News Releases

In an ACLU-WA case, a federal judge has ruled that two Washington cities have systematically violated the rights of poor defendants to have legal representation. The judge also ordered Burlington and Mt. Vernon to hire a part-time public defense supervisor to oversee whether poor defendants are receiving adequate legal counsel.

December 5, 2013 In a resounding ruling for fairness in the criminal justice system, the U.S. District Court in Seattle has found that the public defense system of Mt. Vernon and Burlington deprives indigent persons who face misdemeanor criminal charges of their fundamental right to assistance of counsel.

Rap superstar Macklemore today released a video urging people to join the ACLU and get its legendary membership card – the card “that lets my gay friends marry the hell out of each other.”

The ACLU of Washington today announced that its annual awards are being given to Innocence Project founder Jackie McMurtrie, the Muslim civil rights organizationCAIR, and Dream Act advocate Carlos Padilla. The honors will be presented at the ACLU’s Bill of Rights Celebration Dinner on the night of Saturday, November 9 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. The event also will feature a performance by renowned actress Kathleen Turner from her one-woman show “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins.”

ACLU of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) announce a settlement agreement in a lawsuit that challenged the Border Patrol’s practice of stopping vehicles and interrogating occupants in the Olympic Peninsula.

The ACLU of Washington hailed a decision by the Washington Supreme Court today recognizing the right of medical marijuana patients to raise a medical necessity defense in court.  The ACLU-WA filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case (State v. Kurtz) saying that the state’s Medical Use of Marijuana Act did not supersede the common law medical necessity defense, and that medical marijuana patients should be able to cite both medical necessity and state law in defending themselves. A medical necessity defense is available to someone who has violated a law, but was justified in doing so because the harm being avoided is greater than the harm of violating the law.

A settlement in a class action lawsuit will enable tenants to have a fair chance at obtaining housing. The suit was filed on behalf of people who were denied rental housing based solely on use of old criminal conviction information.

In a victory for fair treatment of immigrants, Pierce County Superior Court has found that local law enforcement officers cannot prolong a detention to question individuals about their immigration status, citizenship status, and/or country of origin. 

We welcome and commend today’s Attorney General Opinion 2013-No. 3, which reaffirms that hospitals supported by taxpayer dollars have important obligations under Washington law to maintain access to services for Washington’s residents.

The ACLU of Washington is urging that the Spokane City Council strengthen a proposal for City acquisition of surveillance equipment.