News & Commentary

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court heard arguments today in an American Civil Liberties Union case addressing whether Congress - transfer to private owners of a small parcel of land with a Latin cross on it in the Mojave National Preserve remedies the Establishment Clause violation found by the lower courts. The ACLU argued that transferring the land – with a cross on it designated by Congress as a national memorial -- to the Veterans of Foreign Wars does not cure the government's unconstitutional endorsement of one religion over another.

Peter Eliasberg will appear before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue Salazar v. Buono, an important First Amendment case concerning a cross erected by private citizens in California's Mojave National Preserve. Here are some of his thoughts on the eve of arguing the case before the nation's highest court.

An op-ed opinion piece, mistakenly identified as a Sacramento Bee editorial, rehashed misleading statements and made many more about our Mojave cross case, which will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 7. Ramona Ripston, ACLU/SC Executive Director, responds.

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a class-action lawsuit today against Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and the City of Orange Police Department for illegally placing dozens of residents under a gang injunction after first deliberately preventing them from arguing in court that they don’t belong to a gang.

by Peter Eliasberg, ACLU/SC managing attorney and Manheim Family Attorney for First Amendment Rights

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – The ACLU of Southern California and the law firm of Hadsell, Stormer, Keeny, Richardson and Renick LLP have settled a lawsuit against Orange County’s Newport-Mesa Unified School District and Corona del Mar High School over a sexist and homophobic atmosphere that officials permitted to flourish at the school.

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