News & Commentary

Few people have given more and meant more to the ACLU than our dear friend, Marvin Schachter, who passed away today. At ACLU SoCal, we remember Marvin for serving continuously for 58 years on the Board of Directors, for serving as President of the Board from 1971 to 1974 and, ultimately, for a lifetime devoted to civil liberties. We honored him at our annual Bill of Rights Dinner last year.

By Anita Shalwani

Recently, the ACLU of Southern California participated in an event in Kern County on AB 60, California's new Safe and Responsible Driver Act. The act, which went into effect January 1, 2015, permits any eligible Californian to obtain a driver license, regardless of immigration status.

By Stacy Suh

On Friday, a California appeals court brought us one step closer to ensuring that the protection of our laws – including the constitutional right to a fair trial and an impartial jury – extends to everyone.

By Georgeanne M. Usova

Philip Summers Borden, a staunch supporter and member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), former professor of business administration, Harvard alumnus and one-time real estate executive died Dec. 26. He was 89.

A police officer wearing a body camera shoots a civilian. Afterwards, the officer has to write up a report about the incident. Should the officer be able to view the footage captured by his body camera (or other cameras) before he writes his initial report?

This article originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee.