Class action challenges Denver Police Spyfiles: American Friends Service Committee v. City and County of Denver

< TO SPY FILES OVERVIEW

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

• "ACLU calls for Denver police to stop keeping files on peaceful protesters," ACLU News Release, March 11, 2002
• "ACLU of Colorado files class action lawsuit challenging Denver police Spyfiles on peaceful protest activities," ACLU News Release, March 28, 2002
• "Colorado Springs police surveillance information appears in Denver Spy Files," ACLU News Release, November 21, 2002
• "Denver police planned on air force help in gathering information for spy files," ACLU News Release, January 22, 2003
• "ACLU and Denver officials agree to resolve lawsuit over Denver police Spy Files," ACLU News Release, April 17, 2003

2002-03