Criminal Law Reform
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Arizona
Oct 2023
Criminal Law Reform
Racial Justice
Fund for Empowerment v. Phoenix, City of
Fund for Empowerment is a challenge to the City of Phoenix’s practice of conducting sweeps of encampments without notice, issuing citations to unsheltered people for camping and sleeping on public property when they have no place else to go, and confiscating and destroying their property without notice or process.
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2023
Criminal Law Reform
McElrath v. Georgia
Does the Double Jeopardy Clause bar an appellate court from reviewing and setting aside a jury’s verdicts of acquittal on the ground that the verdict is inconsistent with the jury’s verdict on other charges?
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2023
Criminal Law Reform
Pulsifer v. United States
This case involves the interpretation of a federal law that allows defendants to avoid mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug crimes, allowing judges to impose sentences tailored to their individual circumstances.
Texas
Jul 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Prisoners' Rights
Sanchez et al v. Dallas County Sheriff et al
Decarceration has always been an emergency, a life and death proposition, but COVID-19 makes this effort intensely urgent. The ACLU has been working with our partners to litigate for the rights of those who are incarcerated and cannot protect themselves because of the policies of the institutions in which they are jailed.
All Cases
154 Criminal Law Reform Cases
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Florida v. Harris
Whether the police may conduct a warrantless search for drugs based solely on an alert by a drug-sniffing dog without any other evidence of the dog's reliability so long as the dog has been "trained" or "certified."
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U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Florida v. Harris
Whether the police may conduct a warrantless search for drugs based solely on an alert by a drug-sniffing dog without any other evidence of the dog's reliability so long as the dog has been "trained" or "certified."
U.S. Supreme Court
Aug 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Bailey v. United States
Whether someone who has left the immediate vicinity of a house that is about to be searched may be seized by the police without probable cause.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Aug 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Bailey v. United States
Whether someone who has left the immediate vicinity of a house that is about to be searched may be seized by the police without probable cause.
Court Case
Mar 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Barnes v. Camden
In July 2010, the ACLU and the ACLU of New Jersey filed a lawsuit on behalf of an innocent Camden, New Jersey man, Joel Barnes, who was jailed for more than a year as the result of having drugs planted on him by police officers later implicated in a large-scale evidence-planting conspiracy affecting nearly 200 other Camden residents. Mr. Barnes is seeking compensatory damages, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent such conduct among Camden police officers from occurring in the future.
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Court Case
Mar 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Barnes v. Camden
In July 2010, the ACLU and the ACLU of New Jersey filed a lawsuit on behalf of an innocent Camden, New Jersey man, Joel Barnes, who was jailed for more than a year as the result of having drugs planted on him by police officers later implicated in a large-scale evidence-planting conspiracy affecting nearly 200 other Camden residents. Mr. Barnes is seeking compensatory damages, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent such conduct among Camden police officers from occurring in the future.
Court Case
Jan 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Arizona v. U.S.
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Court Case
Jan 2012
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Arizona v. U.S.
U.S. Supreme Court
Oct 2011
Criminal Law Reform
Messerschmidt v. Millender
Whether a police officer can be held liable for executing a search warrant when it is objectively unreasonable to believe that the warrant is supported by probable cause.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Oct 2011
Criminal Law Reform
Messerschmidt v. Millender
Whether a police officer can be held liable for executing a search warrant when it is objectively unreasonable to believe that the warrant is supported by probable cause.