It's Time to Close a Loophole in the Constitution's Double Jeopardy Rule
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-12
State and federal prosecutors should not be permitted to prosecute someone twice for the same offense. | The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment states that no one can be tried more than once for the same crime. The clause is designed to protect people from the danger of multiple prosecutions by overzealous prosecutors. Yet, since 1922, the Supreme Court has undermined this clause with an exception that allows state and federal prosecutors to bring separate charges for the same alleged crime. As a result, people can be prosecuted twice for the same offense — so long as the prosecutors are from sep…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/its-time-close-loophole-constitutions-double-jeopardy-rule

A Louisiana Mayor's Ban of Nike Products Violates the First Amendment
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-12
The city of Kenner's policy of preventing booster clubs from buying or accepting delivery of Nike products is unconstitutional. | The mayor of Kenner, Louisiana, doesn't seem to like Colin Kaepernick much. He also doesn't seem too happy that the sports merchandise juggernaut Nike made Kaepernick the face of its new "Dream Crazy" campaign. But instead of simply expressing his personal opinion, he's trying to use the power of his public office to prevent others from expressing their support for Colin Kaepernick. | And that's unconstitutional. | On Sept. 5, Kenner Mayor E. "Ben" Zahn III issued a memorandum prohib…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/louisiana-mayors-ban-nike-products-violates-first-amendment

A Missouri Town Will Finally Stop Banishing Residents for Reporting Domestic Violence
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-12
In a sweeping settlement, the city of Maplewood has agreed to overhaul an ordinance that discourages crime victims from coming forward. | In cities across America, calling 911 can get you evicted. This week, a city less than 10 miles outside of St. Louis agreed to stop enforcing this inhumane policy as part of an extensive settlement. | Last year, we filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Rosetta Watson, a domestic violence survivor who was kicked out of her home and city because…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/violence-against-women/missouri-town-will-finally-stop-banishing-residents

Former Independent Counsel Who Spearheaded Clinton Impeachment Has Some Very Bad News for Donald Trump
David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement | alternet.org | 2018-09-12
"No one is above the law. " | Ken Starr has some really bad news for President Donald Trump. The former independent counsel whose investigation directly led to the impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton says, "I think the president can be indicted. "Starr is no liberal lawyer. He served as President G. . .
alternet.org/former-independent-counsel-who-spearheaded-clinton-impeachment-has-some-very-bad-news-donald-trump

NAACP President Derrick Johnson to Join Congressional Black Caucus Panels and Workshops on Voting, Activism, and State Of Black America
Juliana Bolden | naacp.org | 2018-09-12
Washington, D.C. — The president of the nation's foremost civil rights organization, Derrick Johnson will join Congressional Black Caucus leaders, esteemed civil rights leaders, influencers and advocates at the 48th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center starting on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. The full schedule of […] | The post NAACP President Derric…
naacp.org/latest/naacp-president-derrick-johnson-join-congressional-black-caucus-panels-workshops-voting-activism-state-black-america/

Internet Pounds 'All-Around Ugly Human' Eric Trump Over 'Anti-Semitic' Attack on Bob Woodward
David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement | alternet.org | 2018-09-12
On social media, many expressed disgust over Eric Trump's remarks, while others directly accused him of anti-Semitism. | Eric Trump is lashing out at veteran Watergate journalist Bob Woodward, and his remarks are drawing accusations of anti-Semitism. Wednesday morning the president's son charged the author of "Fear" — the latest bombshell book exposing the. . .
alternet.org/internet-pounds-all-around-ugly-human-eric-trump-over-anti-semitic-attack-bob-woodward

Assistant General Counsel Khyla D. Craine to Weigh in on Voter Purges and Voter Protection During Congressional Black Caucus Black Law Student Event
Juliana Bolden | naacp.org | 2018-09-12
WASHINGTON, DC (September 12, 2018) –NAACP Assistant General Counsel Khyla D. Craine will participate in the National Black Law Student Association Voter Protection Forum, during the 48th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. The program will analyze five (5) key aspects of voter challenges: 1) Voter Education, 2) Voter Registration, 3) Voter Mobilization, 4) Voter […] | The post Assistant General Counsel…
naacp.org/latest/naacp-asst-general-counsel-khyla-d-craine-weigh-voter-purges-voter-protection-congressional-black-caucus-black-law-student-event/

How Organizers Made Survivors' Incarceration an Issue in the Cuomo/Nixon Race
Shared by britney | truthout.org | 2018-09-12
For the Democratic Party, it's been a tense primary season. Across the country, entrenched Democratic incumbents have been faced with progressive challengers. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has found his progressive challenger in actor and activist Cynthia Nixon. Cuomo has clashed with Nixon over policies that many progressive candidates are demanding, such as the implementation of a statewide Medicare for All system, but another issue has gained promi…
truthout.org/articles/how-organizers-made-survivors-incarceration-an-issue-in-the-cuomo-nixon-race/

Brazil Home to World's 3rd Largest Prison Population, Highest Incarceration Rate
teleSUR | telesurtv.net | 2018-09-12
Between 2000 and 2015, while the United States' prison population increased by 14 percent, Brazil's jumped by approximately 170 percent.
www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Home-to-Worlds-3rd-Largest-Prison-Population-Highest-Incarceration-Rate-20180912-0012.html

Why Are So Many Indigenous People in Montana Incarcerated?
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-11
A new report from the ACLU of Montana documents the disproportionate way Indigenous people are incarcerated for parole and probation violations. | Indigenous people have suffered several centuries of injustice at the hands of the United States government. In Montana, the injustices continue, particularly when it comes to the scourge of mass incarceration. | Indigenous people comprise approximately 6.5 percent of the Montana state population and yet account for 20 percent of the men's state prison population, 34 percent of the women's state prison population, and 27 percent of the state's arrests for failures to…
aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/parole-and-release/why-are-so-many-indigenous-people-montana-incarcerated

A teacher, a shooting survivor, and Black Caucus chair: Reject Kavanaugh!
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2018-09-11
WASHINGTON–Saying federal judge Brett Kavanaugh cares more about gun rights than about kids' safety, more about the right wing than civil rights, and cares little about workers' rights, a union teacher, a survivor of the Valentine's Day high school massacre in Florida and the chair of the Co…
peoplesworld.org/article/a-teacher-a-shooting-survivor-and-black-caucus-chair-reject-kavanaugh/

Americans Crush Trump After He Tweets 'Morbidly Excited' Message on the Anniversary of 9/11: 'This Is Not A Celebration'
David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement | alternet.org | 2018-09-11
"No mention of the victims, the rescuers, the soldiers who served in Afghanistan or any wider context of the attack. " | President Donald Trump's first tweet of the day was not honoring 9/11, or the nearly 3000 lives that were lost in that unimaginable tragic attack on America. Instead, it was about what's always on his mind: trying to convi. . .
alternet.org/americans-crush-trump-after-he-tweets-morbidly-excited-message-anniversary-911-not-celebration

NAACP Announces Architectural Design Competition
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-09-11
Will Your Architecture Team Be the One to Bring Our Vision of An Equity-Based, Regenerative Workspace and Community Hub to Life? THE VISION In actualizing our commitment to ground our operations in the principles and practices of our environmental and climate justice platform, the NAACP will establish its headquarters, currently based in Baltimore, MD, as an exemplar […] | The post NAACP Announces Architectural Design Competition appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-announces-architectural-design-competition/

Is a Florida Chief Judge Taking Cues From a Prosecutor?
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-10
A Florida state attorney took issue with some of the judges he appeared before. Now they're off the criminal bench. | Prosecutors are some of the most powerful elected officials in our country. They decide what charges to file or dismiss, how severe the charges will be, whether to seek cash bail, and what plea offers are made. Through their lobbying associations, they also shape criminal statutes to their benefit, often blocking reforms that the community supports. | But while prosecutors wield immense control over the direction of our criminal justice system, they certainly can't handpick the judges who hear the…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/florida-chief-judge-taking-cues-prosecutor

An Insider's Account of the NFL Players' Take-a-Knee Movement
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-09
I worked at the NFL. The players were never protesting the military, but racial injustice — police brutality, mass incarceration, and systemic racism. | I started my professional career in the communications department of the National Football League. It was a dream job right out of college. I grew up a passionate New York Giants fan, but more importantly, I recognized the invaluable experience I'd gain working for an organization that managed to draw more than 100 million viewers to the Super Bowl each year. | This is not a novel observation, but the NFL is more than a sports organization. Football is [md…
aclu.org/blog/racial-justice/insiders-account-nfl-players-take-knee-movement

NAACP Calls for Investigation into Kavanaugh Testimony
Juliana Bolden | naacp.org | 2018-09-08
naacp.org/latest/naacp-calls-investigation-kavanaugh-testimony/

Prisoners Strike Across America & Canada to End Penal Enslavement
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-09-08
Prisoners Across US & Canada go on hunger and work strike to protest no wages/low wages, end of solitary confinement, for education programs & an end to mass incarceration | The post Prisoners Strike Across America & Canada to End Penal Enslavement appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/prisoners-strike-across-america-canada-to-end-penal-enslavement

Repealing the Death Penalty in New Hampshire Is Personal
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-07
The state's legislature has an opportunity to override the governor's veto and finally repeal the death penalty. | New Hampshire is the only state in New England that still puts people to death. The Northeast region, and much of the nation, has recognized capital punishment for what it is: a practice of a bygone era that is inherently unjust, often racially charged, and has resulted in the torture of individuals put to death. | This could change for New Hampshire on Sept. 13, when state legislators have an opportunity to override
aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/repealing-death-penalty-new-hampshire-personal

Can the Wall Between Church and State Survive Brett Kavanaugh?
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-07
The Supreme Court nominee's testimony this week signals an intent to weaken the separation of church and state. | Public schools are educational institutions, not temples of religious indoctrination. For over half a century, the Supreme Court has thus recognized that the Constitution prohibits public schools from imposing prayer on children and that religious education is the province of parents and religious communities, not government bureaucrats. | On Wednesday, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, however, strongly suggested that he disagrees and that, if confirmed, he will vote to weaken the separation of…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/can-wall-between-church-and-state-survive-brett-kavanaugh

As 400+ Children Remain Separated from Parents, Trump Admin Wants to Detain Kids Indefinitely
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-09-07
The Trump administration is attempting to remove court-imposed time limits on the detention of immigrant children. The administration's proposal would allow immigrant families to be held in detention indefinitely, ending the long-standing 1997 Flores agreement which says that children cannot be jailed for more than 20 days. More than 400 children remain separated from their parents more than a month after a court-imposed deadline requiring the Trump administration to reunite all of the separated families. The American Civil Liberties Union says it appears ICE officials had access to the phone numbers of hundreds…
www.democracynow.org/2018/9/7/as_400_children_remain_separated_from

I Fought for Our Country. Now NFL Players Are Kneeling for Me
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-09-06
A Black military veteran explains why he supports NFL players' decision to kneel during the national anthem. | I'm a veteran of the U.S. Army. So it may come as a surprise that the day I read about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, I could not have been prouder. I was proud because after serving my country for seven years, it felt like someone was finally looking out for me. | As someone who served as a sergeant in Afghanistan, only to take a civilian job helping veterans upon returning home, I fully understand patriotism. I work hard to embody it every day. That's precisely why I think it's so im…
aclu.org/blog/racial-justice/i-fought-our-country-now-nfl-players-are-kneeling-me

"What Are They Hiding?": Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings Begin Despite Suppression of 100K Documents
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-09-04
Confirmation hearings begin for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court. If he is confirmed, it would likely make the court the most conservative since the 1930s. Kavanaugh is 53 years old and could serve on the Supreme Court for decades to come. Critics warn his confirmation could lead to major rollbacks of civil rights, environmental regulations, gun control measures, voting rights and reproductive rights, including possibly overturning Roe v. Wade. We speak with Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Last…
www.democracynow.org/2018/9/4/what_are_they_hiding_kavanaugh_confirmation

NAACP Supports Prisoners Across the Nation Protesting Long Sentences, Inhumane Conditions, and Forced Labor
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2018-09-03
As the nation celebrates Labor Day, we must recognize those that labor every day for pennies per hour in prisons, jails, and detention centers across the country. Many imprisoned individuals are conducting peaceful protests to call for an end to unnecessarily long sentences, prison conditions that respect human rights, and fair wages for a day's […] | The post NAACP Supports Prisoners Across the Nation Protesting Long Sentences, Inhumane Conditions, and Forced…
naacp.org/latest/naacp-supports-prisoners-across-nation-protesting-long-sentences-inhumane-conditions-forced-labor/

NAACP on Kavanaugh's Troubling Civil Rights Record
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2018-09-01
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […] | The post NAACP on Kavanaugh's Troubling Civil Rights Record appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/kavanaugh-troubling-civil-rights-record/

Action Alert: Tell Your Senators Why Kavanaugh's SCOTUS Nom Hearings Must Wait Until After Midterm Elections
Juliana Bolden | naacp.org | 2018-09-01
U.S. Senate Hearings on NAACP-Opposed Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh Scheduled to Begin Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Urge your senators to move Brett Kavanaugh's nomination until after the midterm elections and the 116th senate to be seated in January 2019 has time to fully review his record. The Issue: On July 9, 2018, President […] | The post Action Alert: Tell Your Senators Why Kavanaugh's SCOTUS Nom Hearings Must Wait Until After Midterm Elections appeared first on
naacp.org/latest/kavanaugh-scotus-nomination-hearing-tell-%e2%80%a8your-senators-move/

Brett Kavanaugh Poses a Severe Threat to Civil Rights: the Senate Must Reject His Nomination
Juliana Bolden | naacp.org | 2018-08-31
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued the following statement on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh: "This Senate hearing on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward. The President is in personal legal jeopardy and only a fraction of Kavanaugh's record has been produced. To proceed now threatens the legitimacy of the Senate's constitutional review […] | The post Brett Kavanaugh Poses a Severe Threat to Civil Rights: the Senate Must Reject His Nomination appeared first on
naacp.org/latest/brett-kavanaugh-poses-threat-civil-rights-senate-must-reject/

Civil Rights Leaders Honor Aretha Franklin
Aba Blankson | naacp.org | 2018-08-31
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson joined esteemed civil rights leaders from around the country today in Detroit to honor the life and legacy of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The day was filled with reflection, personal stories and above all a message to serve a higher purpose, commemorating Aretha Franklin's legacy as an […] | The post Civil Rights Leaders Honor Aretha Franklin appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/aretha-franklin/

Update on Prison Strike Demanding End of "Slave Labor": After 10 Days, Protests Spread to 11 States
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-08-30
Prisoners across the country join work stoppages, hunger strikes and commissary boycotts in at least 11 states to protest prison conditions and demand the end of what they call "prison slavery." Organizers report prisoners in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Indiana are demonstrating. Individuals in Texas, California and Ohio have gone on hunger strike, including some in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, at least six people have been hunger-striking inside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, for more than a week. We speak with Amani Sawari, prison strike organizer working on behalf of Jailhou…
www.democracynow.org/2018/8/30/update_on_prison_strike_demanding_end

The Movement Against Prison Abuse–From the Inside
Sarah Jaffe | progressive.org | 2018-08-29
Janos Marton of the ACLU's Smart Justice program talks about a growing public awareness of the rampant inequality perpetuated by prisons, jails, arrests, and prosecutions, and what people on the outside can do.
progressive.org/dispatches/janos-marton-prisons-180829/