Category Archives: News

November 1, 2018 DENVER – The ACLU of Colorado announced this morning that it will represent Adam Wiemold, a homeless man who was charged with illegal “camping” by Fort Collins police for sleeping in his vehicle at a designated rest area where truck drivers regularly sleep in their vehicles undisturbed by police. “At the rest stop, Fort Collins police harass and ticket homeless people for sleeping in their cars, while leaving commercial truckers alone to sleep soundly through the night,”.... | Read More

The 2018 elections are critical, and we encourage everyone to vote. We do not endorse candidates, but we do take positions on initiatives that impact civil rights and civil liberties. Click here to download your 2018 Voter Guide. This year, ACLU of Colorado has taken the following positions on statewide ballot initiatives: Vote YES on Amendment A to remove slavery from the Colorado constitution: The Colorado constitution currently reads, "There shall never be in this state either slavery.... | Read More

By Emma Davis Youth Volunteer, ACLU of Colorado October 15, 2018 Since the 2016 election, I have been active in the ACLU of Colorado. I've lobbied, phone-banked, spoken at events and been to countless protests. During the legislative session, I am constantly visiting state legislators, talking to aides and working to convince our representatives to vote “yes” or “no” on certain bills. But I'm still just a teenager. Right now, my opportunities are limited, but someday, I hope to become.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/27-ag-candidate-phil-weiser This November Colorado will vote in an especially critical election with wide implications for civil rights and civil liberties. While the governor and congressional races often garner the most attention the Attorney General race is often overlooked. The Attorney General is the people's lawyer and a legal advocate for all Coloradans. The AG is responsible for protecting our state from overreach by the federal government.... | Read More

October 10, 2018 DENVER – The ACLU of Colorado sued Denver this morning on behalf of Mickey Howard, who was held in the Denver Jail for 5 days after a court ordered his release upon payment of a $10 bond, because he could not pay an additional $50 “bond fee.” According to the lawsuit, Denver has a policy of continuing to imprison people who are unable to pay a $50 “bond fee,” even when they have the money to post the bond amount set by the court. “Mr. Howard was arrested.... | Read More

By Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, ACLU of Colorado Executive Director  Would it surprise you to learn that even though Colorado was never a slave state, the Colorado Constitution still leaves a door open for legal slavery in this state? Colorado voters have the opportunity on November 6 to vote yes on Amendment A and close this constitutional loophole, finishing the constitutional abolition of slavery in Colorado. Along with the Abolish Slavery Colorado coalition and a wide array of bipartisan and.... | Read More

DENVER – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a demand letter today to Colorado State University urging the university to amend its campus police policies and training requirements following a racial profiling incident this spring. On April 30, 2018, Kanewakeron Thomas Gray and Skanahwati Lloyd Gray, two Native American brothers touring Colorado State University, were racially profiled by another member of the admissions tour. Employees of the CSU police department detained, questioned.... | Read More

DENVER – The ACLU of Colorado is proud to announce that Chuck Plunkett, Dave Krieger, Alex Landau, Amy Robertson and Tim Fox will receive our 2018 Civil Rights Awards, which will be presented at the Bill of Rights Dinner on Thursday, September 27th at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Denver. Amy Robertson and Tim Fox are co-executive directors of the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC), a nationwide civil rights organization based in Denver. Over the last several years, they have.... | Read More

DENVER – Under a settlement finalized this morning, the Colorado Department of Corrections has agreed to spend $41 million over two years to treat prisoners with hepatitis C. The funding is expected to provide treatment to all of the 2,200 Colorado prisoners currently infected with chronic hepatitis C. The settlement ends a class action lawsuit brought last year by ACLU of Colorado and its cooperating attorneys at Fox Rothschild LLP. The attorneys spent more than 1,200 hours over nearly three.... | Read More

DENVER — The ACLU of Colorado today released a report that outlines how Colorado can cut incarceration in half and save more than $675 million by 2025 by pursuing reforms to its drug policy, parole and prosecutorial practices, and sentencing laws. The Blueprint for Smart Justice includes an analysis of who is being sent to jail and prison in Colorado and the racial disparities that are present, what drives people into the system, how long people spend behind bars, and why people are imprisoned.... | Read More