Archive for June, 2009

ACLU-Vt Wins Preliminary Injunction in Barre Residency Restriction Case

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

The Washington Superior Court has granted the ACLU of Vermont`s request for a preliminary injunction in the case of Christopher Hagan, who is contesting a Barre ordinance that excludes individuals convicted of a sex offense from living in large sections of the city.

The court agreed with the ACLU`s argument that Vermont municipalities do not have the authority to enact such ordinances, noting that “Dillon`s Rule is still applicable in Vermont, and the court is unconvinced by the claim that a special exception exists for the City of Barre,” and holding that Mr. Hagan is “highly likely to succeed on the merits of this claim.”
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ACLU Wins Student Strip Search Case

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in an 8-1 decision that school officials violated the constitutional rights of a 13-year-old Arizona girl when they strip-searched her based on a classmate`s uncorroborated accusation that she previously possessed ibuprofen.

The case had drawn national attention. It arose from an incident six years ago at a rural eastern Arizona school, Safford Middle School. The target of the search, Savana Redding, along with her mother were represented by the ACLU.
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Laptop Searches At The Border

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

The ACLU has filed a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to try to learn more about searches of laptop computers and other devices carried by travelers crossing into the U.S.
A year ago CBP issued a policy that permits officials to search laptops and similar devices without suspicion of wrongdoing. The ACLU wants to know how the searches square with the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches, and other constitutional protections.
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