Latest From ACLU of Washington

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

How Civil Liberties Fared in the Legislature

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
The Washington Legislature of 2015, which began in January, finally adjourned in July – after going into triple overtime due to a budget impasse. The session did produce some valuable victories for civil liberties. These included measures establishing the nation’s strongest regulations on the use of cell phone simulators (known as Stingrays) for surveillance, restrictions on the practices of isolating and restraining students, and required training in crisis intervention for law enforcement officers.
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Protecting Rights at the NW Detention Center

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
The ACLU-WA has been protecting rights of immigrant detainees against unlawful actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
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A Gain for Transparency: Hospitals Must Post Their Policies

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
In December, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) filed a state code rule that will increase transparency around religious-secular health system affiliations. The new rule requires hospitals to reveal their policies on reproductive health care, end-of-life care, and nondiscrimination.
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Nancy Talner Honored for Criminal Justice Work

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
ACLU-WA staff attorney Nancy Talner has received the Gideon Award from the Washington Defender Association. The honor recognizes her lifetime of service in advancing the civil rights of Washington defendants. A leading state expert on criminal justice issues, Talner has been an attorney with the ACLU for almost 20 years.
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Awards Recognize Legal Team’s Outstanding Work

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
The legal team that worked on the ground-breaking case, Wilbur vs. Mount Vernon, to ensure constitutional indigent defense is being recognized for the excellence and importance of its work.
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Indigent Defense Case Makes Big Impact

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
Fifty years after the landmark Gideon case established the right to counsel for all people accused of crimes, an  ACLU-WA victory is breaking new ground for fairness in the criminal justice system.
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Monique Spivey: Making a change for herself and others

Published: 
Friday, May 9, 2014
Monique Spivey is in the process of changing her life and hopefully that of many others. She has long worked as a caterer, but the long hours and a recent knee injury have set her on a course to get out of the kitchen and into her community.
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Liberty Link: Man Arrested for Videography Settles with City for $8,000

Published: 
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
A man whom Sunnyside police arrested for videotaping a SWAT team has received an $8,000 settlement, reports the Yakima Herald-Republic. After the man posted a videotape of his arrest on YouTube, police requested the charges be dropped and the man sued for the violation of his rights.
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Student Rights Icon Inspires Students

Published: 
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
After a solid year of traveling over 25,000 miles across 41 states and speaking to at least 100 schools and community groups, on May 1st the Tinker Tour made its final stop at Mountlake Terrace High School. The tour features First Amendment advocate Mary Beth Tinker, the namesake of the landmark student rights case Tinker v. Des Moines.... 
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Liberty Link: Court Ruling Spurs Counties to Stop Holding People for ICE

Published: 
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Some good news: A recent federal court ruling in Oregon is spurring Washington counties to stop holding immigrants in their jail past the time they are eligible for release. The court found that detainer requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are just that – optional requests – and sheriffs could be liable for violating an individual’s constitutional rights by continuing to hold the person.
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Automatic Conversion from Domestic Partnerships to Marriage is Rapidly Approaching

Published: 
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
On June 30, 2014, all state-registered same-sex domestic partnerships will automatically convert to marriages. According to the state registry, there are close to 6,000 registered same-sex domestic partnerships in Washington, many of whom do not know that they are about to enter into matrimony whether they wish to or not.
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Clive Pontusson: Volunteering for a Vision of a Fair and Equal Society

Published: 
Monday, April 28, 2014
A year ago, Clive Pontusson made a New Year’s resolution to start volunteering, and he has been volunteering at our front desk ever since. He thinks it is really important to volunteer a portion of your time, especially for a cause you believe in. The ACLU was on his radar because of its leadership role in the R-74 campaign for marriage equality, which Clive thinks will be the defining issue for our era.
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Marco Martinez: Working for Justice

Published: 
Friday, April 25, 2014
The son of Mexican immigrants, Marco Martinez grew up in Wenatchee. He is now working on his undergraduate degree at UW in Law Societies and Justice with a minor in Political Science. After graduating in June, he plans to study for the LSAT and to apply for law school next year.  Marco wants to get involved in reforming our criminal justice and immigrations systems.
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