Welcome To CLDC
The Civil Liberties Defense Center is a nonprofit organization focused on defending and upholding civil liberties through education, outreach, litigation, legal support and assistance. The Civil Liberties Defense Center strives to preserve the strength and vitality of the Bill of Rights and the U.S. and state constitutions, as well as to protect freedom of expression.
Ending the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
On March 12, 2009, Joseph Buddenberg, Mary Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo were indicted in Northern California, San Jose Division for conspiracy (18U.S.C. 371) and force, violence, and threats involving animal enterprises (18U.S.C. 43). Download the indictment (pdf).
On May 21, 2009, the Civil Liberties Center, Center for Constitutional Rights and other civil rights attorneys moved to dismiss the indictments (read the motion to dismiss pdf.) against 4 individuals charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (.doc) which labels the activist as "terrorists" even though they are charged with protesting, chalking the sidewalk, chanting and leafleting, and using "the internet to find information on bio-medical researchers." All of these are clearly and traditionally protected under the first amendmant. (Read more doc.)
On June 13, 2010, Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the Northern District of California dismissed the inditment against the four animal rights activists. The Court ruled that the US Government could not proceed under the current indictment because the charges were so vague and general as to fail to provide defendants with notice as to what they were alleged to have done to violate the law.
Current Projects:
Tasers and the Police: A Deadly Combination
Tasers do not decrease the likelihood that police will use deadly force. In fact, tasers are deadly force. The Civil Liberties Center is working to educate the community about this commonly used compliance device. Check out our trifold in English (pdf) or in Spanish (pdf). Please feel free to reprint and distribute.
Green Scare
The Civil Liberties Center is working to fight against the Green Scare, the governments unconstitutional attack on environmental and animal rights activists, by conducting research, participating in public outreach and education, and assisting with the legal defense of non-cooperating defendants. We are also providing attorney referrals for various individuals and have assisted their attorneys with various legal issues.