Court Cases

We're challenging the governor's authority to reverse parole as a violation of the rights of young people.

A habeas petition based on claims brought under the Racial Justice Act, in which our client is challenging his conviction and death sentence. We subsequently filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging four unfounded disciplinary infractions.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California sued the California Department of State Hospitals for refusing to provide public records about severely mentally ill individuals who died in jail, while waiting to get treatment at a state facility. At least 35 people died in one five year period alone. DSH claimed it did not keep track of the in-custody deaths of people on its waitlist.

Original writ petition challenging California’s death-penalty system under the state constitution’s equal protection provisions.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and our legal partner sued Santa Clara County Superior Court over its unfair policy requiring people who want to voluntarily address an outstanding arrest warrant to first go to jail if they are too poor to post bail.

The ACLU Foundations of Southern and Northern California and co-counsel Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Martínez Aguilasocho Law, Inc. filed a lawsuit today against Kern County and Kern County Superior Court for systematically denying poor misdemeanor defendants their constitutional rights to counsel and due process. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of UFW Foundation and three Kern County residents.

A California Public Records Act lawsuit seeking to compel production of documents and information reflecting collaboration between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and ICE.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California has filed a lawsuit to protect the constitutional rights of defendants with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities in California.

The California Racial Justice Act (“RJA”) prohibits the State from pursuing convictions or sentences based upon race, ethnicity, or national origin. The law also permits challenges when such outcomes show racial bias or disparities. The ACLU of Northern California works to force prosecutorial transparency, engaging in a statewide effort to access information to develop and pursue potential RJA claims.