News Releases

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that police don't need a warrant or permission from a suspect before collecting genetic evidence from saliva used to seal an envelope. The ACLU had urged the Court to consider the risks to personal privacy from abuses of this practice.

Government needs a warrant or a subpoena that can be challenged in court before gaining access to personal bank records, according to a unanimous decision of the Washington Supreme Court.

The King County Council has voted to create an independent office of oversight for the Sheriff's office. It was one of several recommendations made by a blue ribbon panel that included ACLU of Washington Legislative Director Jennifer Shaw.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has asked phone companies to preserve call records that may have been illegally surrendered to a government spying program.

Shimrote Ishaque is joining nine other citizens who have experienced stops, body searches, handcuffing, excessive force and other aggravations by customs officers - all partly due to inaccurate government records.

A Q&A about walkouts, policy regarding absences, and other student political speech at public schools.

The ACLU has filed an amicus brief challenging Pierce County’s practice of routinely examining hotel registration records without reasonable suspicion of a crime.

A summary of known federal domestic surveillance programs. Part of the package on ACLU FOIA requests for local peace groups.

In June 2005 the Tacoma City Council approved by a 6-2 vote a major reform of police accountability by establishing an independent auditor and a citizen review board. The vote culminates over two years of work by the Police Accountability Working Group, created by the Tacoma Human Rights Commission to draft a proposal for citizen oversight.

Today the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that even in times of unrest, the government cannot arrest protesters simply because of their message. The ruling came in the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington's lawsuit challenging the City of Seattle's establishment and enforcement of a No Protest Zone during the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999.