Press Releases
about Criminal Law Reform
Apr 04, 2017
Statement Regarding DOJ Motion to Delay Consent Decree Hearing
BALTIMORE — The following can be attributed to David Rocah, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Maryland:
“Why is everyone in Baltimore ready to move forward with police refo...
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
Mar 09, 2017
ACLU Sues Missouri Over Disastrous Public Defender System
State Fails to Provide Adequate Legal Representation to Tens of Thousands Every Year, Resulting in Unnecessary Jail Time, Forced Pleas, Other Injustices
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Feb 22, 2017
ACLU Challenges Milwaukee Police Department’s Unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk Program Conducted Without Reasonable Suspicion and Based on Racial Profiling
For the Last Eight Years, the Milwaukee Police Department Has Subjected Tens of Thousands of Innocent People to Unconstitutional Stops and Frisks, Disrupting Their Daily Lives Because They Are Black or Latino
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
Court case: Collins et al. v. The City of Milwaukee et al.
Feb 09, 2017
ACLU Response to Executive Orders on Crime Task Forces
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump signed an executive order to form a task force on violent crime and another executive order to form a task force on violence against police offi...
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
Jan 17, 2017
President Grants Commutations to 209 Federal Prisoners
WASHINGTON —President Obama today announced 209 grants of commutation, bringing the total number in his eight years in office to 1,385. The recipients include American Civil Libe...
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Jan 13, 2017
Statement on Release of Department of Justice findings on Chicago Police Department
The following is the statement of ACLU of Illinois Police Practice Project Director Karen Sheley regarding the release of the Department of Justice findings on the Chicago Police D...
Issue Areas:
Criminal Law Reform
About the ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union has media staff available to handle inquiries from journalists on national issues affecting civil liberties, including questions on legislative matters that touch on civil liberties and constitutional freedoms and inquiries related to ACLU lawsuits.
To schedule an interview with an ACLU expert, email media@aclu.org.
Contact an ACLU Affiliate
The ACLU has 54 local offices across the U.S. working with attorneys and activists in their communities to shape better policies and spread awareness about their states' priority civil rights issues.
Local inquiries should be directed to the appropriate ACLU state affiliate.
The Latest in Criminal Law Reform
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News & CommentarySep 2026
Criminal Law Reform
Privacy & Technology
Another Problem With Ai-assisted Police Reports: Companies Can Have Incentives To Distort Their Content. Explore News & Commentary.Another Problem With AI-Assisted Police Reports: Companies Can Have Incentives to Distort Their Content
Police Companies Could Train Their AI to Hide Use of Their Products or Make Them Look Good -
News & CommentaryAug 2026
Criminal Law Reform
+2 Issues
States Are Punishing Women Who Survive Violence With Incarceration. They Deserve Clemency.. Explore News & Commentary.States are Punishing Women Who Survive Violence with Incarceration. They Deserve Clemency.
One woman violently forced into assisting a murder seeks clemency in Michigan. Author and journalist Justine van der Leun calls for states to enact laws protecting criminalized survivors. -
News & CommentaryAug 2026
Criminal Law Reform
Immigrants' Rights
We’ve Filed More Than 50 Legal Claims Over Abuse By Federal Immigration Agents. Here's Why.. Explore News & Commentary.We’ve Filed More Than 50 Legal Claims Over Abuse by Federal Immigration Agents. Here's Why.
The claimants detail being unlawfully detained, denied medical care, or targeted simply for speaking out or recording what they saw. Their experiences reveal a dangerous pattern of abuse that threatens the rights and safety of us all. -
Minnesota Supreme CourtJun 2026
Criminal Law Reform
State V. Weisen. Explore Case.State v. Weisen
This case asks whether law enforcement may permissibly use trickery and deception to obtain consent for a search and/or induce a confession. This case has important implications for Minnesotans’ constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable searches and compelled self-incrimination. The ACLU's State Supreme Court Initiative represents the ACLU of Minnesota and the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in an amicus brief to the Minnesota Supreme Court.