Race and Criminal Justice
Fund for Empowerment v. Phoenix, City of
Fund for Empowerment is a challenge to the City of Phoenix’s practice of conducting sweeps of encampments without notice, issuing citations to unsheltered people for camping and sleeping on public property when they have no place else to go, and confiscating and destroying their property without notice or process.
Status: Ongoing
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Court Case
Jun 2020
Race and Criminal Justice
Defy Ventures, Inc. v. Small Business Administration
Suing the Trump administration to lift its unlawful exclusion of businesses owned by people with criminal records from being eligible for Paycheck Protection Act funds
All Cases
18 Race and Criminal Justice Cases
Court Case
Jun 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
Fuentes v. Benton County
On October 6, 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC filed a class-action lawsuit against Benton County in central Washington over its unconstitutional system for collecting court-imposed debts. The suit says the county jails, threatens to jail, or forces manual labor on indigent people who are unable to afford legal financial obligations imposed by the county. The system is designed to fund county services by extracting revenue and labor from vulnerable people.
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Court Case
Jun 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
Fuentes v. Benton County
On October 6, 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC filed a class-action lawsuit against Benton County in central Washington over its unconstitutional system for collecting court-imposed debts. The suit says the county jails, threatens to jail, or forces manual labor on indigent people who are unable to afford legal financial obligations imposed by the county. The system is designed to fund county services by extracting revenue and labor from vulnerable people.
Court Case
Mar 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
+4 Issues
Winston v. Salt Lake City Police Department, et al.
The Salt Lake City Police Department and the Salt Lake City School District will make broad changes in how they treat students of color and engage in school disciplinary issues under settlements announced today by the ACLU.
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Court Case
Mar 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
+4 Issues
Winston v. Salt Lake City Police Department, et al.
The Salt Lake City Police Department and the Salt Lake City School District will make broad changes in how they treat students of color and engage in school disciplinary issues under settlements announced today by the ACLU.
U.S. Supreme Court
Feb 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
Criminal Law Reform
Utah v. Strieff
Whether the prosecution may use evidence seized after an arrest on an outstanding warrant that was only discovered after an unconstitutional stop.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Feb 2016
Race and Criminal Justice
Criminal Law Reform
Utah v. Strieff
Whether the prosecution may use evidence seized after an arrest on an outstanding warrant that was only discovered after an unconstitutional stop.
Court Case
Jun 2015
Race and Criminal Justice
Racial Justice
North Carolina v. Tilmon Golphin, Christina Walters, and Quintel Augustine
A judge in North Carolina in 2012 has once again confirmed that race plays an integral role in our capital punishment system. Judge Gregory Weeks found intentional discrimination by Cumberland County prosecutors against African-American potential jurors in the cases of three capital defendants, Tilmon Golphin, Christina Walters, and Quintel Augustine. He sentenced all three defendants to life without parole under North Carolina's historic Racial Justice Act. The decision is currently on appeal.
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Court Case
Jun 2015
Race and Criminal Justice
Racial Justice
North Carolina v. Tilmon Golphin, Christina Walters, and Quintel Augustine
A judge in North Carolina in 2012 has once again confirmed that race plays an integral role in our capital punishment system. Judge Gregory Weeks found intentional discrimination by Cumberland County prosecutors against African-American potential jurors in the cases of three capital defendants, Tilmon Golphin, Christina Walters, and Quintel Augustine. He sentenced all three defendants to life without parole under North Carolina's historic Racial Justice Act. The decision is currently on appeal.
Court Case
Apr 2015
Race and Criminal Justice
Hebshi v. United States
The ACLU announced a settlement on April 21, 2015, in its lawsuit filed on behalf of Shoshana Hebshi, a mother of two who was pulled off an airplane at gunpoint, arrested, strip-searched, and detained. The case was brought against Frontier Airlines and several government defendants.
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Court Case
Apr 2015
Race and Criminal Justice
Hebshi v. United States
The ACLU announced a settlement on April 21, 2015, in its lawsuit filed on behalf of Shoshana Hebshi, a mother of two who was pulled off an airplane at gunpoint, arrested, strip-searched, and detained. The case was brought against Frontier Airlines and several government defendants.