In Colorado, Freedom Should Mean Freedom for Everyone
(From the ACLU Blog of Rights)
By Charlie Craig
It's an old tradition that a year after a couple's wedding, they eat a slice of their wedding cake.
What's less traditional?
Almost two years after getting married, sitting in court listening to legal debate about whether a bakery was allowed to discriminate against me and my husband because of the owner's religious beliefs.
This, of course, is not a hypothetical.
In July 2012, I went with my then husband-to-be Dave and.... | Read More
Where do your legislators stand on civil liberties issues?
At the end of each legislative session, we tally the votes for 8 bills that we think best represent civil liberties issues facing Colorado today and provide a score for each Colorado State Representative and Senator. Take a look at this year's Legislative Scorecard to see whether or not your legislators were champions for civil liberties.
| Read More
Supreme Court: An IQ Point or Two Shouldn’t Determine Who Lives and Who Dies
(From the ACLU Blog of Rights)
By Cassandra Stubbs, ACLU Capital Punishment Project
IQ tests are intrinsically imprecise. On one, Freddie Lee Hall scored 71. On other tests, he's gotten various scores between 60 and 75.
The problem for Mr. Hall is that until today, scoring over 70 on even one IQ test gave Florida the green light to execute him. That one time score of 71 put Mr. Hall just over the line in the sand drawn by the state's legislature, after the 2002 Supreme Court decision.... | Read More
A Mother Who Won’t Be Denied Truth and Justice
In the wake of horrible tragedy, solace is often found in knowing that the truth will be sought, and justice will be delivered.
For the last 15 years, Jessica Lenahan, who lost her three daughters in a domestic violence incident, has been denied the truth about what really happened to her children and, therefore, the justice that she and all victims rightly deserve.
In June 1999, Rebecca, Katheryn, and Leslie Gonzales were kidnapped by their father, Simon Gonzales, and discovered dead in his vehicle.... | Read More
Gov. signs debtors’ prison ban into law
Last Friday, Governor Hickenlooper signed into law HB 1061, a bill to eliminate debtors' prisons in Colorado.
An overwhelming majority in the legislature supported HB1061, which will end the expensive and inhumane practice by local municipalities of jailing people who cannot afford to pay fees or fines.
The bill, sponsored by Thornton Rep. Joe Salazar, is the result of a two-year statewide ACLU investigation into the use of debtors' prison practices by municipal courts.
Public Policy Director.... | Read More
Map: Colorado Counties and ICE Detainers
Is your county sheriff still honoring detainer requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement?
imap5.init({usermap:40872302,local:true,base:"http://share.imapbuilder.com/view/6437004/f4618add470ebbcb9746a6f98ac95091/"});
Green = counties that will no longer honor ICE detainer requests
The ACLU of Colorado sent letters to every sheriff in the state calling into question the legal authority to detain people for up to 6 days at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheriffs.... | Read More
