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  • On November 21, 2016, 13 Aurora police officers responded to a simple noise complaint at Alberto Torres’s home. As happens all too often, Aurora police officers escalated this minor issue into a brutal affair. They beat Mr. Torres solely because he delayed exiting his garage to ask his wife to interpret for him. With that beating, the lives of Mr. Torres and every member of his family were changed and he has yet to recover. ACLU of Colorado fought to obtain justice for Mr. Torres, and Aurora has now paid him $285,000. But money is not justice, and the brutality of the Aurora Police Department against people of color has continued unabated.

    It doesn’t have to be this way.

    Imagine, if instead of 13 officers being dispatched to Mr. Torres’s home for a noise complaint, the City of Aurora sent a civilian-led response team to check on his welfare and ask that he and his friends lower their sound, resulting in a non-violent solution to a minor issue?

    ACLU Settles Case With Aurora After Police Brutalize and Unlawfully Arrest Alberto Torres

  • Hope is a discipline. It’s a commitment that together, we can create a more perfect union. We won’t rest until we fulfill the promise of equal rights for ALL people in the United States.

    Join us in our fight to fulfill this promise and move forward with hope by donating to the ACLU of Colorado. Your donation supports the ACLU’s strengths that make our work effective and collaborative.

    Donate now at https://action.aclu.org/give/support-aclu-colorado

  • Anthony Martinez is 84-years-old and suffering from renal failure, as well as other serious medical conditions including dementia. He is currently incarcerated in the Sterling Correctional Facility, site of one of Colorado’s largest COVID-19 outbreaks with almost 600 active COVID-19 cases. He and his family are understandably terrified that he will catch the virus and die.

    In the midst of this public health crisis, incarcerated people as vulnerable as Anthony, could and should be immediately released to safely live out their remaining years with family.

    Read more about Anthony Martinez and other at-risk incarcerated people. 

  • Ronald Johnson is pre-diabetic, suffers from asthma and high blood pressure, and regularly uses an inhaler to breathe. His age and respiratory ailments put him at risk of serious illness and death if he contracts COVID-19. With over hundreds of active cases in Colorado’s prisons, his family fears he will not make it out alive. His daughter, Amber, says, “In prison, he can’t protect himself and he can’t social distance. My deep fear is that my dad will die in prison. That is an awful, traumatic reality to consider. My chest is tight just thinking about how quickly it spreads and how vulnerable he is.”

    Governor Hickenlooper shortened his sentence following testimony from family, friends and correctional officers advocating for his early release. Yet, he is still eight years away from parole. While he remains in prison, COVID-19 continues to spread. Ronald’s three siblings, four children and four grandchildren are desperate for his release.

    Read more about Ronald Johnson and other at-risk incarcerated people.

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10.4.10

ACLU CALLS FOR OPENNESS ABOUT COLUMBUS DAY COMPACT

ACLU Calls for Openness about Columbus Day Compact   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 29, 2000 The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado (ACLU) calls for the full details of the Columbus Day parade agreement to be made public. In the midst of warring factions' accusations regarding civil liberties, it is imperative that Government release all relevant information. Access to information will shed light on the nature of the alleged agreement between the Columbus day parade organizers,.... | Read More

10.4.10

ACLU ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS SUIT AGAINST DENVER POLICE DEPTARTMENT

ACLU Announces Settlement of Civil Rights Suit Against Denver Police Department   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2000 The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado (ACLU) announced today that the City and County of Denver has agreed to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought against the police department as a result of a massive police response to a report of a fight at a student dance held at Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ) on May 4, 1996.   In addition to monetary compensation,.... | Read More

10.4.10

BOULDER ACLU OPPOSES MORE SCHOOL CAMERAS

Boulder ACLU Opposes More School Cameras FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2001 The Boulder County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado (ACLU) told the Boulder Valley School District that spending up to $1.5 million for new security cameras in schools is unnecessary, ineffective and a violation of student privacy rights. "Students are safer at schools than they are in their own communities. There is no justification for adopting prison-style security in schools at the expense.... | Read More

10.4.10

IMMIGRANTS UNJUSTIFIABLY DENIED MARRIAGE LICENSES, ACLU CHARGES

Immigrants Unjustifiably Denied Marriage Licenses, ACLU Charges FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2001 Immigrants seeking marriage licenses in Colorado have endured unreasonable and unjustified discrimination that violates Colorado law and the United States Constitution, according to a letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado (ACLU) to each of Colorado's 64 county clerks and recorders. The application forms for marriage licenses, which are submitted to county clerks.... | Read More

10.4.10

PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMISSION RECOMMENDS NEW POLICE PROCEDURES TO PREVENT “WHOLESALE VIOLATIONS OF CITIZENS’ CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS”

Public Safety Review Commission Recommends New Police Procedures to Prevent "Wholesale Violations of Citizens' Constitutional Rights"   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2001 The Denver Police Department "provides an open opportunity for wholesale violations of citizens' constitutional rights" because it does not require officers to record the basis for pedestrian stops and pat-down searches, according to a letter sent to Police Chief Gerald Whitman by the Denver.... | Read More

10.4.10

ACLU SUES TO CHALLENGE TEN COMMANDMENTS AT GRAND JUNCTION CITY HALL

ACLU Sues to Challenge Ten Commandments at Grand Junction City Hall   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2001 In a lawsuit filed today in federal district court in Denver, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado (ACLU) charged that the City of Grand Junction unconstitutionally promotes religion by displaying a granite Ten Commandments monument in a prominent location at the entrance to City Hall. "The Constitution requires that the government remain neutral toward religious.... | Read More