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ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Louisiana Inmate Punished for Mother's Internet Ad Seeking Legal Help for Her Son (09/18/2003)
BATON ROUGE, LA- In a federal lawsuit filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana charged officials at the state penitentiary at Angola with violating an inmate's rights when they punished him because his mother posted an online advertisement seeking legal assistance for her son.

ACLU Applauds Senate Block of New FCC Media Rules, Calls Bipartisan Vote a Victory for Marketplace of Ideas (09/16/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Senate for adopting a resolution that seeks to repeal new media ownership rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), saying that if the rule remains in place, media monopolies would stifle an open and diverse exchange of views on the nation's airwaves.

ACLU of New Jersey Successfully Challenges Subpoena for Student Journalist's Death Penalty Documentary Notes (09/08/2003)
NEWARK - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey announced today that a federal court has blocked the forced disclosure of video-taped interviews that Rowan University student Jason Kitchen had created for a documentary about a New Jersey death row inmate.

Pennsylvania Town Suspends Restrictions on Door-to-Door Canvassing Under Threat of ACLU Lawsuit (08/28/2003)
PITTSBURGH -- Officials in Kennedy Township in Western Pennsylvania today agreed to the American Civil Liberties Union's request that it suspend enforcement of a new ordinance that restricts peoples' right to go door-to-door to discuss political, religious and other issues face-to-face with community residents.

ACLU of Ohio Sues Parma Heights Officials for Attempting to Silence Critics During Memorial Day Parade (08/26/2003)
CLEVELAND - The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today filed a federal lawsuit against officials in Parma Heights who threatened to arrest residents who were distributing leaflets critical of the Mayor and stopped a city councilman and his daughter from wearing shirts supporting his candidacy during a Memorial Day parade.

ACLU Returns to Court in Controversy Over Free Speech On Salt Lake City's "Main Street Plaza" (08/07/2003)
SALT LAKE CITY - The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah today returned to court in the controversy over the Mormon Church's ability to restrict free speech rights on the city's Main Street Plaza, saying that city officials have failed to respect a federal court ruling that the plaza is a public forum.

ACLU of Florida Urges Libraries to Warn Patrons of Government's New Domestic Spying Powers (07/30/2003)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today urged librarians statewide to post placards in libraries that warn the public about an invasive provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that expands the FBI's power to spy on ordinary people living in the United States.

ACLU of Massachusetts Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Harvard Newspaper Seeking Release of Campus Police Records (07/29/2003)
CAMBRIDGE, MA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and The Harvard Crimson filed a lawsuit today to force Harvard University to release campus police records, calling the lawsuit a landmark case for accountability of police departments at private universities in Massachusetts and possibly in other states as well.

ACLU of Tennessee Challenges Local Ban on Fortune Telling (07/24/2003)
NASHVILLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman whose free speech rights are being violated because of a local city ordinance prohibiting fortune telling.

Ohio Appeals Court Overturns First-Ever Conviction for Writings in Private Diary (07/17/2003)
COLUMBUS, OH -- A state appeals court today reversed the conviction of Brian Dalton, who had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for recording fantasies of child molestation in a secret journal. The conviction gained international attention as the first time that an American had been sentenced to prison over the content of his private diary.

ACLU of Hawaii Files Lawsuit Over Use of City's "Family Day" Festival to Promote Christianity (07/14/2003)
HONOLULU-The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii today filed a lawsuit against city officials here charging that a recent city-sponsored "Family Day" festival impermissibly entwined government with religion because it promoted fundamentalist Christian beliefs and raised money for fundamentalist Christian organizations.

ACLU Applauds State Attorney General's Commitment to Protect Californian's Civil Liberties and Rights (07/14/2003)
SACRAMENTO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California today applauded Attorney General Bill Lockyer for agreeing to implement a series of guidelines ensuring that the state will no longer monitor and collect information on activists and First Amendment activity.

High Court Rejects Utah Church's Appeal in "Main Street" Case Over Ability to Restrict Free Speech in Public Area (06/23/2003)
SALT LAKE CITY - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the Supreme Court's rejection of an appeal in a challenge to the Mormon Church's ability to restrict free speech rights in a public area of the city's Main Street Plaza here.

Federal Magistrate Judge in North Carolina Rules in Favor of Woman Accused of "Dirty Dancing" (06/20/2003)
RALEIGH, NC-The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina today welcomed the decision of a federal magistrate judge that city officials in the town of Marshall cannot deny a local woman entrance to a weekly town dance because they deem her dance moves inappropriate.

ACLU of Ohio Defends State Supreme Court Justice's Free Speech Rights in Lawsuit Over Election Campaign (06/04/2003)
CLEVELAND --The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today filed legal papers defending Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor against ethical charges stemming from her 2002 judicial election campaign.

Honolulu Prosecutor Illegally Used Powers of Office to Campaign for Ballot Initiative, ACLU Lawsuit Charges (05/21/2003)
HONOLULU -- Local prosecutor Peter Carlisle violated city laws as well as the free speech rights of taxpayers when he improperly spent nearly $2,500 in public funds and used other public resources to campaign for the passage of Ballot Question 3 in last year's general election, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i charged in a lawsuit filed today.

Arizona Judge Strikes Down Law that Censored Anti-Death Penalty Web Sites (05/15/2003)
PHOENIX -- The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a federal judge's ruling permanently striking down a state law that punishes prisoners who post information about themselves on the Internet and denies organizations the right to post information about prisoners on their own web sites.

NYCLU Says NYPD's Handling of Protestors Needs Improvement in Time for Republican Convention (04/28/2003)
NEW YORK--Saying that law enforcement crowd control tactics should be improved in time for next year's Republican Convention here, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) today called on city officials to implement quick reforms. The NYCLU's suggested changes were highlighted in a 40-page report, released today on the steps of City Hall.

ACLU Urges Baseball Hall of Fame to Let the Show - and Democracy - Go On (04/18/2003)
NEW YORK - In a letter sent today to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the American Civil Liberties Union urged president Dale Petroskey to reconsider his decision to cancel a 15th anniversary celebration of the movie ""Bull Durham"" because stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon have spoken out against the war in Iraq.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds VA Cross-Burning Ban But Sends Law Back to State Court for Refinement (04/07/2003)
RICHMOND, VA - The United States Supreme Court today ruled that KKK member Barry Black could not be convicted of a crime under Virginia's cross-burning statute because of the law's unconstitutional presumption that all cross-burning is intended to intimidate. However, the court upheld the other main provision of the law, which allows the banning of cross-burning when it can be shown that its purpose it to intimidate others.