News

Today the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and a lineup of ten of the nation's top privacy groups sent an open letter to Facebook calling for the social networking giant to fix remaining issues concerning user privacy and control. Facebook recently took steps to address some privacy problems, but the groups contend more needs to be done. They are urging Facebook to demonstrate commitment to i... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco issued an order Friday that an American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) lawsuit charging unlawful collaboration between the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to unlawfully target, arrest, and detain Latinos in Sonoma County can move forward. ... Read More

The ACLU of Northern California is deeply disturbed following reports that staff at the San Jose Independent Police Auditor's (IPA) Office leaked inside information about complaints of misconduct to the local police union. If true, this breach of confidence severely undermines the City's already weak system of independent oversight. Longstanding structural problems at the IPA office limit its abil... Read More

Today, an Alameda County judge granted a preliminary gang injunction in North Oakland. The ACLU of Northern California opposed the injunction, and filed a brief outlining civil liberties concerns. Read the response of Jory Steele, Managing Attorney at the ACLU of Northern California... Read More

Following protests around California against education budget cuts, student demonstrators at several universities faced harsh disciplinary crackdowns. The ACLU of Northern California has stepped in on behalf of students at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and San Francisco State University about questionable discipline of a student protester. The ACLU of Northern California's role involv... Read More

San Francisco – As spending on California's massive prison system continues unabated, Governor Schwarzenegger's office has declared that the revised budget to be released tomorrow will propose "absolutely terrible cuts." The American Civil Liberties Union, Drug Policy Alliance and Ella Baker Center for Human Rights call on the Governor to choose three effective, budget-saving reforms over wasteful... Read More

After securing a key ruling regarding the First Amendment from the Ninth Circuit, the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) yesterday produced documents relating to its efforts to defeat Proposition 8. The ACLU had sought to appeal an order requiring it to produce its No on 8 documents, arguing that the First Amendment should cover communications between groups working together on a political caus... Read More

Download the Spring 2010 ACLU-NC Newsletter and read about our latest events and initiatives. Read More

Download the ACLU-NC 2009 Year in Review.

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On April 8, 2010, the ACLU of Northern California and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area filed an amicus brief with the Alameda County Superior Court opposing a proposed gang injunction in Oakland. If granted, the gang injunction would give the Oakland Police Department wide discretion to label people gang members without having to present any evidence to a judge... Read More

As the United States moves away from death sentences to permanent imprisonment, California – particularly Los Angeles County – lags behind, according to a new report on the death penalty by the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC). In 2009, the number of new death sentences nationwide reached the lowest level since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The Golden State, however, sent more peo... Read More

Federal Judge Vaughn Walker ruled yesterday that the ACLU and Equality California must turn over campaign documents, including internal e-mails and memos, even though the groups are not parties to the legal challenge brought by Ted Olson and David Boies seeking to strike Prop 8. Read More