Virginia
Trabelsi v. Crawford, et al. – Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Detention and Inhumane Treatment of Acquitted Man
Our client, Nizar Trabelsi, is in the United States against his will. The federal government brought him here from Belgium more than a decade ago and charged him with terrorism-related crimes. At trial, the government’s case failed: a federal jury found Mr. Trabelsi not guilty. But instead of allowing Mr. Trabelsi to return to Belgium after his acquittal, the United States placed him in highly restrictive immigration detention and began an ongoing effort to force him to Tunisia, where he was born and where he will very likely be tortured.
Mr. Trabelsi’s detention violates the Constitution, immigration law, and the extradition treaty between the United States and Belgium. Through this lawsuit, he seeks to return to Belgium, and he demands an immediate improvement of his detention conditions.
Status: Ongoing
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14 Virginia Cases
Virginia
Sep 2024
Privacy & Technology
United States v. Chatrie
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Virginia
Aug 2024
Free Speech
Young America's Foundation v. Sitman
The ACLU and the ACLU of Virginia, together with firm co-counsel, are representing the podcast hosts of the Know Your Enemy podcast, Matt Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell, and Dissent Magazine against claims that the podcast’s tongue-in-cheek reference to “Young Americans for Freedom” among the membership tiers on its Patreon page is a violation of YAF’s intellectual property rights.
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Virginia
Aug 2024
Free Speech
Young America's Foundation v. Sitman
The ACLU and the ACLU of Virginia, together with firm co-counsel, are representing the podcast hosts of the Know Your Enemy podcast, Matt Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell, and Dissent Magazine against claims that the podcast’s tongue-in-cheek reference to “Young Americans for Freedom” among the membership tiers on its Patreon page is a violation of YAF’s intellectual property rights.
Virginia Supreme Court
Feb 2024
Criminal Law Reform
Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County v. Leach-Lewis
In this case, the Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether the U.S. Constitution and/or the Virginia Constitution require the exclusionary rule—which protects people from unconstitutional searches and seizures—to apply in civil zoning enforcement actions. The Institute for Justice, along with The ACLU of Virginia and the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project and the State Supreme Court Initiative at the ACLU, submitted an amicus brief arguing that the exclusionary rule should apply in civil actions to protect Virginians’ search and seizure rights.
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Virginia Supreme Court
Feb 2024
Criminal Law Reform
Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County v. Leach-Lewis
In this case, the Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether the U.S. Constitution and/or the Virginia Constitution require the exclusionary rule—which protects people from unconstitutional searches and seizures—to apply in civil zoning enforcement actions. The Institute for Justice, along with The ACLU of Virginia and the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project and the State Supreme Court Initiative at the ACLU, submitted an amicus brief arguing that the exclusionary rule should apply in civil actions to protect Virginians’ search and seizure rights.
Virginia
Feb 2023
LGBTQ Rights
+2 Issues
Vlaming v. West Point School District
In September of 2019, Peter Vlaming, a French teacher at West Point High School, refused to address a transgender boy in his class with he/him pronouns. Instead, the teacher avoided using pronouns when addressing the student, while continuing to use gendered pronouns when addressing everyone else. After several warnings, the school district told the teacher he needed to address the student with male pronouns (the same way he addressed other boys) or he would be fired. The teacher refused; the school district fired him, and Vlaming, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, filed a suit in state court arguing that the school district violated his free speech and free exercise rights under the Virginia Constitution and Virginia’s RFRA.
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Virginia
Feb 2023
LGBTQ Rights
+2 Issues
Vlaming v. West Point School District
In September of 2019, Peter Vlaming, a French teacher at West Point High School, refused to address a transgender boy in his class with he/him pronouns. Instead, the teacher avoided using pronouns when addressing the student, while continuing to use gendered pronouns when addressing everyone else. After several warnings, the school district told the teacher he needed to address the student with male pronouns (the same way he addressed other boys) or he would be fired. The teacher refused; the school district fired him, and Vlaming, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, filed a suit in state court arguing that the school district violated his free speech and free exercise rights under the Virginia Constitution and Virginia’s RFRA.