Class Action Challenges Denver Police Spy Files: American Friends Service Committee v. City and County of Denver

At a news conference on March 11, 2002, the ACLU of Colorado disclosed documents that revealed the existence of the Denver Police Department's "Spy Files." The documents showed that Denver police were monitoring and recording the peaceful protest activities of Denver-area residents and keeping files on the expressive activities of law-abiding advocacy organizations, in many cases falsely labeling them as "criminal extremist."

Later that month, the ACLU filed this class action lawsuit on behalf of three organizations and three individuals who were the subjects of "Spy Files." After extensive discovery, Denver agreed to a settlement the following year that restricted political spying and provided multiple additional changes in policy and practice.

For more information on the Denver Spy Files controversy:

• Overview: the Denver Police Spy Files
• Chronology of the Spy Files controversy
• Sample documents from the Denver police Spy Files
• Denver police Spy Files reveal political spying by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force
• Dozens of Colorado law enforcement agencies swap spying information at meetings of the Multi-Agency Group Intelligence Conference (MAGIC)
• Does your name appear in the Spy Files?
• What is a "criminal extremist"?
• Overview of FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
• Media coverage of the Spy Files controversy