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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.
Stop the school to prison pipeline
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Washington Needs Bail Reform:  Download No Money, No Freedom
Driven to Fail: Exposing the costs & ineffectiveness of Washington's most commonly charged crime
The death penalty is arbitrary, unfair, and racially biased.  The ACLU of Washington argued before the Washington Supreme Court to end it.

Resources

Published: 
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
When it comes to how healthy you are, money matters— a lot.
Published: 
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
On October 6, 2016, the Yakima County Superior Court granted preliminary approval to a class action settlement reached in Fuentes v. Benton County, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the county’s system for collecting court-imposed debts.
Published: 
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The ACLU of Washington recently filed friend of the court briefs in three cases urging the Washington Supreme Court to align the law with developments in brain science.
Published: 
Thursday, September 22, 2016
The Washington Supreme Court has reversed a lower court order that sought to collect discretionary legal financial obligations (LFOs, or court-imposed fees) from an indigent woman struggling to meet her basic living needs on social security disability payments.

No Money, No Freedom: The Need for Bail Reform

Document, Published: 
Friday, September 16, 2016
The ACLU-WA has issued a position paper examining the many harms of jailing of people in Washington before trial when they are unable to pay money bail, and recommending principles for reform.
News Release, Published: 
Thursday, September 15, 2016
The ACLU-WA has issued a position paper examining the many harms of jailing of people in Washington  before trial when they are unable to pay money bail, and recommending principles for reform.
News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Community organizations and legal advocates are calling on the Seattle City Council and Mayor Ed Murray to pass an ordinance introduced by Councilmember Mike O’Brien aimed at making the City more responsive to both neighborhood concerns and the needs of people experiencing homelessness. The groups urged the City Council to vote today to move the proposal forward in the legislative process.
Published: 
Friday, July 29, 2016
Jeffery Robinson, Director of the ACLU’s Center for Justice, compares the successful de-escalation of a dangerous situation in New Jersey with fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Published: 
Monday, July 25, 2016
A ruling by the Washington Supreme Court has undercut the effectiveness of a law intended to maintain the bonds between incarcerated parents and their children. The Legislature needs to act to make sure the law can still make a difference in the lives of children.
Published: 
Friday, July 22, 2016
The State Supreme Court has found that Lakewood’s law banning panhandling in certain areas violates free speech rights. The ruling is a vindication of the rights of homeless people.

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