ACLU of Utah - Newsroom

Moving Justice Forward For 60 Years!

Newsroom

In The Media

Follow the links below to view ACLU of Utah press releases.

ACLU of Utah in the Media:

Prior Years [ 2017]

June 2018

Film Series justly ends its season with ‘RBG’
Park Record
(6/8/18)

Utah Jails Can’t Hide Records In The ‘Cloud,’ Lawsuit Claims
KUER (audio)
(6/8/18)

‘Trib Talk’: Can atheist bakers refuse to serve Mormons?
Salt Lake Tribune (audio) (transcript)
(6/7/18)

KPCW's Local News Hour: Marina Lowe discusses Ruth Bader Ginsburg
KPCW (audio)
(6/6/18)

Wasatch County GOP DA Primary Debate
BYU-11 (video)
(6/5/18)

Comunidad de Utah marcha en favor preservar familias unidas
Univision (video)
(6/1/18)

Supporters of immigrant children separated from parents at the border rally for change
FOX13 (video)
(5/31/18)

Protesters rally in Salt Lake against US immigration policy
KSL (video)
(6/1/18)

May 2018

Third former Daggett County jail inmate files lawsuit over abuse, torture
KUTV (video)
(5/31/18)

Groups sue to make jail standards public
Deseret News
(5/31/18)

ACLU, Disability Law Center File Suit Over Secretive Davis County Jail Standards
KUER
(5/31/18)

ACLU of Utah, Disability Law Center file suit over Davis County Jail standards
Ogden Standard Examiner
(5/31/18)

ACLU of Utah and Disability Law Center file lawsuit to make jail standards public
SU Independent
(5/31/18)

Third former Daggett County jail inmate files lawsuit over abuse, torture
Salt Lake Tribune
(5/31/18)

Utah’s Cold Case Coalition wants you to share your DNA with cops to help solve murders
Salt Lake Tribune
(5/31/18)

ABU Education Fund announces 2018 primary debates
UtahPolicy.com
(5/23/18)

Líderes locales reaccionan ante polémicas declaraciones
Univision (video)
(5/23/18)

State inmates with Tasers. Sleeping guards. Report outlines dysfunction at the Daggett County jail before it lost its inmates over concerns of torture and misconduct
Salt Lake Tribune
(5/23/18)

Unblocked: Trump Twitter Ruling Could Trickle Down
KUER
(5/23/18)

Tribune Editorial: Utah can’t escape responsibility for inmates it has farmed out to county jails
Salt Lake Tribune
(5/20/18)

Former Inmates File Lawsuit Over Abuse in Utah Jail
AP
(5/17/18)

Former Daggett County jail inmates tortured by police say they hope their lawsuit will bring change to how prisoners are treated
Salt Lake Tribune
(5/16/18)

ACLU of Utah files lawsuit over abuse of inmates at Daggett County Jail
FOX13
(5/16/18)

Former inmates sue Daggett County over jail abuse
Deseret News
(5/16/18)

ACLU of Utah celebrates 60 years
ABC4: Inside Utah Politics (video)
(5/13/18)

Op-ed: County attorneys are powerful people — choose wisely this election year
Deseret News
(5/06/18)

RadioActive: 60 Years of the ACLU
KRCL
(5/03/18)

April 2018

ACLU wants records on how Trump's first travel ban was carried out at Salt Lake airport
Deseret News
(4/26/18)

Utah election reform law aims to remove barriers to voting, boost turnout
Deseret News
(4/21/18)

Utah Corrections director Rollin Cook stepping down to spend more time with family, take advantage of professional opportunities
Salt Lake Tribune
(4/18/18)

Outgoing Utah Corrections Boss Wants Prison To Make People Better Than They Arrived
KUER
(4/18/18)

Utah Corrections Director Rollin Cook stepping down
Deseret News
(4/18/18)

7 Utah jail deaths in 2017, down more than two-thirds from the year before
Ogden Standard Examiner
(4/15/18)

Tribune Editorial: Closed records threaten inmates’ lives
Salt Lake Tribune
(3/24/18)

Talking Martin Luther King Jr. 50 Years After His Assassination
Utah Public Radio (audio)
(4/04/18)

‘We are having to fire up on all cylinders’ to challenge the Trump administration, national ACLU executive director tells Utah supporters
Salt Lake Tribune
(4/04/18)

ACLU hopes to educate Utah voters about the powerful role of a prosecutor ahead of the 2018 election
Salt Lake Tribune
(4/04/18)

U.S. ICE agents' courthouse arrest of Weber Co. immigrant irks judge, lawyer
Ogden Standard Examiner
(4/02/18)

March 2018

ACLU director Anthony Romero’s Park City visit will explore ‘Civil rights in an Uncivil Time’
Park Record
(3/31/18)

Utah students expecting thousands to turn out for march to end gun violence Saturday
FOX13
(3/24/18)

Federal judge tosses lawsuit over your right to a lawyer
FOX13
(3/24/18)

After jail death controversies, Utah sheriffs post standards online
Ogden Standard Examiner
(3/15/18)

After jail death controversies, Utah sheriffs post standards online
Ogden Standard Examiner
(3/15/18)

Utah Students Demand Change as Part of National Walkouts
Associated Press
(3/14/18)

Dozens of school walkouts are planned Wednesday in Utah to mark the Florida shooting. Here’s what you should know about participating
Salt Lake Tribune
(3/13/18)

ACLU guides Utah students ahead of gun control protest (Video: 5pm) (Video: 6pm)
KUTV
(3/12/18)

Committee likely to prevent Senate hearing on bill barring Down syndrome abortions, sponsor says
Deseret News
(3/7/18)

This Is What Immigration Enforcement Looks Like Under President Trump
ACLU National "Speak Freely" Blog
(3/6/18)

Can Utah Make Justice Reform Work?
U.S. News & World Report
(3/5/18)

Letter to the Editor on Ramirez v. Reddish lawsuit
Deseret News
(3/4/18)

Here’s what you need to know about Utah’s proposed Down syndrome abortion ban
Salt Lake Tribune
(3/4/18)

Students’ Rights: Speech, Walkouts, and Other Protests
KCPW
(3/4/18)

ACLU sues over “swat-style” ICE raid on Utah family (audio)
Public News Service
(3/2/18)

Bill increasing Utah police access to drug database advances after heated debate
Deseret News
(3/2/18)

Heber family files lawsuit against federal agents for home raid
BYU Daily Universe
(3/2/18)

Familia hispana demanda a ICE alegando un allanamiento ilegal en el que les dijeron que veían “demasiado Univision”
Univision Nacional
(3/1/18)

Two men convicted under Ogden’s old gang injunction settle lawsuit with city
Salt Lake Tribune
(3/1/18)

Utah House OKs teaching refusal skills in sex ed curriculum
Deseret News
(3/1/18)

“No hicimos nada y nos trataron como criminals”: migrante en Utah
El Universal
(3/1/18)

February 2018

Bill that would halt abortions based on Down syndrome one step closer to passing
St. George News
(2/28/18)

Attorneys: Ogden has resolved suit over defunct gang rules
Deseret News
(2/28/18)

ACLU announces settlement with Ogden City regarding gang injunction lawsuit
Ogden Standard-Examiner
(2/28/18)

Familia hispana de Utah demanda a agentes de ICE por arrestos injustificados
Mundo Hipánico
(2/28/18)

ACLU, Ogden settle lawsuit over gang injunctions
FOX13
(2/28/18)

University of Utah won't keep applicants out if they are disciplined for marching against school shootings
Salt Lake Tribune
(2/28/18)

San Juan County settles Vote By Mail lawsuit
San Juan County Register
(2/27/18)

Biskupski taps attorney for justice court judgeship
Deseret News
(2/23/18)

Will Utah abolish the death penalty? (audio)
KCPW
(2/22/18)

Navajos Settle Voting Rights Lawsuit (audio)18-02-23-KCPW-Marina-DP.pdf
FronterasDesk KJZZ
(2/22/18)

Utah Senate panel gives OK to inmate addiction study bill
Deseret News
(2/22/18)

Navajos Settle Utah Voting Rights Case Over Mail-In Ballots
AP
(2/22/18)

Restoring Trust in Political Conversations
Utah Bee
(2/21/18)

Utah inmate's death highlighted in 'debtors' prison' report
Ogden Standard Examiner
(2/21/18)

Navajos make deal with San Juan County to end voting-rights lawsuit
Salt Lake Tribune
(2/21/18)

Lawsuit over vote-by-mail in San Juan Co. is settled
FOX13
(2/21/18)

Senate panel backs reports on law enforcement actions regarding students
Deseret News
(2/21/18)

Utah County Attorney speaks against proposed prosecutorial review board
Provo Daily Herald
(2/21/18)

More Utah minorities were sentenced to prison in 2017 than ever before, data show
AP
(2/20/18)

Influential Weber State black activist recalls 40 years of changes in Utah
Ogden Standard Examiner
(2/16/18)

Utah minority offenders now even more likely to get prison sentences
Ogden Standard Examiner
(2/15/18)

Study: Utah could save money with death penalty ban; bill could make it happen
Ogden Standard Examiner
(2/15/18)

Utah Lawmakers Once Again Consider Ending Death Penalty
AP
(2/14/18)

Will Utah County create a board to review complaints of prosecutor misconduct? Commissioners slated to vote next week
Salt Lake Tribune
(2/13/18)

Lawmakers will consider - again - whether to abolish the death penalty in Utah
The Salt Lake Tribune
(2/13/18)

Should Utah Constitution include protection against electronic data searches?
Deseret News
(2/13/18)

Utah lawmakers kill bill which would punish people who don't call 911
KUTV
(2/12/18)

Bill would ban policing quotas in Utah
Deseret News
(2/8/2018)

'It's really in your face': Some Utah lawmakers uncomfortable with bill making it clear that women can legally breast-feed in public
Salt Lake Tribune
(2/8/2018)

Two bills to significantly affect voting in Utah
Deseret News
(2/8/2018)

Proposal for process to legally change gender raises questions in Utah Senate hearing
Deseret News
(2/5/2018)

Controversial bill to ban Down syndrome abortions easily passes Utah House
Salt Lake Tribune
(2/5/2018)

Southern Utah legislator still has concerns about bill that would stop abortions based on Down syndrome
St. George News
(2/2/2018)

Big changes coming to sex education curriculum in Utah
KUTV
(2/2/2018)

January 2018

U. nurse Alex Wubbels testifies for bill requiring police to get warrant for blood draw
Deseret News
(1/31/18)

The ACLU is not done fighting for transparency in county jails
KUER
(1/31/2018)

Gehrke: Utah lawmakers should listen to the pros and stop considering themselves 'constitutional scholars'
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/29/2018)

The ACLU of Utah's top legislative priorities
Inside Utah Politics (ABC4)
(1/28/2018)

House panel OKs bill to make political emails on government accounts public records
Deseret News
(1/27/2018)

2018 Legislative Session: Week 1
City Weekly
(1/26/2018)

Utah House passes bill requiring police to get warrant before blood draw
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/25/2018)

If we pass this bill, we are buying ourselves a lawsuit’: A proposed abortion bill might be unconstitutional, but that’s not stopping Utah lawmakers
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/25/2018)

Lawmakers From Both Sides Of The Aisle Unveil Bills To Help Working Women, Families
KUER
(1/25/2018)

Utah bill would make abortions related to Down syndrome diagnosis illegal
BYU Daily Universe
(1/25/2018)

Lawmakers unveil slate of bills aimed to aid women, the poor
AP
(1/25/2018)

Bill would prohibit abortion when motivation for it is Down syndrome
Deseret News
(1/22/2018)

ACLU's Marina Lowe on KRCL's RadioActive Show
KRCL (audio)
(1/22/2018)

Utah cops would have to answer more questions before getting a no-knock warrant, under new proposal
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/14/2018)

‘Can you help me get out of here?’ — Utah sued over ‘inadequate’ system of care for developmentally disabled adults
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/13/2018)

After 2 days in a Utah jail for drug possession, she fell out of her bunk, ruptured her spleen and died. Now her family is suing
Salt Lake Tribune
(1/5/2018)

Mom files lawsuit over daughter's death in Davis County Jail
Deseret News
(1/4/2018)

For Native Americans, a ‘Historic Moment’ on the Path to Power at the Ballot Box
New York Times
(1/4/2018)

ACLU Scholarship Offers Financial Aid For College To Utah Youth Activists

08 October 2012 Published in Newsroom

MR_Scholarship_10-04-12.pdf For Immediate Release October 9, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The ACLU of Utah’s Youth Activist Scholarship Program, now in its sixth year, recognizes Utah high school seniors who are passionate about civil liberties, and have taken a stand to show it. Three winners, selected by a committee of educators and community leaders, are each awarded a $1000 scholarship to be used toward their first year of college. Past scholarship recipients have come from many parts of Utah including Logan, Ogden, Provo, St. George, Orem, Moab, and Salt Lake City. They have positively impacted their communities by advocating for: racial justice; immigrants' rights; equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students; increased reproductive health education; women's rights; and free speech and expression. “Every year we look forward to reviewing the scholarship applications from graduating senior high school students,” says Anna Brower, Development Director at the ACLU of Utah. “It is an inspiring experience to learn more about the outstanding Utah high school youth who advocate for civil liberties in their schools and communities.” The winners of the 2011-2012 ACLU of Utah Youth Activist Scholarship awards certainly exemplify this commitment to and passion for civil liberties.…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Utah Supreme Court Grants Hearing on “Gang Injunction”

30 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah, along with cooperating attorneys from the Salt Lake City law firm Parr, Brown, Gee & Loveless, will be appearing before the Utah Supreme Court on October 25th for a hearing on whether a controversial injunction issued in Weber County should be subject to immediate appeal in the state’s highest court. On August 20th, Weber County attorneys filed a complaint with the Second District Court in Ogden, asking the court to declare the “Ogden Trece” a public nuisance and impose a multi-faceted injunction regulating the activities of Ogden residents identified by the police as alleged members of the Ogden Trece The Ogden Trece has been described in various court filings and newspaper articles as a “criminal street gang” consisting of several hundred members and operating largely within the Ogden City limits. “Law enforcement certainly has an interest in stopping organized crime,” states ACLU of Utah Legal Director Darcy Goddard. “But there is no evidence here or elsewhere that so-called ‘gang injunctions’ are actually effective long-term. Nonetheless, in exchange for the County’s tenuous and unsupported promise of the possibility of ‘reduced crime,’ this injunction criminalizes a wide range of otherwise legal and constitutionally-protected activity, for literally hundreds of people,…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Brigham City Suspends Enforcement of Free Speech Ordinance: Free Speech For All Returns to Brigham City

13 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

As of yesterday evening, representatives of the Main Street Church have been peacefully handing out their literature on the public sidewalks surrounding the LDS Temple. The Main Street Church agreed to limit the number of its representatives to four on each side of the street. This agreement does not suspend the lawsuit filed against Brigham City. Main Street Church and the ACLU of Utah have not conceded that any past enforcement of the ordinance was constitutional. They also continue to contend that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and that it should be completely struck down by the court.

Tagged under

Press Releases

Free Speech for All Returns to Brigham City

13 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

Brigham City Suspends Enforcement of Free Speech Ordinance: Free Speech For All Returns to Brigham City FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 13, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— As of 6:30 p.m. today, Brigham City, Utah has agreed not to enforce its “Free Speech Zone Ordinance” that was challenged in federal court just two days ago by the ACLU of Utah, on behalf of Main Street Church of Brigham City. Since 6:30 p.m. today, representatives of the Main Street Church have been peacefully handing out their literature on the public sidewalks surrounding the LDS Temple. The Main Street Church agreed to limit the number of its representatives to four on each side of the street. This agreement does not suspend the lawsuit filed against Brigham City. Main Street Church and the ACLU of Utah have not conceded that any past enforcement of the ordinance was constitutional. They also continue to contend that the ordinance is unconstitutional on its face and that it should be completely struck down by the court. “We are thrilled that our clients are no longer being banned from public sidewalks merely because they would like to express their views,…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Appeals Ogden's "Gang Injunction" To Utah Supreme Court And Requests Immediate Stay

12 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah, together with cooperating attorneys David Reymann of Parr Brown Gee & Loveless and Randy Richards of Allen, Richards & Pace, today filed a Notice of Appeal in the Second Judicial District Court for Weber County appealing the court’s so-called “gang injunction” to the Utah Supreme Court. The ACLU of Utah also requested that the district court suspend the enforcement of the injunction while the appeal is pending.

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Files Complaint Challenging Brigham City's Unconstitutional "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance

11 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Files Complaint Challenging Brigham City's Unconstitutional "Free Speech Zone" Ordinance For Immediate Release September 11, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today, the ACLU of Utah filed a complaint on behalf of the Main Street Church of Brigham City challenging Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance. The suit alleges that on its face, the ordinance violates the Utah and United States Constitutions because it requires a permit for almost any conceivable form of public expression and imposes civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply. This ordinance could subject many unsuspecting people in Brigham City to liability for engaging in activities protected by the First Amendment. Because Brigham City is actively barring Main Street Church from two public sidewalks in the city, Main Street Church has also moved for a temporary restraining order to immediately prohibit Brigham City from continuing to restrict Main Street Church’s First Amendment rights to assembly, free speech, and free exercise of religion in a traditional public forum. The ACLU of Utah believes that Brigham City’s “Free Speech Zone” Ordinance turns the entire city into a place where free speech, free assembly and free exercise of religion are prohibited until people are granted a…

Tagged under

Press Releases

The ACLU of Utah Commemorates the Life of Brian Barnard

04 September 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah Commemorates the Life of Brian Barnard For Immediate Release: September 4, 2012 Brian’s death is a huge loss to the community. Whenever anyone thinks of a civil rights lawyer in Utah, they think of Brian Barnard. He has stood up for the rights of the marginalized and vulnerable for decades and has been instrumental in moving civil rights forward. Brian worked with the ACLU since the mid-1970s. He has partnered with the ACLU of Utah for nearly 40 years as a cooperating attorney on all manner of civil liberties cases. Brian had a wicked sense of humor, a passion for individual rights, and an unwavering commitment to the protection of the people on the fringes of society whose rights were most frequently under attack. One of his very first Free Speech cases with the ACLU of Utah came in 1975, when he defended a theater owner who showed the film "Deep Throat," and in so doing attacked a vague and overly broad obscenity ordinance that stifled free expression. Brian also worked on ACLU cases related to law enforcement excessive force, jail overcrowding and lack of mental health facilities, school-sanctioned prayer, the rights of protestors and…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Helps Launch Free Deferred Action Workshops for Childhood Arrivals

04 August 2012 Published in Newsroom

The Utah Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), in collaboration with other public interest groups, is sponsoring a series of free workshops throughout Utah to help those eligible for relief from deportation under the recently announced deferred action program. Supporting partners include the ACLU of Utah, Catholic Community Services, Holy Cross Ministries, the Mexican Consulate, SLC Dream Team and Mestizo Arts and Activism.

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU Seeks Details On Automatic License Plate Readers In Massive Nationwide Request

30 July 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Seeks Details On Automatic License Plate Readers In Massive Nationwide Request FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2012 INFORMATION SOUGHT ON HOW CAMERAS ARE USED BY POLICE AGENCIES AND HOW DATA IS STORED SALT LAKE CITY –American Civil Liberties Union affiliates in 35 states, including Utah, sent requests today to local police departments and state agencies that demand information on how they use automatic license plate readers (ALPR) to track and record Americans’ movements. In addition, the ACLU’s national office filed federal Freedom of Information Act requests with the departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Transportation to learn how the federal government funds ALPR expansion nationwide and uses the technology itself. ALPRs are cameras mounted on patrol cars or on stationary objects along roads – such as telephone poles or the underside of bridges –that snap a photograph of every license plate that enters their fields of view. Typically, each photo is time, date, and GPS-stamped, stored, and sent to a database, which provides an alert to a patrol officer whenever a match or “hit” appears. ALPRs are spreading rapidly around the country, but the public has little information about how they are used to track motorists’ movements, including…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Files Amicus Brief In Utah Supreme Court Arguing That Ban On Electronic Signatures In the Initiative Process Is Unconstitutional

19 July 2012 Published in Newsroom

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, along with cooperating attorneys David C. Reymann and Chad R. Derum, filed an amicus curiae brief to the Utah Supreme Court in the case of Utahns for Ethical Government v. Clerks for All Counties in the State of Utah. In its brief, the ACLU of Utah argued that a ban on counting electronic signatures in the initiative process violates the Utah Constitution.

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Reaches Out To Davis School District To Discuss Constitutional Requirements

12 June 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Reaches Out To Davis School District To Discuss Constitutional Requirements FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 12, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today the ACLU of Utah sent a letter to Superintendent Bryan Bowles of the Davis School District to request a meeting to discuss the constitutional implications of the district’s recent removal of the book “Our Mothers’ House,” by Patricia Polacco, from the shelves of a school in the district. “Federal courts have consistently concluded that the First Amendment protects student access to books in their school libraries, free from limits based on the administration’s disagreement with the viewpoints expressed in the books,” said John Mejia, Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah. “From what we know of the district’s removal of the book, we have serious concerns that the district may have fallen short of these protections.” In the letter, the ACLU of Utah pointed to several cases in which courts have ruled that the First Amendment prevents schools from limiting student access to library materials containing portrayals of LGBTQ people and noted that this situation is factually similar to those cases. The letter further casts doubt on whether the removal of the book is justified by…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU Of Utah Seeks Information On Utah Police Agencies' License Plate Data Collection

25 May 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Of Utah Seeks Information On Utah Police Agencies' License Plate Data Collection FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today, on the eve of one of the busiest driving weekends of the year, the ACLU of Utah sent GRAMA requests to the Utah Highway Patrol, the Ogden City Police Department, and the Iron County Sheriff's Office seeking information about their use of automated license plate recognition ("ALPR") technology. During this year's interim session of the Utah Legislature, the Beaver County Sheriff sought authorization for the federal Drug Enforcement Agency to use ALPR technology on certain parts of I-15. According to the sheriff, the DEA intends to capture and record the license plate of every vehicle passing along those stretches of I-15 and to store that information for two years. At the hearing on this request, it was revealed that the UHP, Ogden, and Iron County appear to already be using ALPR technology. Using such technology raises concerns about how captured license plate information is being used, protected and stored. Past experience shows that the purposes for which police use data tend to expand over time, and many such uses raise significant threats to our privacy. “We…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Utah Federal Court Protects Free Speech By Restricting Internet Law

17 May 2012 Published in Newsroom

Utah Federal Court Protects Free Speech By Restricting Internet Law FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY — People cannot be prosecuted for posting content constitutionally protected for adults on generally-accessible websites, and are not required by law to label such content that they do post, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson held yesterday. Judge Benson’s order was issued in a lawsuit challenging a Utah law that threatened the free speech rights of online content providers and Internet users. Plaintiffs included a Utah artist; trade associations representing booksellers, publishers, graphic and comic books, and librarians; and the ACLU of Utah.

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU “Mobile Rights Team” Cross-Country Tour Stops at the Latino Mall in West Valley City

07 May 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU “Mobile Rights Team” cross-country tour stops at the Latino Mall in West Valley City PRESS ADVISORY May 7, 2012 When: May 12, 2012, 3:00 – 5:00 PM Where: Latino Mall, 2470 South Redwood Road, West Valley City, UT 84119 What: “Estamos Unidos” (We Are United) is a national campaign headed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against anti-immigrant laws and federal programs that involve local police and sheriffs in immigration law enforcement. We come together to protest discrimination and defend our rights even as the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing arguments on Arizona’s discriminatory, anti-immigrant law, SB 1070. The Court heard arguments on April 25, and its decision, expected by June 2012, will have an impact on laws in states like Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah and Indiana. The ACLU Mobile Rights Team tour launched “Estamos Unidos” on Saturday April 21 in San Francisco and will be returning to California May 14 and stay through the end of May, with workshops and rallies along the way led by ACLU and immigrant rights partners. The team will cover over 5,000 miles as it travels through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana,…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU Attorneys React to Argument at Supreme Court on Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law

25 April 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Attorneys React to Argument at Supreme Court on Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law Arizona’s SB 1070 and Other Anti-Immigrant Laws Encourage Racial Profiling FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. WASHINGTON – Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project who attended this morning’s arguments at the Supreme Court stressed the need to stop SB 1070-type laws because they encourage racial profiling, harm public safety and lead to civil rights abuses. “The justices heard compelling arguments for why they should strike down a law that lays waste to some of our most cherished American values – freedom from unnecessary police intrusion and equality for all people, regardless of how they look or sound,” said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU. “Misguided laws like this one that encourage racial profiling, compromise the safety of our communities and put everyone’s fundamental civil rights at great risk should not be allowed to remain on the books.” Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, said: “The Supreme Court heard strong arguments today for rejecting Arizona's radical attempt to turn local police into immigration agents. SB 1070 flies in the face of Congress's decision to put immigration enforcement in…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU of Utah Event to Highlight Voter Suppression

25 April 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU of Utah Event to Highlight Voter Suppression MEDIA ADVISORY April 25, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Next week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah will host its 2012 Bill of Rights Celebration, featuring special guest and keynote speaker Spencer Overton of George Washington University Law School. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 2, at the Rail Event Center (235 N. 500 W) in Salt Lake City, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. All proceeds will benefit the ACLU of Utah Foundation. The theme of this year’s Celebration is “Power of the People.” As keynote speaker, Mr. Overton will address several obstacles to participatory democracy in this election year, including all manner of voter suppression tactics and manipulations of the voting process. Mr. Overton is the author of STEALING DEMOCRACY: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, which has received renewed interested in light of the 2012 presidential election. Mr. Overton has been a nationally-prominent voting rights expert and advocate for several years; he served on the Jimmy Carter – James Baker Commission of Federal Election Refund, in the wake of the 2000 presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court decision, Bush v. Gore. “Since its inception,…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Utah High School Seniors Honored For Their Social Justice and Equality Activism

13 April 2012 Published in Newsroom

Utah High School Seniors Honored For Their Social Justice and Equality Activism FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 13, 2012 ACLU of Utah 2012 Youth Activist Scholarship Recipients Announced The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah has selected three high school seniors in Utah to receive the organization’s 2012 Youth Activist Scholarship. The recipients will each receive a $1,000 scholarship, in recognition of their commitment to civil liberties through activism. The winners will be honored at the ACLU of Utah’s 2012 Bill of Rights Celebration on May 2, 2012. Since 2007, the ACLU of Utah has recognized high school seniors across Utah for their work protecting and expanding civil liberties in their schools and communities. The students are selected based not only on their activism, but also their academic excellence, leadership and tenacity in overcoming personal hardship. The winners of the 2012 Youth Activist Scholarships include: a transgender student of color who has transformed his personal challenges into inspiration for others; a young Latino immigrant fighting for racial justice and immigrant rights; and a self-proclaimed music activist seeking equal treatment and protection for LGBTQ youth. Gabriel Glissmeyer is a student at Hillcrest High School in Midvale. As a student of color…

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU Of Utah Seeks To Enjoin Statute Regulating Internet Speech

12 April 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Of Utah Seeks To Enjoin Statute Regulating Internet Speech FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY— Today, the ACLU of Utah as a plaintiff along with a coalition of booksellers, media companies, and artists, will argue a set of critical motions in the case of Florence v. Shurtleff, No. 05-CV-485 (United States District Court, District of Utah). In its motion, the ACLU of Utah seeks a ruling from the federal district court that a Utah statute restricting speech on the Internet is unconstitutional. Utah’s law seeks to regulate all Internet speech that may be considered “harmful to minors.” The law goes beyond constitutional limits, however, because it would result in restrictions on visual art, photography, graphic novels, and information about sexual health and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. For their part, the Utah Attorney General and the County Attorneys defending the law have made motions seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, or for a judgment that the law is constitutional. They contend that certain changes to the law since 2005 have solved the statute’s constitutional problems and that, in any event, plaintiffs have no standing to sue anymore. Since August 2006, a preliminary…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Court Asked To Stop State From Enforcing Utah Law Regulating Internet Speech

11 April 2012 Published in Newsroom

The ACLU of Utah as a plaintiff along with a coalition of booksellers, media companies, and artists, asked the federal district court to declare that a Utah statute restricting speech on the internet is unconstitutional. Utah’s law seeks to regulate all internet speech that may be considered “harmful to minors.” The law goes beyond constitutional limits, however, because it would result in restrictions on visual art, photography, graphic novels, and information about sexual health and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.

Tagged under

Press Releases

ACLU Of Utah Adds Federal Government to Suit Challenging Salt Lake County's Policy Of Indefinite Detention

26 March 2012 Published in Newsroom

ACLU Of Utah Adds Federal Government to Suit Challenging Salt Lake County's Policy Of Indefinite Detention FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2012 SALT LAKE CITY—Earlier today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah (“ACLU of Utah”) and cooperating attorney B. Kent Morgan of The Dyer Law Group filed an amended complaint in federal district court in the case of Uroza v. Salt Lake County, et al.. The amended complaint alleges that officials and agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, share responsibility for causing the unconstitutional and prolonged imprisonment of Enrique Uroza. The amended complaint also adds the United States as a defendant, alleging that its agents caused Mr. Uroza to be unlawfully imprisoned. On June 13, 2011, Mr. Uroza, then a 22-year old Weber State University sophomore, appeared in Utah State Court to face criminal charges (which have since been dropped or resolved). That same day, the state court set bail, which Mr. Uroza posted almost immediately. Ignoring the bail, jail officials continued to hold Mr. Uroza. The next day, Tuesday June 14, ICE requested that the jail continue to hold Mr. Uroza for no more than 48 hours. Nonetheless,…

Tagged under

Press Releases

Page 7 of 10

Joinblue

Donateblue

takeaction

ACLU Smart Justice Utah web button 2