
Mar 20, 2013
Earlier this March, Washington’s House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on HB 1504, legislation that would replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Read More »
 
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Pursuit of Justice: Understanding Hatred, Confronting Intolerance, Eliminating Inequality

Date: April 18, 2013 - 10:00am - April 20, 2013 - 5:00pm
Location: Gonzaga University Law School
Featuring two ACLU Speakers, Jennifer Shaw and Vanessa Hernandez, the Pursuit of Justice Conference will address how fear and ignorance manifest themselves in hatred, intolerance and inequality. Read More »
 
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Lobbying in Olympia to End the Death Penalty

Brynn Smith, Safe and Just Alternatives Outreach Coordinator
Feb 28, 2013
On February 12th, nearly 60 concerned people from 26 legislative districts came together to voice their opposition to Washington state’s death penalty. From Bellingham and Vancouver to Spokane and Walla Walla, constituents trekked to Olympia to meet with their elected officials. Read More »
 
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The Death Penalty, Pro and Con: A Panel Discussion

Date: February 27, 2013 - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Sullivan Hall, Seattle University School of Law
The ACLU at Seattle University Law will hold a free panel discussion on diversity and the death penalty. Read More »
 
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Facing Race and the Death Penalty

Mishi Faruqee, Safe & Just Alternatives Campaign Manager
Dec 11, 2012
Recently, a group of community organizations released Facing Race, a report that assesses that the voting records of Washington state legislators in promoting racial equity. Notably, the report recognizes ending the death penalty is one change that our state representatives should make to advance the goal of racial justice in Washington. Read More »
 
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Family Members of Murder Victims Speak Out Against Death Penalty

Nov 30, 2012
At a press conference in the State Capitol, family members of murder victims talked about why the death penalty  does not meet their needs. They urged passage of legislation to replace the death penalty in Washington with life in prison without parole. Read More »
 

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Close vote in California indicates shift away from capital punishment

Mishi Faruqee, Safe & Just Alternatives Campaign Manager
Nov 8, 2012
California voters narrowly rejected Proposition 34, a ballot measure to replace the death penalty with a sentence of life without parole. Although a majority of voters chose to retain the death penalty, the fact that close to half the voters supported repeal represents a dramatic shift away from capital punishment. Read More »
 
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Settlement Protects Religious Freedom for Inmates in Pierce County Jail

Oct 24, 2012
The Pierce County Jail is adopting new policies to protect the religious freedom of inmates, according to a settlement agreement announced today by the ACLU of Washington and the Public Interest Law Group, PLLC (PILG).  The settlement is a result of a lawsuit that challenged jail officials’ failure to accommodate the religious needs of Muslim inmates and their operation of a program that granted extra benefits and services to Christian inmates. The ACLU-WA and PILG filed the suit (Tarrer v. Pierce County) in U.S. District Court in Tacoma in September 2010 on behalf of inmates at the jail. Read More »
 
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