Category Archives: Issues
ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Douglas County School District, Sheriff and SROs for Handcuffing an 11-year-old Child With Autism
March 9, 2021 DENVER – ACLU of Colorado filed suit today against the Douglas County School District, Douglas County Sheriff and several School Resource Officers (SROs) after they aggressively handcuffed an eleven-year-old Hispanic child with autism and left him in a patrol car for hours, causing him to become so dysregulated that he banged his head repeatedly and sustained injuries. Without seeking medical attention, officers drove the child to a juvenile detention center and placed him in.... | Read More
ACLU Challenges Subdivision Rules Prohibiting Residents From Displaying Pride Flags, Social Justice Signs
February 23, 2021 DENVER – ACLU of Colorado filed suit today in federal court to challenge a subdivision’s rules that arbitrarily prohibit residents from displaying certain flags and signs on their own property. David Pendery, the ACLU’s client, wishes to display a Pride flag at his home to convey solidarity with LGBTQ+ families like his. He also wants to post a “We believe …” sign to encourage inclusivity and kindness. But both signs are prohibited by the rules of the Whispering Pines.... | Read More
Colorado Coalition Condemns Hickenlooper for Vote Against Stimulus
300 Colorado Advocates Call on Senator to Protect Undocumented Immigrants February 8, 2021 DENVER – In a letter released Monday, February 8, a coalition of 300 concerned organizations, elected officials, businesses and community members called on Sen. John Hickenlooper to commit to supporting Colorado’s impacted communities and to deliver the necessary aid and protection he promised to all Coloradans. The letter came in response to the senator’s symbolic vote to block stimulus payments.... | Read More
NFL Professional Athletes Call on Governor Polis to Safely Release People from Prison
DENVER – In an ad launched today, local NFL professional athletes have teamed up with ACLU of Colorado, urging Governor Jared Polis to use his clemency powers to safely release medically vulnerable people from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ad is part of the launch of Colorado’s Redemption Campaign, a statewide initiative to liberate thousands of people who pose no public safety risk from Colorado prisons by challenging Governor Polis to use existing clemency powers in new and transformational.... | Read More
ACLU of Colorado Statement on Governor’s Use of Clemency
December 23, 2020 The following statement can be attributed to Denise Maes, ACLU of Colorado Public Policy Director. This afternoon, Governor Jared Polis announced that he is exercising his clemency power to release four people from prison who deserve a second chance. We know these releases mean a great deal to these four families, and we are celebrating with them. In granting clemency as he has done, Governor Polis leads Colorado in a small step toward redemption and compassion. We note.... | Read More
ACLU of Colorado Presents Premiere Screening of “The Facility” Documentary About GEO Facility in Aurora
December 17, 2020 Seguido en español. DENVER – ACLU of Colorado, in partnership with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) and the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA), will host a virtual premiere screening of “The Facility,” a short documentary about the GEO immigration detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. The screening will be followed by a Q&A panel with the film director, former detainees, and immigration advocates who were featured in the film. This film.... | Read More
ACLU and Civil Rights Attorneys File Class Action Lawsuit Against El Paso County Sheriff for Deliberately Denying Masks and COVID-19 Protections to Incarcerated People
December 14, 2020 DENVER – As COVID-19 raged throughout Colorado jails and prisons, and more than 800 detainees at the El Paso County Jail tested positive for the virus, jail staff told incarcerated people begging for help: “we’re just going to let the virus run its course.” On Sunday, ACLU of Colorado and three private attorneys filed a class action lawsuit against the sheriff in federal court. The lawsuit, based on hundreds of letters and dozens of interviews, seeks an expedited hearing.... | Read More
ACLU Settles Case With Aurora After Police Brutalize and Unlawfully Arrest Alberto Torres
December 10, 2020 Seguido en español. DENVER – ACLU of Colorado announced today a $285,000 settlement on behalf of Jamie Alberto Torres Soto, a Latino man who was illegally ordered out of his home and unjustifiably beaten by Aurora Police officers who were called to investigate a noise complaint. The lawsuit detailed not only a vicious attack on Mr. Torres but a widespread pattern of racially biased policing in Aurora with little accountability. “While the size of Mr. Torres’ settlement.... | Read More
ACLU and Weld County Sheriff Resolve Class Action COVID-19 Lawsuit Concerning County Jail
December 1, 2020 DENVER – ACLU of Colorado and the Weld County Sheriff have come to a resolution of last April’s class action lawsuit over Sheriff Reams’ failure to take adequate measures to protect people in his jail from COVID-19. Reams and ACLU jointly asked the federal court in Denver to enter a consent decree to memorialize the terms of the resolution. “Last spring, COVID-19 was spreading quickly through the Weld County Jail, and only action by the court and agreement by both parties.... | Read More
We Won, but the Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues.
We have a lot to celebrate after Election Day. Here in Colorado, we defeated Prop 115 to keep abortion bans out of our state. And with record-breaking ballots cast nationwide, thanks in large part to deep organizing by people of color, we are setting the stage to protect reproductive freedom for all. With a SCOTUS hostile to abortion rights and anti-abortion advocates determined to overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s more important than ever to safeguard abortion access in Colorado. We have momentum,.... | Read More
Return to Search