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ACLU Charges Racial Discrimination in Second Texas Drug Bust Scandal (11/01/2002)
AUSTIN, TX--The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a class action lawsuit charging racial discrimination in an undercover drug bust that led to the arrest of 15 percent of African-American men between the ages of 18 and 34 in Hearne, a rural community of 5,000 in eastern Texas.

Unanimous Federal Appeals Court Rejects Government's Attempt to Punish Doctors for Recommending Medical Marijuana (10/29/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO-- In a resounding rejection of the government's attempt to undermine the growing number of state medical marijuana laws, a federal appeals court today unanimously ruled that the government cannot revoke the licenses of California doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

Federal Appeals Court Refuses to Resurrect Cincinnati Drug Zone Law (09/26/2002)
CINCINNATI--In affirming a lower court decision to invalidate a Cincinnati drug law, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit today for the first time recognized an individual's constitutional right to travel freely.

South Dakota School Officials Terrorized Kindergarten Classes with Drug-Sniffing Dogs, ACLU Charges (07/25/2002)
SIOUX FALLS, SD--The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of 17 Native American students - some as young as six years old - who were terrorized when public school officials and law enforcement officers brought in a German Shepherd to conduct a suspicionless drug sweep of all K-12 classrooms. One of the plaintiffs in the case, Jonathan Heth, 2nd grade

Highs and Lows: Rulings on Death Penalty, Vouchers and Drug Testing Close Supreme Court's 2001 Term (06/28/2002)
NEW YORK--The Supreme Court's decision banning execution of the mentally retarded represented the high water mark for civil liberties during the 2001 Term that ended yesterday. But that victory was offset by decisions upholding school vouchers and student drug testing, both issued on the final day of the Term.

Ignoring Expert Advice, Supreme Court Expands School Drug Testing of Students (06/27/2002)
NEW YORK-The Supreme Court today narrowly upheld school drug testing of students involved in extracurricular activities, a decision the American Civil Liberties Union said will only set up more barriers to keeping children off drugs.

ACLU Urges Congress to Prevent Unfair Eviction of Innocent Tenants, Domestic Violence Victims (06/18/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged support in Congress for legislation to protect innocent tenants - including victims of domestic violence - from being unfairly evicted under a misguided policy that revokes eligibility for public housing tenants because of the wrongdoing of others.

ACLU Urges End to Discriminatory Crack vs. Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity, Restore Rationality to Sentencing Policy (05/22/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a Senate subcommittee to support the repeal of dramatic disparities in sentencing policy between crack and powder cocaine, saying that sentences for crack offenses are extraordinarily and unnecessarily harsh and must be lessened. 

ACLU Endorses Repeal of Unfair Financial Aid Denials (05/21/2002)
WASHINGTON - Concerned that more than 80,000 students - many of whom are persons of color and of limited means - have lost their financial aid because of predominantly minor drug convictions, the American Civil Liberties Union today joined with a large and diverse coalition formed to endorse a full repeal to the misguided law mandating this loss of aid. 

ACLU Applauds Changes to Aid Restoration of Voting Rights in Florida, Urges Governor to Make Process Automatic (04/24/2002)
MIAMI--In a little publicized but important change, Florida's Office of Executive Clemency, together with the Florida Parole Commission, recently posted a shortened and simplified online version of the form that ex-felons must use to apply for restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote. 

Federal Appeals Court Hears Arguments Today in Medical Marijuana Case with National Impact (04/08/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO--In a case that will likely decide the fate of most of the nation's medical marijuana laws, today the American Civil Liberties Union is urging a federal appeals court to uphold a ruling that the government cannot revoke the licenses of California doctors who recommend the medical use of marijuana to their patients. 

Calling Administration Position Extreme, ACLU Urges Rational End to Discriminatory Cocaine Sentencing Disparity (03/19/2002)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the United States Sentencing Commission to redouble its efforts to abolish the dramatic disparities in sentencing policy between crack and powder cocaine, and called the Administration's proposal to lessen the disparity by increasing powder sentences "extreme."