Archive

Associate Director Christine P. Sun
Blog

CA Chief Justice Agrees: Traffic Courts Can’t Charge Fees in Advance of Trial

May 19, 2015
Across California, traffic courts are withholding the right to contest a traffic citation until the fines and fees for the citation are paid in full. This unfair practice violates constitutional guarantees of due process and unfairly impacts low-income people. But now there’s been an exciting development that could put an end to this practice once and for all. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye has dire... Read More
Vigil outside of SF Immigration Court
Blog

VICTORY! Clergy Can’t be Shut Out of Immigration Court Anymore

May 15, 2015
Building security at the San Francisco Immigration Court was forbidding pastors, who participated in the peaceful vigils outside the court, from accompanying families to their immigration court hearings in what we saw as blatant retaliation, even though both activities are strongly protected by the First Amendment. This carried with it serious constitutional implications and took an emotional toll... Read More
Woman going through airport security
Blog

TSA Makes Improvements to Get Out of Hairy Mess

May 13, 2015
Earlier this year, I shared my experiences and that of my client, Malaika Singleton, Ph.D. In my case, a TSA agent suddenly grabbed by hair without any warning and squeezed it from top to bottom after I had passed through the advanced imaging technology (AIT) body scanner at the airport. But this did not happen to me just once. In fact, I was selected for hair pat-downs during three out of four tr... Read More
hands behind bars
News

Preliminary Settlement in Federal Class Action Lawsuit Over Conditions at Monterey County Jail

May 11, 2015
SALINAS, Calif. – Lawyers for all parties in Hernandez v. County of Monterey announced today that they have reached a preliminary comprehensive settlement in the class action lawsuit filed in May 2013 in federal court in San Jose regarding conditions at the Monterey County Jail.  The settlement was approved by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG),... Read More
teenagers taking a selfie
News

Historic Ruling in ACLU Lawsuit: Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Violated State Law

May 06, 2015
A Fresno County Superior Court judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought against the Clovis Unified School District was justified because the District’s sex education curriculum was out of compliance with California state law. The suit, American Academy of Pediatrics, et al. v. Clovis Unified School District, was brought on behalf of parents, physicians and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network by the AC... Read More