Archive for August, 2009

An Evening Without (Sept. 30, 2009)

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Observe Banned Books Week with ACLU-Vt and famous Vermont writers reading from books subjected to bans, or whose authors were denied entry to the United States.  Join us at 7 p.m. at the Norwich Congregational Church in Norwich.

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ACLU Dislodges Torture Report

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

A lawsuit filed in 2003 by the ACLU has changed the conversation in Washington about government misconduct in interrogations of terrorism suspects.

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Collecting DNA

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Ground has been broken on a new $12-million state crime lab in Waterbury. One of the main reasons for its construction is to provide vastly larger space for DNA collection.

More space is urgently needed because of a provision in a sex offender bill passed this year. S. 13 mandates that DNA be collected from anyone arraigned on felony (and some misdemeanor) charges.

The provision was controversial, for two reasons. (more…)

Fighting Racial Profiling

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Collection of racial data by four Chittenden County police departments is underway, and will be examined for signs of racial profiling.

The voluntary effort — which involves departments in Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, and the University of Vermont — is the result of complaints by minority residents that police were stopping them more often than Caucasian drivers, simply because of their skin color. (more…)