New Hampshire local vote moderators can no longer throw out absentee ballots just because they don’t like the look of the signature on the ballot. On August 16, 2018, a federal judge said the 40-year-old election law that allowed absentee ballots to be thrown out is unconstitutional. Why, exactly, were these absentee ballots thrown out and not … [Read more...]
Justices Rule In Favor of Unauthorized Rental Car Drivers
Last month, the US Supreme Court issued a decision securing a person’s Fourth Amendment right to privacy when borrowing a rental vehicle from a friend. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion for a unanimous court, reversing a ruling from the Third Circuit US Court of Appeals. The Fourth Amendment, among other things, protects people from … [Read more...]
The Man Leading the Charge Against the Specter of Voter Fraud
After Donald Trump won the US Presidency, critics lambasted the outcome, highlighting the uncomfortable fact that, though Trump won the electoral college, he failed to gain a majority of the popular vote. Trump did not take the criticism lightly, and in an attempt to legitimate his presidency, he convened a special group to investigate possible … [Read more...]
US District Judge Partially Enjoins Trump’s Transgender Military Ban
Late last month, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly partially enjoined President Trump’s ban on transgender military personnel, while allowing the ban on sex-reassignment surgery to remain intact. In July, the President tweeted his intention to prohibit the inclusion of transgender people in the US Armed Forces, arguing that “[the] military … [Read more...]
DC Court of Appeals Delays Abortion of Illegal Immigrant
On October 20th, the DC Court of Appeals rendered a 2-1 decision in favor of the US government, allowing the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to refuse facilitating abortions for illegal immigrants being held by the government. The plaintiff, provisionally named Jane Doe (JD), will now have to wait at least 11 more days while the ORR attempts … [Read more...]
DC Appeals Court Rules That Cellphone Tracking Device Requires Search Warrant
For years, police officers have used devices known as Stingrays to locate suspects. Largely speaking, they’ve done this with very little oversight from governmental agencies, according to an amici brief filed by the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in a recent appeals court case. The devices, which are also sometimes called “cell … [Read more...]
Senator Booker Wants to Federally Decriminalize Marijuana
Senator Cory Booker (D. NJ) introduced a bill on Tuesday (Aug. 1st) that would effectively decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The measure would also withhold certain funding from states who fail to address the disproportionate effects of marijuana-related arrests. The legislation, known as the Marijuana Justice Act, could thus diminish … [Read more...]
Facebook to Developers: Stop Surveillance
Facebook’s New Policy Instructs Developers to Prohibit the Use of Data for Surveillance Purposes According to a report on CNET, Facebook announced this past Monday that they have already changed policy to prevent developers from using customers’ data for the purposes of surveillance. Rob Sherman, Facebook's deputy chief privacy officer, explained … [Read more...]
The ACLU Sues the City of Washington D.C. and the Metropolitan Police on Behalf of Lourdes Ashley Hunter
On Tuesday February 28th, the ACLU filed suit against the Metropolitan Police and city of Washington D.C. for unlawfully entering the home of Lourdes Ashley Hunter, the executive director of the TransWomen of Color Collective (TWOCC) and a self-described revolutionary. One day after the November election and one day before the White House … [Read more...]
ACLU Pushes to Stop Public Funding of Certain Catholic Charities over Reproductive Rights
A lawsuit, which was recently filed in federal court, alleges that the United States government has been providing funds to religious organizations that refuse to provide birth control and abortion to migrant teens, a violation of the terms of such funding. Charitable Organization Funding Requirements At issue is a legal requirement which … [Read more...]
