open to all two women

Blog

We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.

A photo of a monitor showing five unanimous 'YES' votes from the Board of Supervisors
Blog

Santa Clara County Passes Landmark Law to Shut Down Secret Surveillance

Jun 08, 2016
Santa Clara County has passed a landmark law to stop secret and discriminatory surveillance. The passage of this new law comes on the heels of San Jose's secret acquisition of a drone, the Santa Clara Sheriff's attempt to quietly buy an invasive cell phone tracking device, and revelations that Fresno and Bay Area police departments have been using social networking software that monitors Black Liv... Read More
asset forfeiture report cover
Blog

ACLU Report: Asset Forfeiture Takes Wealth from Communities of Color

May 19, 2016
Did you know that in 2014 police took more property from people in the U.S. than burglars did? Frightening, but absolutely legal. A new ACLU of California report finds that, although this tactic of policing for profit can impact all types of innocent people, folks of color and poor people bear the heaviest burden. Read More
binders full of paper
Blog

Our Fears Confirmed: Proposed Lethal Injection Regulations Fraught with Deep and Troubling Flaws

May 10, 2016
In 2015, the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehab. published proposed regulations for a new execution protocol. This triggered an important public comment period in accordance with CA law. The ACLU had previously submitted a Public Records Act request, in order to shed light on the proposed regulations and enhance the public's ability to comment meaningfully on them. After withholding records for mon... Read More
video screenshot
Blog

Transform California: Stop the Hate Now

Apr 19, 2016
From North Carolina to California and everywhere in between, transgender individuals face threats from lawmakers, bigots, pundits and others who choose to marginalize their fellow residents. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

An Apology to Alex Nieto, Idriss Stelley, and their Family and Friends

Apr 11, 2016
We owe an apology to our community, and especially to the family and friends of Alex Nieto and Idriss Stelley. In our January letter to the US Department of Justice, we mischaracterized the shooting deaths of Alex Nieto and Idriss Stelley. We included language regarding Alex Nieto that was in published reports, but was both disputed by the family, and not relevant to the police shooting. And, we d... Read More