News & Commentary

The ACLU of Colorado announced today that it will provide free criminal defense services to Shane Boor, a 35-year-old Colorado man with no criminal record who faces criminal prosecution and a jail sentence for displaying his middle finger to an officer of the Colorado State Patrol.

“Recklessly deficient” police training asserted as a contributing factor in wrongful shooting death."

As final settlement of a federal-court lawsuit filed last year, Jefferson County will pay $40,000 to ACLU client Luis Quezada, who spent 47 days illegally imprisoned in the Jefferson County jail in 2009 after federal immigration authorities said they wanted to investigate whether he was violating immigration laws.

Yesterday, under pressure from the ACLU, the Moffat County School District made public – through a post on its website – that students will now be permitted to wear “I ♥ Boobies! Keep a Breast!” bracelets at school without fear of reprisal. This announcement comes in response to a letter sent by the ACLU of Colorado last week demanding that the Moffat County School District rescind its illegal ban of the bracelets.

The ACLU of Colorado has joined the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, the Denver Branch NAACP, members of the family of Marvin L. Booker, and their attorneys, to call for the Department of Justice to investigate the use of force and a pattern of civil rights violations by Denver law enforcement.

In a letter to school administrators sent today, the ACLU of Colorado demanded that the Moffat County School District rescind its ban against students wearing “I ♥ Boobies! Keep a Breast!” bracelets in support of breast cancer awareness. Although the bracelets had caused no disruption in school, the school district banned them because some school administrators found the word “boobies” to be offensive. The ACLU’s letter says that the ban is a clear violation of students’ First Amendment right to free expression.

In legal papers filed today, the ACLU of Colorado asked the Colorado Supreme Court to review Boulder’s controversial “no camping” ordinance, which targets homeless residents who are forced to sleep outside at night.

For Immediate ReleaseApril 25, 2011Contact: Rosemary Harris Lytle, Communications Director303.777.5482, ext. 111 (office) 719.233.0243 (cell) [email protected]