News & Commentary

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, along with the law firms of Lackie & Dammeier LLP, and Bahan & Associates, today announced the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of City of Ontario police officers who were illegally videotaped while in the Ontario Police Department men's locker room.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California announced today the launching of a media campaign to inform ex-offenders of their voting rights and encourage civic participation among persons who have served their sentences and parole after being convicted of a felony.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California will host the Los Angeles premiere of "Unconstitutional," the latest groundbreaking documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald, at Laemmle's Music Hall 3 on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 7:00 PM.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a lawsuit today on behalf of pregnant and parenting teens who were funneled into sub-standard alternative education programs instead of being given the opportunity to continue their education at their local high schools. The suit names the Antelope Valley Union High School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education as defendants and alleges violations under state and federal law, including Title IX.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today sent a letter to the Beverly Hills City Council and Mayor asking that the City respect the rights of petition gatherers engaged in a campaign to bring a referendum on a luxury hotel project before the City's voters.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union and the State of California today announced they had reached a settlement agreement in the class action education lawsuit Williams v. California. The suit was filed by the ACLU, the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), Public Advocates, Inc. and other groups on behalf of California students who attended substandard schools in California.

SAN FRANCISCO - Today the California Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom did not have the authority to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and declared the licenses issued to thousands of same-sex couples invalid. The ruling does not address whether same-sex couples must be allowed to marry under the California Constitution. That issue is being litigated in a separate lawsuit brought by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU. Legal briefs are being filed in that lawsuit in the next few weeks, and the case is expected to move quickly in state court.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California announced on Tuesday that it will offer free legal representation to all persons in the Southern California area who are questioned by the FBI in its latest dragnet interview program.

LOS ANGELES - The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a request on Tuesday under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) seeking information about the recent immigration raids across Southern California.