In this country, women have a constitutional right to abortion. This month, Susan Cahill, a Montana physician’s assistant who protected that constitutional right by providing abortions in one of four abortion clinics in Montana, filed a civil lawsuit in state court against anti-abortion extremists. Anti-abortion extremist Zachary Klundt broke into her medical clinic and completely […]
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Judge orders Apple to help the FBI
On February 16, federal magistrate Sheri Pym ordered Apple to assist the FBI in gaining access to information on an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters. Apple, however, is opposing the order. The company claims that the actions the order would require threaten the security of its customers. In an open letter […]
2016 Next Generation Climate Justice Action Camp
This summer, the Civil Liberties Defense Center is hosting the third annual action camp for young people ages 14-18 to gain knowledge and skills to organize for climate justice! The camp will include a youth led public “event” focused on a climate justice campaign! July 12th-19th, 2016 at Apserkaha Park at Howard Prairie Lake!
Police in Massachusetts and New York held accountable for civil rights violations in court
Last week, victims of civil rights abuses by police scored two victories in Massachusetts and New York. In Massachusetts, in Stamps v. Framingham, the federal First Circuit Court of Appeals held that a police officer who holds a loaded gun at the head of a non-threatening, compliant individual, with the gun’s safety off, cannot avoid […]
Using open government laws to reveal the government’s secrets—and to inspire action
Just within this small sampling of recent news, we can see the impact of making a public records request: from having the FBI scramble to keep information hidden to being the seed that grew into a dynamic global campaign. As cliché as it may sound, knowledge is power—whether that’s the power to expose what’s behind […]
No New Animal Lab Fights Back Against Skanska SLAPP Injunction
Multinational, multibillion dollar corporation, Skanska, attempts to chill grassroots protest campaign through SLAPP injunctions; No New Animal Lab fights back with anti-SLAPP Special Motion to Strike
Kansas appeals court blocks abortion law
Last week, in Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt, a divided Kansas appeals court voted 7-7 to affirm a lower court’s decision to block a controversial Kansas law that essentially criminalized second trimester abortions for women in Kansas.
Federal appeals court finds police use of taser on nonviolent bystander to be unlawful
Last week, in Kent v Oakland County, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision finding that police officers could not be shielded from a civil rights lawsuit by a victim of excessive police force involving in a taser.
CounterPunch has us on their list of “10 Groups That Don’t Flinch Under Fire”
CounterPunch puts CLDC on their list of “10 Groups That Don’t Flinch Under Fire (And, Thus, Deserve Your Support)”
Transgender and Imprisoned
Prison holds a particular set of horrors for the transgender community. Until recently, American prisons housed transgender inmates by genitalia, and gender-confirming treatments of any kind were unavailable to the vast majority of transgender inmates.