ACLU Appellate Legal Team Fights for Equal Justice For All

We're supporting an effort to ensure that all Californians, regardless of their financial status, have a transcript of their civil case proceedings — without which they have no real chance of mounting a successful appeal.

By Neil Sawhney, Lauren Davis

Courthouse facade with words "equal justice under law"

Four Decades of Data Reveal California's Death Penalty is Riddled with Racial Bias

California applies the death penalty disproportionately to people of color, especially when the victim is white. A recent, rigorous statewide study found that Black people are up to 8.7 times as likely to be sentenced to death as similarly situated non-Black defendants, Latino people are up to 6.2 times as likely to be sentenced to death, and defendants of all races are up to 8.8 times as likely to be condemned to death when at least one of the victims in the case is white.

person behind bars

Court Requires California to Clear Its Massive DNA Database of People Never Convicted of a Crime  

By Avi Frey

Test tubes with different illustrations of DNA in laboratory, closeup

Alameda County Must Appoint a District Attorney Who Promotes Safety and Justice for All

Alameda County is set to choose a new district attorney to replace Pamela Price. The next top prosecutor must commit to promoting equal justice and safety for all

By Allyssa Victory

Scales that show equal justice

Challenge, Resist, and Defend

By Abdi Soltani

image of map of USA overlaid with Statue of Liberty

Forging Ahead with Clear Eyes and Strong Resolve

By Abdi Soltani

Map of the US

Records of Sexual Abuse Unsealed at a Federal Prison

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and Public Justice intervened to unseal records records related to decades of sexual abuse at a federal prison in Dublin. If the Bureau of Prisons is to be held accountable, there must be full and complete transparency as the cases against it proceed.

By Brady Hirsch

sunlight through a prison window

Defending Democracy: The ACLU's Election Strategy

With so much at stake in this election, the ACLU has launched its most comprehensive voting rights protection and voter education programs in the organization's history. We're prepared to defend civil rights and civil liberties no matter who wins in November.

By Lisa White

A photo of red, white, and blue buttons that say vote.

Gearing up for November: A Letter from Executive Director Abdi Soltani

By Abdi Soltani

Hands holding filled-out ballots