News & Commentary

SACRAMENTO - A new bill that puts California at the forefront of efforts to guard the privacy rights of its residents cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when it was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee with strong bipartisan support.

A Governor who ran for office as the people's politician should unite the residents of California rather than divide.

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge dismissed claims by former arrestees challenging mandatory DNA testing provisions under Proposition 69 on April 22, 2005. In doing so, Judge Fern Smith of the U.S. District Court agreed with Attorney General Bill Lockyer's position that Proposition 69 will not be applied retroactively to persons arrested before the November 2, 2004 election.

LOS ANGELES - A judge certified a class action lawsuit affecting more than 100 Ontario police officers after they discovered a hidden camera in the police department's men's locker room two years ago.

SACRAMENTO - A broad coalition of privacy rights, women, consumer, and conservative groups are supporting a bill introduced by Bay Area Sen. Joe Simitian that would prohibit any document created by the state, county, or municipal government from containing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or other device that can broadcast an individual's personal information. The tags are tiny devices with miniature antennae that can broadcast personal information or enable that information to be scanned remotely.

We would like to express our sadness at the passing of Johnnie Cochran. Johnnie's remarkable skill, intellect and commitment made him a giant in the legal and civil rights community. The ACLU was proud to work with Johnnie many times on the pressing need for police reform, police respect for communities of color and civil liberties for all.

LOS ANGELES - A San Francisco judge finalized the historic settlement in Williams v. California today. The lawsuit is a critical first step toward ensuring all California public schools have the means to provide equitable learning conditions for all students.

LOS ANGELES - The city of Los Angeles is on the cusp of commissioning a report to analyze data collected each time an officer stops a pedestrian or searches a driver to help determine whether the LAPD engages in racial profiling. But the report will not look at the race or ethnicity of motorists who are stopped and therefore it will not consider the phenomenon of "Driving While Black/Brown."

LOS ANGELES - In a letter to Sheriff Lee Baca and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, the ACLU of Southern California sought assurance that a county jail budget increase will end the practice of forcing inmates to sleep on the floor.