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Criminal Justice

The Bill of Rights protects us against suspicionless searches and seizures. It guarantees due process to individuals who are accused of crimes and humane treatment to those who are incarcerated. The ACLU works to ensure that our criminal justice system indeed is just.
Stop the school to prison pipeline
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Washington Needs Bail Reform: Download No Money, No Freedom
Driven to Fail: Exposing the costs & ineffectiveness of Washington's most commonly charged crime
The death penalty is arbitrary, unfair, and racially biased. The ACLU of Washington argued before the Washington Supreme Court to end it.

Resources

Lawmakers should act to ensure a parent’s incarceration doesn’t sever the bond with their child

Published: 
Monday, July 25, 2016
A ruling by the Washington Supreme Court has undercut the effectiveness of a law intended to maintain the bonds between incarcerated parents and their children. The Legislature needs to act to make sure the law can still make a difference in the lives of children.
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WA Supreme Court: Lakewood’s ban on panhandling violates free speech rights

Published: 
Friday, July 22, 2016
The State Supreme Court has found that Lakewood’s law banning panhandling in certain areas violates free speech rights. The ruling is a vindication of the rights of homeless people.
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Appeals court rules man sentenced under ill-conceived Drug War laws can seek reduced sentence

Published: 
Friday, June 17, 2016
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Washington man sentenced to 18 years in prison under excessively harsh guidelines from the War on Drugs is eligible to seek a reduction in his sentence.
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ACLU urges the court: A parent’s incarceration shouldn’t sever the bond with their children

Published: 
Friday, June 10, 2016
The ACLU-WA and allies have filed briefs in two cases before the Washington Supreme Court urging it to support a law designed to maintain the relationship between incarcerated parents and their children.
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ACLU-WA Applauds Supreme Court Rejection of Challenge to Colorado Marijuana Law

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The ACLU of Washington is glad that the U.S. Supreme Court today denied Nebraska and Oklahoma’s challenge to Colorado’s marijuana legalization and regulation law.
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Injunction Sought to Bar DSHS from Using Jails to Treat Mental Illness

Published: 
Friday, March 18, 2016
Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit A.B/Trueblood v. DSHS filed a motion last night in U.S. District Court seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
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Facts, not fear-mongering, should guide youth sentencing

Published: 
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Youth are categorically different from adults. They are more impulsive, less able to fully comprehend the consequences of their actions, and hold greater promise for rehabilitation.
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