Asserting the First Amendment rights of its customers, the Tattered Cover Bookstore challenged a search warrant obtained by police that sought information about all books purchased by a customer in a 30-day period. The ACLU of Colorado filed an amicus brief arguing that the state constitutional right of free expression requires special procedural protections when the government seeks information about who is reading which particular books. In a groundbreaking opinion that recognizes the dangers posed by government monitoring of citizens’ reading habits, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of the bookstore. Tattered Cover v. City of Thornton, 44 P.3d 1044 (Colo. 2002).
ACLU news release:
- "ACLU celebrates Tattered Cover court decision," ACLU News Release, April 9, 2002
Media:
-
“Judge: Cops can seize bookstore records,” The Denver Post, October 21, 2000
-
“Tattered Cover Case Heard by Colorado Supreme Court,” American Booksellers Association, December 7, 2001
-
“Court Overturns Bookstore Ruling,” Wired, April 9, 2002
-
“Bookstore’s records ruled safe from search warrant,” Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, April 10, 2002
-
“Colorado Supreme Court Says Tattered Cover Doesn't Have to Turn Over Customer Records,” American Booksellers Association, April 11, 2002
-
“Colorado High Court Backs Tattered Cover,” Publishers Weekly, A pril 15, 2002
-
“Tattered Cover owner Joyce Meskis – a First Amendment ‘hero’,” Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, October 10, 2015
ACLU case number
2001-01
