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Satellite Beach Police Officer Unlawfully Arrested Woman Violating Her Free Speech, ACLU Sues (09/29/2008)
SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced it filed suit on behalf of Kimberly Bock, who was unlawfully arrested and prosecuted for using profanity in the presence of two Satellite Beach police officers. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Friday, September 26. The judge hearing the criminal case against her threw it out of court, noting that the law is clear: using profanity alone cannot be cause for arrest.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Orlando Homeless Feeding Ban (09/26/2008)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida won an overwhelming victory today in First Vagabonds Church of God vs. City of Orlando, the highly publicized "homeless feeding" case in Orlando. The 14-page opinion issued by Federal Judge Gregory A. Presnell hinged on the plaintiffs' right to Free Exercise of Religion and Freedom of Speech.

Statewide Ad Campaign Targets Re-enfranchised Voters (09/15/2008)
MIAMI – The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida today launched a voter registration outreach campaign targeting people with past felony convictions whose rights have been restored, as well as those who are unsure of their civil rights status. The campaign comes on the heels of seven years of work educating the public about rights restoration and attempts to get the word out to re-enfranchised voters – a job that FRRC says the State of Florida has failed to take the lead on.

Amendments 7 And 9 Struck Off November Ballot (09/03/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today applauded the Florida Supreme Court's decision to remove proposed Constitutional Amendments 7 and 9 from the November ballot.

ACLU Files Lawsuit To Protect Religious Freedom Of Florida High School Students (08/27/2008)
PENSACOLA, FL – Santa Rosa County school officials are using their governmental positions to promote their personal religious beliefs in public schools, according to a lawsuit filed today on behalf of two Pace High School students by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the national ACLU.

Okeechobee, FL High School Gay-Straight Alliance Wins Groundbreaking Federal Lawsuit (07/30/2008)
OKEECHOBEE, FL – A Florida federal court today ruled that school officials in Okeechobee, Florida must allow a gay-straight alliance (GSA) club to meet on campus. In a precedent setting order arising in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, Judge K. Michael Moore upheld his earlier ruling that GSAs do not interfere with abstinence-only education and, in a legal first, held that schools must provide for the well-being of gay students.

Palm Beach Student's Rights Upheld by 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pledge of Allegiance Case (07/23/2008)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today claimed victory in its federal lawsuit, Cameron Frazier v. Cynthia Alexandre et al, as the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier District Court decision preventing a Palm Beach County school from requiring a student from standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The court left the decision that Cameron Frazier's rights were violated untouched while leaving the door open for additional lawsuits by refusing to rule on the statute as it applies across the board to all students.

Lawsuit Aims To Remove Amendments 7 And 9 From Florida's November Ballot (06/13/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A group of concerned organizations, including The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Florida, filed a lawsuit today in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Court in and for Leon County on behalf of a group of Floridians representing parents of public school students, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens. The goal of the lawsuit is to prevent Amendments 7 and 9 from reaching the November ballot.

New Online Search Tool Gives Ex-Offenders Ability To Search Clemency Status (05/13/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the ACLU of Florida and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition launched an online search tool that will enable people with past felony convictions in Florida to search state records and find out if their civil rights, including their voting rights, have been restored. The online search tool is available on both Web sites: www.restorerights.org and www.aclufl.org.

ACLU Sues City of Greenacres on Behalf of Disabled Resident (04/30/2008)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a lawsuit today against the City of Greenacres in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, State Court. Filed on behalf of Peter W. Ballance, 63, the lawsuit alleges that the City denied him reasonable accommodation services and treated him differently due to communication issues associated with Asperger's Syndrome, from which Ballance suffers.

Sex Segregation In Florida's Public Schools A Bad Move, Says ACLU (04/10/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter to Governor Charlie Crist yesterday strongly urging that he veto the Legislature's flawed plan, which would open the door to segregating students by sex in Florida's public schools.

Design Should Not Be Taught in Florida’s Public School Science Classrooms (03/12/2008)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today spoke out against Florida Senate Bill 2692, following a news conference held by TV personality Ben Stein. The following can be attributed to Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida: “The presumption of this bill is that all you have to do to teach something in a science class is to call it science. Simply saying something is science does not make it so and calling Intelligent Design science, does not make is science. Intelligent Design relies on the assertion that there is a supernatural creator, which inherently precludes it from being scientific, as the ACLU proved in our landmark case in Dover, PA.

ACLU to Florida Board of Education: Don’t Allow Religious Groups to Force Their Beliefs Into Science Classes (12/18/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter to the Florida Board of Education (FBOE) outlining the potential legal risks of adopting a science curriculum that includes particular religious groups’ beliefs about the origins of the universe.

Broward County School Board is "Keeping Things Kosher" at Ben Gamla Charter School (09/12/2007)
HOLLYWOOD, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida praises the Broward County School Board for taking the appropriate steps to ensure adequate oversight for the new school, Ben Gamla Charter School in Hollywood, FL. Dubbed "America's First English-Hebrew Charter School," Ben Gamla has been in the hot seat due to concerns about potential First Amendment violations regarding the curriculum, which includes Hebrew language.

ACLU of Florida Speaks Out Against Free Speech Violation, Threatens Litigation (08/30/2007)
ORLANDO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter today on behalf of Bryan J. and Leilani J. Orr, whose constitutionally protected free speech right to display political signs in their front yard was recently suppressed by the City of Clermont, FL, located in Lake County. Code Enforcement Officer Betty McMinamen demanded that the Orrs remove the sign from their yard in an August 23 letter citing a City code requiring a $50.00 deposit in order to display a political sign.

ACLU of Florida Lauds School Board's Vote to Revise Sex Education Curriculum (08/15/2007)
MELBOURNE, FL- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today praised the efforts of Brevard County Superintendent Richard A. DiPatri whose recommended sex education curriculum revisions were approved by a 3-2 vote at last night's school board meeting. The Superintendent's revisions were supported by the votes of school board members Barbara Murray, Larry E. Hughes, and Chairman Robert Jordan.

ACLU Joins National Gay Rights Groups Calling on Fort Lauderdale City Commission to Condemn Mayor's Anti-Gay Remarks (08/02/2007)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced it has joined forces with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in an open letter calling on the Ft. Lauderdale City Commission to promptly pass a resolution condemning Mayor Naugle's recent series of hostile remarks about the City's gay community. In recent years the City has become a prime vacation venue for gay tourists.

ACLU Veteran Beth Wilson Appointed First-Ever Deputy Director of the ACLU of Florida (07/17/2007)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that Beth Wilson, the current Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky, will join the ACLU of Florida as Deputy Director effective September, 2007. The newly created position of Deputy Director at one of the nation's largest ACLU affiliates was created to steer the organization's multi-year growth plan and further advance civil liberties in the Sunshine State by expanding staff, volunteers and infrastructure.

ACLU of Florida Demands Changes in Ordinance That Criminalizes and Denies Free Speech at Public Events (06/25/2007)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called for changes to a controversial city ordinance that restrains free speech during public events.

City of Fort Lauderdale Settles After Unconstitutional Ordinance Banning Free Speech is Struck Down (05/16/2007)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Broward Chapter welcomed Federal Judge K. Michael Moore's ruling in favor of the ACLU and other coalition partners on Fort Lauderdale's unconstitutional ordinance that attempted to stifle free speech. The May 14, 2007 order, which grants the parties settlement, follows an order directing the City to no longer enforce the ordinance.

ACLU of Florida Announces Participation in Multi-State Action on Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula (05/10/2007)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced its participation in a multi-state action calling on the federal government to fix medical inaccuracies in federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula. Eleven ACLU affiliates sent letters to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alerting the agency to problematic curricula in their states and asking HHS to take steps to remedy the situation.

ACLU Announces Multi-State Action Calling on Government to Fix Medical Inaccuracies in Federally Funded Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Curricula (05/09/2007)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a multi-state action calling on the federal government to fix medical inaccuracies in federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula. Eleven ACLU affiliates sent letters to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alerting the agency to problematic curricula in their states and asking HHS to take steps to remedy the situation.

ACLU Applauds Florida Legislature for Scrapping Flawed Voting Machines (05/03/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded today’s 118-0 vote by the Florida House of Representatives to pass a bill requiring paper ballot voting technology in all counties before the 2008 primaries and general election. The House vote comes shortly after the Florida Senate approved a similar measure.

Supreme Court Considers Broad Attack on Civil Rights Attorneys' Fees (04/17/2007)
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case that may determine whether a plaintiff who successfully obtains a preliminary injunction is ever entitled to recovery of attorneys’ fees. The case, Sole v. Wyner, stems from a free speech lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

Federal Judge Rules Okeechobee, FL Students Can Form Gay-Straight Alliance Club (04/06/2007)
OKEECHOBEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today welcomed a district court decision ordering Okeechobee High School to officially recognize and allow equal access to the Okeechobee High School Gay Straight Alliance.

Florida Clemency Reform Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be, Says ACLU (04/05/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union expressed disappointment with today’s announcement by Governor Charlie Crist and the Board of Executive Clemency regarding Florida's new rules for restoration of civil and voting rights. Although this first step toward comprehensive reform represents incremental progress, said the ACLU, the new rules fall far short of fixing Florida’s civil and voting rights crisis.

ACLU of Florida Applauds New Wal-Mart Policy Requiring its Pharmacies to Fill Valid Requests for Birth Control (04/04/2007)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today applauded a decision by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., requiring the national retail chain’s pharmacies to satisfy valid requests for birth control, including emergency contraception (EC). The policy shift came in response to Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s “Fill My Pills Now!” campaign, in which the ACLU of Florida participated.

ACLU of Florida Raises Concerns Over Flaws in Civil Rights Restoration Plan (04/02/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today applauded Governor Charlie Crist’s announcement that he and the cabinet (sitting as the Board of Executive Clemency) will address civil rights restoration for ex-offenders through clemency reform this week. However, the ACLU warned that any plan that has exclusions or requires restitution to be paid before civil rights can be restored would be unfair.

National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Organizations Condemn Ousting of Largo, FL, City Manager (03/23/2007)

Sarasota Voters Charge Election Officials and Voting Machine Company With Withholding Evidence of Voting Machine Malfunction (03/21/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Sarasota County voters contesting the 13th Congressional District election filed court papers late yesterday charging that Florida election officials and Electronic Systems & Software (ES&S) apparently misled a judge by claiming that there was no evidence that machine malfunction contributed to the loss of 18,000 votes in that race.

Judge Rejects Okeechobee School Board’s Attempt to Block Gay-Straight Alliance Anti-Discrimination Lawsuit (03/13/2007)
OKEECHOBEE, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today applauded U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore’s decision to deny the Okeechobee School Board’s motion to dismiss the case alleging discrimination against gay and straight students at Okeechobee High School.

ACLU Opens Orlando Regional Office to Serve Central Florida (02/13/2007)
ORLANDO, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida announced today the opening of its new Central Florida Regional Office, located near downtown Orlando. Leading the ACLU's efforts in central Florida will be the newly appointed Regional Director, Glenn Katon.

ACLU of Florida Applauds Governor Crist's Recommendation to Scrap Touch-Screen Voting Machines (01/30/2007)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today commended Governor Charlie Crist’s announcement that he will recommend that Florida scrap paperless touch-screen voting machines. The following statement can be attributed to Howard Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida:

ACLU of Florida and Amnesty International Call on Congress to Restore Habeas, Close Guantánamo (01/11/2007)
MIAMI, FL - On the fifth anniversary of the first known flight of prisoners to the U.S. prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Amnesty International are calling for restoration of habeas and due process rights as well as closure of the Guantánamo prison. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 gutted habeas - our law against unlawful imprisonment - from our Constitution, thus removing the limitations on arbitrary executive power over any person's individual freedoms.

Gay-Straight Alliance Seeks Injunction to Gain Equal Access at Okeechobee, Florida High School (01/11/2007)
OKEECHOBEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked a federal court to order school officials to allow the Okeechobee Gay-Straight Alliance to start meeting. The motion seeks to grant the students access to meet on campus for the duration of the legal proceedings.

Florida Voters Join Emergency Petition for Access to Voting Machine Information (01/09/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Voters from Sarasota County who are contesting the election in Florida's 13th Congressional District joined and added to an emergency petition for review filed last Wednesday by candidate Christine Jennings in the First District Court of Appeals. The petition asks the higher court for expedited review of Leon Circuit Court Judge William L. Gary's December 29 order denying plaintiffs access to the e-voting hardware, software and source code used in November's election.

Hillsborough County Schools Keep Open-Door Policy for Gay-Straight Alliances (12/13/2006)
TAMPA, FL - Students, parents and community leaders today commended the Hillsborough County School Board for rejecting a proposal to turn away students from extracurricular activities if they do not have a permission slip.

ACLU of Florida Calls for Voter-Verified Paper Trail (12/05/2006)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and its Greater Miami Chapter today sent a letter urging the Miami-Dade County Commission to amend a resolutions calling for voter-verified paper trails for touch-screen voting machines.

Sarasota Voters File Lawsuit for Revote in Congressional Race (11/21/2006)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Voters from Sarasota County today filed a lawsuit in state court asking for a revote in Florida’s 13th Congressional district. The lawsuit alleges that thousands of voters were disenfranchised when massive undervotes plagued the tight Congressional race between Democrat Christine Jennings and Republican Vern Buchanan. In a high-profile battle over former Rep. Katherine Harris' seat, the result was decided by 363 votes, yet over 18,000 ballots cast on Sarasota County's e-voting machines registered no vote in the race, an exceptional anomaly in the State.

ACLU Sues to Enforce Equal Access for Gay-Straight Alliance at Okeechobee High School (11/15/2006)
OKEECHOBEE, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a lawsuit against the School Board of Okeechobee County after school district administrators unlawfully prevented students who formed the Gay-Straight Alliance of Okeechobee High School (GSA) to meet on high school grounds. School officials denied official recognition to the GSA even though many other extracurricular clubs – including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Key Club, and the Rodeo team – are officially recognized and meet regularly on school grounds.

Abstinence-Only Sex Education May Endanger Youth in Leesburg, FL, ACLU Says (11/03/2006)
LEESBURG, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed concern over the announcement that the Christian Care Center, a ministry of First Baptist of Leesburg, will use a $2 million federal grant to teach abstinence-only education to teens.

ACLU Urges Florida Candidates to Clarify Position on Restoration of Civil Rights (10/20/2006)
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- In a letter sent today to the two major party candidates for governor, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida urged Attorney General Charlie Crist and Congressman Jim Davis to clarify their position on the restoration of civil and voting rights to former felons. The ACLU is asking the candidates to make it clear that they will use the authority of the governor to make a change in the system of lifetime disfranchisement.

ACLU of Florida Issues Voter Empowerment Cards in English, Spanish and Creole to Inform Voters of Their Rights at the Polls (10/18/2006)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced statewide distribution of palm-sized cards informing Floridians about their voting rights when going to the polls this November. The cards are available in English, Spanish and Creole through the state and regional offices as well as local chapters.

ACLU Welcomes U.S. Department of Justice’s Support in Boca Raton Housing Discrimination Case (09/20/2006)
BOCA RATON, FL -- The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal court today intervening in the city of Boca Raton’s unconstitutional discrimination against persons with disabilities. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Palm Beach Chapter, which filed suit on behalf of residents with disabilities in 2004, welcomed the DOJ’s support on this important civil liberties case.

ACLU of Florida, PRLDEF and Local Advocates Vow to Sue Over Palm Bay Anti-Immigrant Ordinance (08/15/2006)
PALM BAY, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges today sent a letter to the City of Palm Bay expressing opposition to the anti-immigrant ordinances which are under consideration by the Palm Bay City Council. Should the Council vote to pass the ordinances, the organizations have vowed to challenge the laws in court on behalf of Palm Bay constituents.

Tampa Buccaneers Fans Free from Mass Random Searches (07/28/2006)
TAMPA, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that a federal judge has blocked mass pat-down searches at Buccaneer games, stating that the public "has a compelling interest in preserving the constitutional right to be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion."

Student Rights: Zero Tolerance Policies, Equal Protection and Racial Profiling (07/20/2006)
MIAMI; The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Greater Miami Chapter presents the last episode of this season’s informative ;FreedomWatch; series, airing on Miami-Dade;s Cable-TAP channel. The show, which is currently running, takes a look at “zero-tolerance” policies aimed at students and asks the question: Do Zero Tolerance Policies Provide Equal Protection -- or are these policies based on Racial Profiling?

ACLU of Florida Says Veterans for Peace to Be Granted Equal Access With Military Recruiters in Pinellas County Schools (07/17/2006)
LARGO, FL – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida announced today that the Pinellas School District has agreed to allow Veterans for Peace the same access to students that military recruiters receive, for the purpose of presenting alternative career information.

Library Association Supports ACLU of Florida Lawsuit Against Miami-Dade School Board Over Book Censorship (07/07/2006)
MIAMI, FL - The Florida Library Association supported a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the Miami-Dade Student Government Association against the Miami-Dade County School Board for its removal of the book Vamos a Cuba and the book series "A Visit to..." from local libraries and classrooms, the ACLU announced today.

ACLU of Florida Sues Miami Officials for Blocking Human Rights Protest at Free Trade Meeting (06/27/2006)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Amnesty International USA, charging that city and police officials prevented members of the human rights organization from exercising their constitutional right to assemble and protest, despite having obtained proper permits.

ACLU of Florida Sues to Stop Book Censorship by Miami-Dade County School Board (06/21/2006)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Greater Miami Chapter, today filed a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade County School Board challenging the removal and banning of a series of children’s books, including the hotly debated Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba), from the public school’s library system.

ACLU of Florida Disappointed by Miami-Dade School Board's Vote to Ban Book on Cuba (06/14/2006)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed disappointment over the Miami-Dade School Board’s decision to censor the book, “Vamos a Cuba,” from public schools.

ACLU of Florida Condemns New Law Limiting International Travel and Academic Research (06/02/2006)
MIAMI - Today, Gov. Jeb Bush signed SB 2434 (Relating to Travel to Terrorist States) into law. The measure hampers the academic study of countries that are vital to national security by prohibiting the use of state university and community college funding from being used for travel to “terrorist states.” The law applies to funding not only from the government but other sources as well.

In Landmark Florida Case, ACLU Preserves Right of Students Not to Recite Pledge (06/01/2006)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today applauded a district court ruling striking down a state law requiring students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The pledge will continue to be recited in public school classrooms, but the unconstitutional practice of forcing all students to stand and recite the pledge will be halted.

ACLU Launches Nationwide Action Against NSA Snooping on Americans’ Phone Calls (05/24/2006)
NEW YORK -- Responding to reports that phone companies are turning over private details about Americans’ telephone calls to the National Security Agency, the American Civil Liberties Union today launched a nationwide initiative to end illegal government spying.

FBI Targeted Journalist Covering Free Trade Meetings in Miami (05/04/2006)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union, Greater Miami Chapter, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a journalist who was under FBI surveillance because of his involvement in protests. The ACLU has obtained FBI documents showing that the FBI monitored freelance journalist David Lippman as he traveled from his home in North Carolina to Miami to cover the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) protests in 2003.

ACLU of Florida Says Gov. Bush's Task Force Overlooks Impact of Felon Disenfranchisement (04/26/2006)
MIAMI, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said today that it applauds Governor Bush’s willingness to look at one of the problems created by disenfranchisement. At the same time, the organization noted that the root cause of ineffective reentry efforts for ex-offenders is the automatic stripping of the civil rights of ex-felons.

Six Same-Sex Couples Urge Florida Supreme Court to Strike Initiative Threatening Families of Same-Sex Couples (02/08/2006)
TALLAHASSEE, FL –An anti-gay proposed Constitutional amendment that failed to gather enough signatures to be placed on the 2006 ballot should be thrown out altogether because it deceives voters, the American Civil Liberties Union argued before the Florida Supreme Court today.

ACLU of Florida Seeks Pentagon Files on Anti-War Groups (02/01/2006)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request on behalf of itself, seven other Florida organizations, and four local peace activists whose lawful activities may have been monitored by the Pentagon. The move is part of a national ACLU effort to reveal the extent and purpose of Pentagon spying.

ACLU Seeks Pentagon Files on Peace Groups (02/01/2006)
WASHINGTON -- In the wake of new evidence revealing Pentagon surveillance of peace groups and protest activities, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates across the country today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to uncover who is being spied on by the Pentagon and why.

ACLU of Florida Challenges Brevard County's Denial of Federal Energy Conservation Funding to Former Felons (01/26/2006)
MIAMI - Brevard County violated federal law by preventing a low-income resident from participating in an energy conservation program solely because he had a prior felony conviction, charged the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida in a lawsuit filed today in U.S. District Court in Orlando.

ACLU of Florida Urges Government Prosecutors to Dismiss Remaining Charges Against Sami Al-Arian (01/23/2006)
MIAMI -- Saying that a decision to re-try Dr. Sami Al-Arian following the recent acquittal of all serious charges lodged against him “would appear to be pointless and vindictive,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida to dismiss the remaining charges against Dr. Al-Arian and bring the case to a close.

ACLU of Florida Creates John C. Graves Gay Rights Fellowship with Grant from Community Foundation of Broward (12/29/2005)
MIAMI -- Thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Broward, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that it has created the John C. Graves Fellowship to advance gay and lesbian rights, and hired attorney Robert Rosenwald Jr. to lead the group's statewide efforts to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation.

ACLU of Florida Defends High School Student Punished for Refusing to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance (12/22/2005)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal lawsuit against Palm Beach County school officials for harassing and punishing 17-year-old Cameron Frazier when he expressed his First Amendment right to not participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. The ACLU lawsuit is challenging a Florida law and a Palm Beach County school board policy mandating that students receive written permission from their parents before declining to recite the oath.

Free Speech Groups Demand Release of Florida Man Jailed Over a Web Site (12/22/2005)
LAKELAND, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Free Speech Coalition and the First Amendment Lawyers Association today asked a state appeals court to release a Lakeland webmaster who was thrown in jail for allegedly posting obscene photographs on a Web site that is hosted in Europe.

Florida Officials Agree to Protect Free Speech, Suspend Insurance Requirement for Public Displays During the Holidays (12/13/2005)
TAMPA, FL - In a victory for free speech, Polk County officials today agreed to temporarily eliminate a burdensome rule that had been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union requiring that individuals and groups purchase expensive insurance policies before being allowed to set up displays in front of the county administration building.

ACLU of Florida Clarifies Position on “Miami Shield” Program (11/29/2005)
MIAMI -- There is some confusion over the specifics of the "Miami Shield" Program. Reports differ as to whether the plan involves large squads of officers stopping everyone at a locale and then demanding people to produce identification. Although the Miami Police Department has claimed that "Miami Shield" will respect people's rights, much of its constitutionality will depend on how the program is implemented.

Police Trampled Civil Rights During 2003 Free Trade Protests in Florida, ACLU Charges (11/17/2005)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Greater Miami Chapter today filed three lawsuits charging that officers of the Miami, Miami-Dade and Broward police departments used excessive force to intimidate and unlawfully arrest innocent bystanders and protesters who were exercising their free speech rights during the November 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ministerial meetings in downtown Miami.

ACLU Disappointed by Supreme Court’s Decision Not to Review Florida’s System of Lifetime Felon Disenfranchisement (11/14/2005)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review a state law that bars citizens with felony convictions from voting, even after they have completed their term of prison, probation and parole.

ACLU Disappointed by Supreme Court’s Decision Not to Review Florida’s System of Lifetime Felon Disenfranchisement (11/14/2005)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review a state law that bars citizens with felony convictions from voting, even after they have completed their term of prison, probation and parole.

ACLU Disappointed by Supreme Court’s Decision Not to Review Florida’s System of Lifetime Felon Disenfranchisement (11/14/2005)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today expressed disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review a state law that bars citizens with felony convictions from voting, even after they have completed their term of prison, probation and parole.

Florida Judge Stops Pat-Down Searches at Buccaneers Games (10/28/2005)
TAMPA -- Late this afternoon, Judge Perry A. Little of the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County stopped the suspicionless pat-down searches of all persons entering Raymond James Stadium for National Football League games. The ruling comes in the first legal challenge to a controversial policy the NFL has sought to impose on stadiums across the country.

Brevard Sheriff's Office Revamps Surveillance Policies Following ACLU Recommendations (10/19/2005)
MELBOURNE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida Brevard Chapter announced today that, based on ACLU recommendations, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office has revised its police surveillance policies to ban officers from monitoring constitutionally protected First Amendment activities, including the right to peacefully protest government policies.

ACLU of Florida Challenges Pat-Down Searches at NFL Games (10/13/2005)
TAMPA, FL -- Acting on behalf of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a lawsuit seeking to stop officials from conducting suspicionless pat-down searches of all persons entering Raymond James Stadium to watch National Football League games.

Proponents of Anti-Gay Initiative Concede It Would Ban Civil Unions and Domestic Partnership Laws (10/12/2005)
TALLAHASSEE -In a reply brief filed today with the Florida Supreme Court, legal groups representing six same-sex couples and the nationwide union of government employees note that the backers of the anti-gay relationship initiative concede that it would ban both marriage and civil unions. The brief also notes that Liberty Counsel, the legal group behind the initiative, has already tried to strip domestic partner health benefits from lesbian and gay employees of the City of Gainesville.

ACLU Sues Miami-Dade Police for Shooting Driver, Beating Passengers After Traffic Stop (10/07/2005)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Greater Miami Chapter today filed a lawsuit on behalf of a driver who was shot in the chest and then severely beaten by Miami-Dade police officers after a traffic stop for an expired license plate. Two of the passengers in the car who were also beaten by police are suing the county as well.

Appeals Court Strikes Down Miami Beach Ordinance Banning Street Performers (09/30/2005)
MIAMI -- In a unanimous decision, the Third District Court of Appeal today struck down as unconstitutional a Miami Beach ordinance that bans musicians, artists and dancers from performing anywhere along the tourist-laden streets of Miami Beach, including Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which argued that the ordinance violates the First Amendment, hailed the ruling.

Six Same-Sex Couples File Challenge to a Florida Anti-Gay Initiative Threatening all Protections for Families of Same-Sex Couples (09/21/2005)
TALLAHASSEE - Six same-sex couples filed a challenge before the Florida Supreme Court today charging that the anti-gay voter initiative threatening protections for the families of same-sex couples violates the Florida Constitution.

Congressman Barney Frank in Orlando September 10 for Special ACLU Foundation of Florida Benefit (08/31/2005)
MIAMI - U.S. Congressman Barney Frank -- the funniest Congressman in Washington according to a 2004 survey of Capitol Hill staffers published in Washingtonian magazine -- will be in Orlando Saturday, September 10 for a special event benefiting the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida.

ACLU of Florida Negotiating To Protect Free Speech Rights of Anti-War Protesters (08/25/2005)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter today to the Mayor and Chief of Police here expressing its intent to defend the First Amendment rights of protesters and their supporters.

ACLU of Florida Urges Schools to Inform Parents, Students of Right to Withhold Disclosure Of Student Information From Military Recruiters (08/10/2005)
MIAMI - In a letter sent to school superintendents across the state, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today urged administrators to improve their procedures for informing parents and students about their right to control the release of student information to military recruiters, colleges and the general public.

ACLU Honors Two Florida High School Seniors For Their Commitment to Civil Liberties (08/02/2005)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced the winners of its Norman Elliot Kent Youth Activist Scholarship for 2005. Two recently graduated high school seniors from Ft. Lauderdale and Gulf Breeze were selected to receive $1,000 each to honor their outstanding work to protect civil liberties, especially the rights of young people.

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr in Pensacola August 9 to Speak on the Patriot Act (08/02/2005)
PENSACOLA, FL -- Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, who joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union and several conservative organizations to urge Congress to fix some of the most extreme provisions of the Patriot Act, will be in Pensacola on August 9 to talk about the urgent need to reform the controversial anti-terror law.

ACLU National Legal Director Steven Shapiro to Review Supreme Court Term at Lawyers Conference in Key West (07/11/2005)
KEY WEST, FL -- American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Director Steven R. Shapiro will be in Key West July 29 to review highlights of the Supreme Court's just completed term at the annual ACLU of Florida Lawyers Conference. Shapiro will discuss a series of important decisions on religious freedom, free speech and the death penalty.

ACLU Study Shows Most Emergency Care Facilities in Florida Fail to Ensure Victims of Sexual Assault Receive Emergency Contraception (06/20/2005)
MIAMI - Most Florida hospitals and sexual assault treatment centers do not routinely offer sexual assault patients emergency contraception on-site, a treatment that could prevent a pregnancy, according to a study released today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

ACLU of Florida Calls on Sheriff to Safeguard First Amendment Rights of Brevard Residents (06/15/2005)
MELBOURNE, FL -- In a memorandum sent today to Brevard County Sheriff Jack Parker, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Brevard Chapter called for additional training and reforms to prevent a recurrence of political surveillance practices that took place from 2002 to 2005.

After ACLU Intervention, Free Speech Upheld in Florida Parks (06/01/2005)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- The Broward County Parks and Recreation Division has reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of expression, especially the right of all people to speak about politics, after the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Broward Chapter announced today. The chapter had intervened on behalf of two anti-war protesters who were barred from distributing fliers at Easterlin Park, located in the city of Oakland Park.

ACLU and Rights Groups Challenge Ft. Lauderdale "No-Protest" Zone During June OAS Meeting (05/20/2005)
FT LAUDERDALE -- The Broward Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee and Southern Legal Counsel today filed a lawsuit challenging a ""no-protest"" zone and other restrictions limiting free speech during upcoming protests at the Organization of American States ministerial meetings in Ft. Lauderdale.

ACLU of Florida Launches Religious Freedom Project (05/19/2005)
MIAMI -- In response to recent and bold assaults on First Amendment freedoms, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida will launch the Florida Religious Freedom Project. The project will focus on issues in the state involving religious freedom and separation of church and state.

After ACLU Intervention on Behalf of Student Wearing Anti-Bush T-shirt, Broward School Board Agrees to Amend Code of Conduct (04/22/2005)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- A local school board has agreed to rewrite school policy to give students greater protection under the First Amendment, after the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Broward Chapter stepped in to defend a student's right to wear an anti-Bush t-shirt.

ACLU Says Florida's Proposed Marriage Ban Threatens Health Benefits for Thousands of Families (04/06/2005)
MIAMI - Saying thousands of men, women and children in Florida could lose their much-needed health benefits if a proposed constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and a woman is approved by voters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today issued a report documenting how the proposed marriage ban threatens to deny health insurance and other benefits to domestic partners and their families.

U.S. Supreme Court Protects Liberty by Upholding Terri Schiavo's Decision to Discontinue Medical Treatment, Says ACLU of Florida (03/24/2005)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of a petition forcing the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tubes, a decision that protects the severely brain-damaged woman's right to withdraw her own life-sustaining treatment and prevents politicians from interfering with intensely personal medical decisions.

ACLU of Florida Welcomes Judge Whittemore's Ruling in the Schiavo Case (03/22/2005)
MIAMI, FL -- Today Judge Whittemore found that even with the special law passed by Congress there is no basis to set aside the legal procedures in Florida for how these difficult, but intensely personal decisions are to be made. Both Congress and the President needlessly prolonged this tragic saga.

ACLU Demands that Florida Police Turn Over 'Spy Files' on Local Protesters (03/21/2005)
MELBOURNE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and six protesters targeted as ""persons of interest"" by local police today filed public records requests demanding that the Melbourne Police Department and Brevard County Sheriff Office turn over surveillance files kept on demonstrators who attended a counter inaugural protest earlier this year.

ACLU of Florida Criticizes Congress's Attempt to Subvert Court Rulings in Schiavo Case (03/18/2005)
MIAMI, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida believes that Congressional leaders, including Speaker Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader Tom Delay and Tom Davis, Chairman of the Committee on Governmental Reform, acted inappropriately by attempting to interfere in the legal proceedings involving Terri Schiavo by the issuance of a Congressional subpoena.

Supreme Court Denies Florida Governor's Appeal on Rejection of "Terri's Law," Which Interfered with Medical Decisions (01/24/2005)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today welcomed the Supreme Court's decision not to hear an appeal of Terri's Law, which reversed a series of court rulings and interfered with the medical decisions of Terri Schiavo who, the courts found, did not wish to be kept alive artificially.

ACLU Disappointed the Supreme Court Will Not Hear an Appeal in Case Challenging Florida's Anti-Gay Adoption Law (01/10/2005)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that it was disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal in its lawsuit challenging a Florida law that bans gay people from adopting.

Child Welfare League of America Backs ACLU in Challenging Florida Gay Adoption Ban (12/09/2004)
NEW YORK - One of the nation's oldest and most respected child welfare organizations has weighed in on the American Civil Liberties Union's request for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case challenging a Florida law that bars gay people from adopting. In a friend of the court brief filed late yesterday, the Child Welfare League of America argues that banning lesbian and gay families from adoption has no scientific basis and only serves to hurt children who need loving homes by needlessly reducing the pool of potential adoptive parents.

ACLU Applauds Appeals Court Decision Striking Down Florida School Voucher Program (11/12/2004)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today hailed a federal court ruling that the state's school voucher program is unconstitutional because it allows tax dollars to be spent on religious schools.

Federal Court Orders Florida Officials to Preserve Absentee Ballots Received After Election Day (11/04/2004)
MIAMI - In response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Florida Legal Services, a federal court has ordered Broward and Miami-Dade elections officials to segregate and preserve all absentee ballots received in the mail after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Civil Rights Groups Sue to Ensure that Absentee Ballots in Florida are Counted (11/02/2004)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Florida Legal Services today filed a lawsuit late this afternoon on behalf of voters who were deprived of the right to vote in today's presidential election because of foul-ups and delays by Miami-Dade and Broward elections officials in mailing absentee ballots.

Election Protection Coalition Offers Legal Help to Florida Voters Who Received Late Absentee Ballots (11/02/2004)
MIAMI - Following numerous reports over the past weeks that thousands of Florida voters requesting absentee ballots have not received them, representatives of the Election Protection Coalition announced today that they will represent voters who received an absentee ballot from county elections supervisors so late that it may not be received by election officials until after today's election.

ACLU of Florida Launches Video Poll Monitoring to Document Voter Challenges, Complaints of Voter Harassment (11/01/2004)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that it will be collaborating with the Washington D.C.-based Police Complaint Center to monitor and investigate complaints of voter intimidation on Election Day through videotaped interviews with people who are wrongfully denied the right to vote.

ACLU of Florida to Distribute Flyers Informing Voters of Their Rights if Challenged at the Polls (11/01/2004)
MIAMI - On the eve of a presidential election that is likely to attract a record number of voters to the polls, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today released a flyer that offers voters guidance on what to do if challenged at the polls on Election Day.

ACLU of Florida Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Overseas Voter Disqualified From Voting by Absentee Ballot in Seminole County (10/19/2004)
MIAMI - In a complaint filed late today in federal district court in Orlando, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sued Seminole County election officials for refusing to register a voter now living in Germany who is seeking to vote by absentee ballot on November 2.

Florida Civil Rights Groups File Lawsuit on Behalf of Broward Voter Disqualified From Voting Because of Unchecked Citizenship Box (10/14/2004)
MIAMI - In a complaint filed today in federal district court in Gainesville, the American Civil Liberties Union and Florida Legal Services challenged Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes' rejection of the voter registration form of a 77-year-old Broward woman who didn't check the citizenship box, even though she signed an oath affirming she is a U.S. citizen.

Planned Parenthood and ACLU Hail Florida Appeals Court Decision Striking Down Law that Would Have Forced Physicians to Give Patients Irrelevant Information (10/13/2004)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a state court of appeals decision striking down Florida's so-called ""Women's Right to Know Act"" because it would have forced abortion providers to give inappropriate and potentially harmful information to their patients. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the challenge.

ACLU of Florida Analysis of Recent Election Data Shows State Rejected a Significant Number of Provisional Ballots As Illegal (10/12/2004)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today released a report containing disturbing information about the number of provisional ballots cast by eligible voters that have been rejected as illegal during elections over the past two years in Florida. The report raises significant questions about whether every vote will be counted on November 2.

Civil Rights Groups Asks Florida Supreme Court to Strike Down Provisional Balloting Restrictions (10/08/2004)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida's election law restricting the use of provisional ballots is an unconstitutional violation of the right to vote, said the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Advancement Project and People for the American Way, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief today asking the Florida Supreme Court to strike down a Florida statute that requires elections officials to throw out provisional ballots cast by voters in the wrong precincts.

ACLU Disappointed by Court of Appeals Decision Upholding Seizure of Medical Records in Rush Limbaugh Case (10/06/2004)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today said that is disappointed by a state appeals court ruling that state law enforcement officers properly confiscated Rush Limbaugh's medical records as part of a criminal investigation involving alleged "doctor-shopping."

ACLU Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in Challenge to Florida Gay Adoption Ban (10/01/2004)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case challenging a Florida law that bars gay people from adopting.

First Presidential Debate Set in State that Strips More than Half-Million Citizens of the Right to Vote (09/30/2004)
MIAMI, FL - As Americans gather around their television sets tonight to watch President George Bush and Senator John Kerry square off in their first presidential debate, thousands of citizens who live in Florida will be shut out of the political process -- barred for the remainder of their lives from choosing who becomes the next president of the United States.

Unanimous Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Special Law That Overrides Medical Decisions in Terri Schiavo Case (09/23/2004)
MIAMI - In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the Florida Supreme Court today struck down as unconstitutional a Florida law that reversed a series of court rulings and interfered with the medical decisions of Theresa Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged woman who, Florida courts found, did not wish to be kept alive artificially.

ACLU Testifies on Florida's Voting Problems Before U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (09/17/2004)
WASHINGTON - In testimony today before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a voting rights expert with the ACLU of Florida warned of serious voting problems that still plague the state.

Florida Supreme Court Replaces Misleading Ballot Proposal to Limit Teens' Privacy Rights With Full Text of Proposed Amendment (09/02/2004)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Responding to a legal challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, two Planned Parenthood affiliates, and a Florida family arguing that a ballot proposal to amend the state constitution to restrict teens' access to abortion was misleading, the Florida Supreme Court today ordered the state to replace the ballot summary with the full text of the proposed amendment. In response, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood vowed to work together to defeat the measure at the polls and to protect the health and lives of teens throughout the state.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and a Florida Family Appeal Court Ruling Upholding Misleading Ballot Proposal That Limits Teens' Privacy Rights (08/19/2004)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, two Florida Planned Parenthood affiliates, and a Florida family appealed a court ruling today that dismissed their challenge to a ballot proposal to amend the state constitution in order to restrict teens' access to abortion.

ACLU Applauds Appeals Court Decision Striking Down Florida School Voucher Program (08/16/2004)
MIAMI, FL -- Saying Governor Jeb Bush can no longer ignore the Florida Constitution and divert much-needed tax dollars to private, sectarian schools, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today hailed a court of appeal decision striking down as unconstitutional the state's school voucher program.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and a Florida Family Challenge Misleading Ballot Initiative, Saying Family Communication Cannot be Legislated (08/02/2004)
TALAHASSEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Planned Parenthoods throughout the state, and a Florida family filed a legal challenge today to a ballot proposal to amend the state constitution to restrict teens' access to abortion, saying the ballot proposal misleads voters and if passed will harm the most vulnerable teens.

In a Six-to-Six Vote, Federal Appeals Court Declines to Reconsider Decision Upholding Florida's Anti-Gay Adoption Law (07/22/2004)
NEW YORK- The American Civil Liberties Union today said that it is disappointed that the full United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has declined to reconsider an earlier decision from a three-judge panel, which upheld a Florida law that bans gay people from adopting.

In a Victory for Florida Voters, Court Gives Public Right to Access Voter Lists that May be Purged (07/01/2004)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - In a victory for Florida voters, a Leon circuit court judge today struck down a state law that prevents copying a state list with names of more than 47,000 registered voters who may be deleted from the voter rolls because the state has identified them as possible ex-felons.

ACLU Urges County Elections Supervisors to Implement a Four-Part Program to Protect the Right to Vote (06/07/2004)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today urged elections supervisors attending a conference this week in Key West to implement a four-part program to protect the right to vote for all Floridians during the upcoming election season.

ACLU Unveils Disturbing New Revelations About MATRIX Surveillance Program (05/20/2004)
MIAMI--The American Civil Liberties Union today released documents containing disturbing new revelations about the MATRIX database surveillance program, including the fact that it was under the direct managerial control of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and that Florida Governor Jeb Bush gave a personal briefing on the program to Vice President Dick Cheney.

In a Victory for Privacy Rights, Florida Judge Strikes Down Special Law Overriding Medical Decisions in Terri Schiavo Case (05/06/2004)
CLEARWATER, FL - In a victory for privacy rights, a Pinellas circuit court judge today struck down a state law that reversed a series of court rulings and interfered with the medical decisions of a severely brain-damaged woman who, Florida courts found, did not wish to be kept alive artificially.

ACLU Asks Appeals Court to Reconsider Decision Upholding Florida's Anti-Gay Adoption Law (02/18/2004)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the United States Court of Appeals in Atlanta to reconsider its recent ruling upholding a Florida law that excludes gay people from adopting.

Seizure of Rush Limbaugh's Medical Records Violates Florida's Constitutional Right of Privacy, ACLU Tells Court (02/17/2004)
PALM BEACH, FL -- Saying Palm Beach County officials violated Florida's constitutional right of privacy and state law when seizing Rush Limbaugh's medical records, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in partial support of the conservative radio commentator, who is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation involving alleged ""doctor-shopping.""

ACLU Asks Miami Police to Compensate Protesters for Civil Rights Violations During FTAA Demonstrations (02/05/2004)
MIAMI - In letters faxed today to City of Miami officials, the Greater Miami Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida demanded compensation for two individuals whose civil rights were violated by police during November's Free Trade Area of the Americas ministerial meetings.

ACLU Dismayed by 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Upholding Florida's Anti-Gay Adoption Law (01/29/2004)
NEW YORK-The American Civil Liberties Union today said that is saddened by the decision by the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to uphold a Florida law that prohibits gay people from adopting.

On 31st Roe v. Wade Anniversary, ACLU Welcomes New "Freedom of Choice Act" to Protect Reproductive Freedom (01/22/2004)
WASHINGTON - On the anniversary of the historic Roe v. Wade decision, the American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the introduction of federal legislation aimed at preserving reproductive rights in America. The "Freedom of Choice Act" was introduced in response to the continuing assault on reproductive freedom for American women, and calls upon Congress to preserve the right to privacy and a woman's reproductive options.

ACLU Asks Court to Protect Confidentiality of Rush Limbaugh's Medical Records (01/12/2004)
PALM BEACH, FL - In a motion filed today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said state law enforcement officers violated Rush Limbaugh's privacy rights by seizing the conservative radio talk show host's medical records as part of a criminal investigation involving alleged ""doctor-shopping.""

Florida Court Refuses to Appoint Guardian for a Fetus (01/09/2004)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Florida NOW applauded today's decision by a Florida court of appeal blocking an attempt that would have opened up the floodgates of government intrusion into the private lives of women in Florida. The case involved a request to appoint a guardian for the fetus of a severely disabled woman.

Lee County Commissioners Asks Attorney General John Ashcroft to Modify Portions of the USA PATRIOT Act that Violate Civil Liberties (11/20/2003)
FORT MYERS -- The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to send a letter to President George Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft and leaders of Congress, voicing their concerns and criticism of the controversial anti-terrorism bill -- the USA PATRIOT Act -- that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

ACLU Joins With Schiavo Legal Team to Ask a Pinellas Judge to Strike Special Law That Reverses Court Order, Violates Patient's Privacy Rights (10/29/2003)
CLEARWATER, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today joined with the guardian of a severely brain-damaged woman to file a brief challenging the constitutionality of a state law that reverses a series of court rulings and interferes with the medical decisions of Terri Schiavo who, the courts found, did not wish to be kept alive artificially.

Sarasota Becomes Latest "Civil Liberties Safe Zone," Joins Communities Nationwide to Oppose Portions of the USA PATRIOT Act (10/20/2003)
SARASOTA, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida heralded the passage of a resolution by the Sarasota City Commission tonight that reaffirms civil liberties and freedoms and calls for corrections to be made to the controversial anti-terrorism bill - the USA PATRIOT Act - that was rushed through Congress in the aftermath of 9/11.

ACLU Urges Miami Officials to Revise Unconstitutional Ordinance Aimed at Limiting Protest During Free Trade Meetings (09/24/2003)
MIAMI - Saying a proposed City of Miami protest ordinance that ""criminalizes objects instead of actions"" is an unconstitutional restraint on speech, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today sent a letter urging city officials to redraft the ordinance to comply with constitutional free speech protections.

ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Florida NOW Say Appointing a Guardian for a Fetus Threatens the Health and Rights of Pregnant Women in Florida (08/21/2003)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Appointing a guardian for a fetus would violate a woman's right not only to decide whether to continue her pregnancy, but also to choose medical care to protect her own health during pregnancy, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Florida NOW argued before the court of appeal today in a case involving a severely disabled pregnant woman known only by her initials, J.D.S.

Government Settles ACLU's Racial Profiling Lawsuit Against TSA, Agrees to Alter Agency Procedures Nationwide (07/31/2003)
WEST PALM BEACH-The American Civil Liberties Union today announced an unprecedented settlement in a racial profiling lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that will-for the first time ever-require an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to substantially alter its policies and training procedures.

ACLU of Florida Urges Libraries to Warn Patrons of Government's New Domestic Spying Powers (07/30/2003)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today urged librarians statewide to post placards in libraries that warn the public about an invasive provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that expands the FBI's power to spy on ordinary people living in the United States.

Expected Judgment in Florida Voting Rights Lawsuit Will Restore Civil and Voting Rights to Thousands of Ex-Felons (07/24/2003)
MIAMI - Saying that as many as 30,000 ex-felons are likely to regain their voting and civil rights within the next year, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today released a proposed final judgment in a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections that mandates assistance to ex-felons who did not receive help in the application process from the state, as required by law.

ACLU Challenge to Florida's Anti-Gay Adoption Law Gets a Boost from Supreme Court Gay Rights Ruling (07/21/2003)
ATLANTA - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the appeals court considering the fate of Florida's ban on adoption by gay parents to heed the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. In a supplemental brief filed today, the ACLU pointed out that the recent decision from the High Court further strengthens its argument that the adoption ban is unconstitutional.

In A Victory for Privacy Rights, Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Parental Notification Law (07/10/2003)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Saying Florida's parental notification law violates a woman's right to privacy, the Florida Supreme Court today struck down a law requiring physicians to notify a parent or legal guardian before performing an abortion on a young woman.

ACLU of Florida Files Lawsuit on Behalf of New York Taxi Driver Strip-Searched By Customs Agents at Miami Airport (07/02/2003)
MIAMI-The civil rights of a New York City cab driver were violated when United States customs agents wrongfully detained him at Miami International Airport and subjected him to repeated interrogations and a strip search, according to a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Florida NOW Fight Efforts to Interfere With Care of Severely Disabled Rape Victim (06/17/2003)
ORLANDO, FL - The state of Florida should stop interfering with a woman's ability to make choices concerning the course of her pregnancy and medical care, said the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Florida NOW, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief today in a case involving a severely disabled pregnant woman.

ACLU Says Orlando Court Decision in Veil Case Permits Government to Needlessly Restrict Religious Freedom Without Enhancing Security (06/06/2003)
ORLANDO, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said today's circuit court ruling in the case of a Muslim homemaker who declined on religious grounds to remove her face veil for a driver's license photo is a needless restriction on religious freedom with no benefit to public safety.

ACLU Asks Florida Court to Reinstate Suspended Driver's License of Muslim Woman Forced to Remove Her Face Veil (05/27/2003)
ORLANDO, FL -- Saying the government's crackdown on rights in the wake of 9/11 does not justify religious scapegoating of Muslims, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked an circuit court judge here to reinstate the driving privileges of a Muslim homemaker whose license was revoked after she declined on religious grounds to remove her face veil for a driver's license photo.

ACLU and Center for Reproductive Rights Admonish State of Florida for Failing to Protect the Health and Rights of a Rape Victim (05/14/2003)
ORLANDO, FL - By failing to ask the court to appoint a guardian for a severely disabled woman who is pregnant as a result of rape, the state of Florida once again abdicated its responsibilities today, placing politics over women's health and well-being, said the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed a brief in the case.

ACLU and Center for Reproductive Rights Ask Court to Protect the Health and Rights of a Florida Rape Victim (05/13/2003)
ORLANDO, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights asked a state trial court today to block the state from appointing a guardian for the fetus of a severely disabled woman who is pregnant as a result of rape.

Los Residentes de Miami Salieron en Masa para el Taller Didactico sobre la Ley Patriota: Reprueban esta Legislacion (05/06/2003)
MIAMI- En un foro comunitario patrocinado por el ACLU de Florida el martes pasado, expertos en derechos civiles y líderes comunitarios discutieron con miembros de la comunidad, el impacto que la reciente legislación anti-terrorista y medidas admistrativas han tenido en las comunidades de Florida.

Los Residentes de Miami Salieron en Masa para el Taller Didactico sobre la Ley Patriota: Reprueban esta Legislacion (05/06/2003)
MIAMI- En un foro comunitario patrocinado por el ACLU de Florida el martes pasado, expertos en derechos civiles y líderes comunitarios discutieron con miembros de la comunidad, el impacto que la reciente legislación anti-terrorista y medidas admistrativas han tenido en las comunidades de Florida.

In a Victory for Privacy, Florida Court Strikes Tell-All Adoption Law (04/23/2003)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Finding the Sexual History Newspaper Notice provision of Florida's adoption law a wholesale violation of a woman's right to privacy, a state appeals court today struck down the law.

ACLU of Florida Urges Governor Bush to Support Legislation Protecting Privacy Rights of Drivers (04/18/2003)
MIAMI-The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked Governor Jeb Bush to use his influence during the remaining weeks of the legislative session to urge lawmakers to pass legislation that would bring the state into compliance with the privacy protection requirements afforded licensed motorists by federal law.

ACLU Asks Attorney General Ashcroft to Enforce Driver's License Information Privacy Law in Florida (04/08/2003)
MIAMI - Saying state officials have ignored federal law and failed to protect people in Florida from becoming victims of identity fraud, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to compel state officials to comply with a federal law that keeps driver's license records from getting in the wrong hands.

ACLU of Florida Demands Recall of State Health Department's Religious AIDS Brochure (04/03/2003)
MIAMI--Saying that it is inappropriate for a public health agency to distribute religious material, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called upon Florida health department officials to immediately recall AIDS education brochures that contain Biblical references and ask readers to "answer Jesus' call" by reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS.

ACLU of Florida Asks Court to Strike Down Ban on Residential Housing for Recovering Addicts (03/07/2003)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL--Saying that a law here blatantly discriminates against people in addiction recovery, the Palm Beach Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging a zoning ordinance that effectively bans former substance abusers from living in the city's residential areas.

ACLU Argues Case Challenging Florida's Gay Adoption Ban (03/04/2003)
MIAMI - Arguing today in a landmark case before a federal appeals court, the American Civil Liberties Union urged the justices to strike down as unconstitutional a Florida law that prohibits all gay people from adopting children.

ACLU Asks Florida Court to Strike Tell-All-Adoption Law (02/20/2003)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Denouncing the Sexual History Newspaper Notice provision of Florida's adoption law as an egregious violation of privacy, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked the state's District Court of Appeal to strike the requirement.

Florida Court Prohibits State from Blocking Protest Involving 'Living Nude Peace Symbol' (02/13/2003)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- In a court order issued late today, a U.S. District Court Judge here prohibited Florida officials from blocking an anti-war demonstration in a state park tomorrow that involves the creation of a peace symbol comprised of nude bodies.

ACLU Calls for Execution Moratorium After Release of 23rd Innocent From Florida's Death Row (01/24/2003)
MIAMI--Saying that the release of death row inmate Rudolph Holton is a wake-up call to elected officials in Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Governor Jeb Bush and state lawmakers to support a statewide moratorium on all executions while the problems plaguing Florida's death penalty system are examined.

ACLU of Florida Condemns President Bush's Executive Order on Faith-Based Initiatives (12/12/2002)
MIAMI -- Saying President Bush's Executive Order directing federal agencies to make tax dollars available to religious organizations is unnecessary and dangerous, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today voiced its strong opposition to the President's plan.

Federal Court to Hear Arguments in ACLU Challenge to Miami's High Security Fees for Controversial Concert (12/12/2002)
MIAMI -- A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments Monday in an American Civil Liberties Union of Florida case challenging the constitutionality of security fees imposed by Miami officials on a promoter for the 1999 concert by the Cuban band Los Van Van that attracted thousands of anti-Castro protestors.

Findings on Miami-Dade Elections Show Improvements Still Needed, ACLU Says (11/25/2002)
MIAMI -- Saying that Miami-Dade County's November 5 elections were far from problem-free, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida along with other members of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition today issued a report demonstrating the county's failure to implement meaningful voting reforms.

ACLU of FL Urges Elections Supervisor to Ease Long Lines During Peak Voting Hours (11/05/2002)
MIAMI -- Saying that the potential for long lines in the Broward county voting district may discourage voters from casting their ballots, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today sent a letter asking the county elections supervisor to take steps to alleviate long lines in certain voting precincts.

ACLU Sues Tampa for Violating Protestors' Free Speech Rights at Bush Rally (11/01/2002)
TAMPA, FL - The Tampa Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal lawsuit against Tampa officials for civil rights violations stemming from the wrongful arrest of two grandmothers and a gay activist during a rally organized last year for President George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

ACLU Urges Florida Voters to Call Toll-Free Hotline to Report Election Day Voting Problems (11/01/2002)
MIAMI -- In an effort to end illegal and discriminatory election practices in Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today launched a toll-free complaint hotline to collect information regarding statewide voting problems resulting from the upcoming election next Tuesday.

ACLU Asks Florida Court to Strike Tell-All Adoption Law (10/30/2002)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Denouncing the Sexual History Newspaper Requirement provision of Florida's adoption law as an egregious violation of privacy, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the state's District Court of Appeal to strike the requirement.

ACLU of Florida Urges Election Officials to Mail Bilingual Instructions to Haitian American Voters (10/28/2002)
MIAMI -- In a letter sent today to Miami-Dade County officials, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida urged the county to take immediate steps to mail sample English/Creole ballots and voting instructions to Haitian American voters in Miami-Dade County in time for the November 5 election.

Florida ACLU Challenges Illegal Termination of Cable Access Funding (09/30/2002)
MIAMI--Saying that county officials in Tampa violated the First Amendment by engaging in content-based censorship of protected speech, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal lawsuit against the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners for the unlawful termination of a cable access television contract.

ACLU Condemns Latest Florida Voting Fiasco, Warns November Elections Will Be Worse (09/11/2002)
MIAMI--After an election day rife with problems rivaling those of November 2000, the American Civil Liberties Union today roundly condemned Florida's failure to provide voters with a reliable voting system and warned that if the problems of yesterday are not corrected, November 2002 will be as bad as or worse than yesterday's chaotic election.

ACLU Hails Victory as Florida Voters Reject Effort To Overturn Local Gay Rights Law: Statement of Howard Simon, Executive Director, ACLU of Florida (09/10/2002)
MIAMI-Today the people of Miami-Dade County overwhelmingly repudiated an effort by the Christian Coalition and others to overturn a human rights ordinance that bans discrimination against gays and lesbians based on sexual orientation in housing, employment, lending and public accommodations.

Florida Court to Hear Arguments in Lawsuit Challenging School Voucher Scheme (07/09/2002)
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- A state court will hear arguments today on the constitutionality of Florida's statewide school voucher program in a case brought by a legal team including the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

ACLU of Florida Urges Palm Beach Court to Safeguard Voters' Rights in Disputed Election (05/28/2002)
MIAMI --Seeking to safeguard the rights of local voters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked a Palm Beach court for permission to file a friend-of-the court brief in a pending lawsuit contesting the results of a March 26 run-off election. 

At ACLU Urging, FL High School Ends Discriminatory Graduation Dress Code (05/23/2002)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Equality Florida today applauded the decision of a local high school principal to do away with a discriminatory dress code which required senior girls to wear dresses or skirts with hemlines above their graduation gowns during the ceremony.  

ACLU Challenges Palestinian Professor's Detention, Saying Charges of Terrorist Ties Proved Unfounded (05/14/2002)
MIAMI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a petition in federal court today arguing that the Immigration and Naturalization Service's continued detention of a Palestinian man violates both federal law and the Constitution. 

ACLU of Florida Opposes Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws (05/09/2002)
MIAMI-- In a letter sent today to members of the Miami-Dade County Commission, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida urged officials to enact an ordinance opposing a Justice Department initiative that would give local and state police the power to enforce immigration laws. 

ACLU Applauds Changes to Aid Restoration of Voting Rights in Florida, Urges Governor to Make Process Automatic (04/24/2002)
MIAMI--In a little publicized but important change, Florida's Office of Executive Clemency, together with the Florida Parole Commission, recently posted a shortened and simplified online version of the form that ex-felons must use to apply for restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote. 

Florida Trying To Muzzle Children's Advocates Who Contend Gay Adoption Ban 'Hurts' Kids, ACLU Says (04/18/2002)
ATLANTA - The state of Florida is trying to silence some of the nation's leading children's advocates who want a federal appeals court to overturn the state's embattled ban on gay adoption, the American Civil Liberties Union said as lawyers filed papers today opposing the state's effort.

Child Welfare, Civil Rights Advocates Call on State Officials To Keep Family at Center of Gay Adoption Battle Together (03/14/2002)
MIAMI - With the state threatening to take a 10-year-old boy from the only family he's ever known, child welfare and civil rights advocates today called on the governor and the state's top children's policy official to stop the harm caused by Florida's gay adoption ban. 

ACLU Launches Special Web Site To Fight Florida's Gay Adoption Ban, Protect Families (03/13/2002)
NEW YORK -- Saying that Florida's gay adoption ban threatens to take a 10-year old boy from the family he's been with since he was nine weeks old, the ACLU Lesbian & Gay Rights Project this week launched www.LetHimStay.com. 

'We Were Wrong,' Say Former Legislators Who Voted For Florida Gay Adoption Ban Nearly 25 Years Ago (03/07/2002)
MIAMI - Florida's ban on gay adoption -- already facing increasing scrutiny -- is under fire today from several of the former state legislators who helped pass the law nearly 25 years ago. 

Mainstream Children's Groups 'Unequivocally' Urge Appeals Court to Overturn Florida Gay Adoption Ban (02/20/2002)
ATLANTA - Some of the nation's largest, oldest and most respected children's groups today told a federal appeals court that Florida's law banning gay adoption hurts kids, in a brief filed in support of the American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit challenging the adoption ban. 

Residents of Small Florida Town Fight to Preserve "One Person, One Vote" in Elections (01/25/2002)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Saying that a redistricting plan will serve to disenfranchise residents of a small Florida town, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today filed a federal lawsuit seeking a more equitable districting scheme for voters. 

Drawing a Blank: Tampa Police Records Reveal Poor Performance of Face-Recognition Technology (01/03/2002)
NEW YORK--Facial recognition technology on the streets of Tampa, Florida is an overhyped failure that has been seemingly abandoned by police officials, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union. 

Florida Civil Rights Groups Announce "Know Your Rights" Hotline for Targets of Dragnet Investigation (12/08/2001)
MIAMI--Citing growing concerns over law enforcement's persistent targeting and ongoing detention of Middle Eastern men, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced the creation of a "Know Your Rights" telephone hotline. 

Civil Rights Lawyers Fight Government's Efforts to Detain Immigrants on Basis of "Secret Evidence" (11/07/2001)
MIAMI -- Nearly one year after a federal court here ordered the release of a Palestinian immigrant who was jailed for nearly four years on the basis of "secret evidence," the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and other rights groups are still fighting the government's efforts to jail immigrants on the basis of evidence kept secret from them and their attorneys. 

Citing Potential for Abuse, ACLU of Florida Asks Governor to Postpone Plans for Statewide 'Intelligence' Database (10/19/2001)
MIAMI - Citing great 'potential for misuse' in the creation of intelligence files on Floridians, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today asked Governor Jeb Bush to postpone the implementation of a statewide intelligence database to monitor 'domestic security.' 

Proliferation of Surveillance Devices Threatens Privacy (07/11/2001)
WASHINGTON -- Over the past several days, a troubling expansion in the way technology is being used in the surveillance of ordinary Americans has come to light. In response, we are today joining together to call on all state and local governments to stop using these dangerous technologies now before privacy in America is so diminished that it becomes nothing more than a fond memory. 

ACLU Probes Police Use of Facial-Recognition Surveillance Cameras in Florida City (07/06/2001)
TAMPA, FL-The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today released a letter to city officials here demanding information on what is being done with the captured video images of thousands of unsuspecting visitors and residents under a new video surveillance program.

Civil Rights Groups Unveil Proposal for Civilian Oversight of Scandal-Plagued Miami Police Department (06/28/2001)
MIAMI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida in coalition with the Community Organizations Committee today unveiled a proposal for a Civilian Investigative Panel that will conduct independent investigations of police brutality allegations, and review standards for the use of force by police officers. 

U.S. Civil Rights Commission Report on Florida Election "Too Gentle" on Officials, ACLU Says (06/06/2001)
MIAMI--The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today responded to the release of the Executive Summary of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report on Florida's 2000 election, saying that the preliminary summary may fail to hold state officials adequately accountable for the terror-ridden election last November. 

ACLU Fights Florida's Gay Adoption Ban (06/04/2001)
MIAMI -- Florida's 1977 law prohibiting adoption by any lesbian or gay man is the toughest anti-homosexual adoption measure in the country, the Associated Press reported. 

Miami High School Senior is Among 12 Winners of ACLU College Scholarship for Youth Activism (05/23/2001)
MIAMI - - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that Daniel Palugyai of Palmetto High School is one of 12 seniors nationwide to be awarded a $4,000 college scholarship in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the struggle to defend civil liberties. threat of disciplinary action, shows that he is truly a committed civil libertarian devoted to fighting for the rights of his peers," said Howard L. Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida. "We're extremely proud of him."

Black State Lawmakers and FL ACLU Challenge State's Failure to Help Ex-Felons Regain Voting Rights (03/14/2001)
MIAMI - The ACLU of Florida's Equal Voting Rights Project today filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of black lawmakers, several ex-offenders and a number of community groups, challenging the state's failure to assist ex-felons in applying for the restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote. 

Firm Defends "Snooper Bowl" Technology (03/09/2001)
CAMBRIDGE, MA--To privacy experts, Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Fla., wasn't just a game -- it was the "snooper bowl," CNET News reported.

ACLU Goes on the Air in Miami (03/07/2001)
MIAMI--The first four episodes of a twelve-part television series produced by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida will began airing this month on WLRN Channel 36 in Miami-Dade County, the ACLU announced today. 

ACLU of Florida Seeks to Protect Individual Freedoms From Legislative Assaults (03/05/2001)
MIAMI -- As state lawmakers prepare for a busy three-month legislative session, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is equally busy gearing up to defend anticipated attacks on individual rights by helping to pass laws that secure the personal freedoms and civil liberties of all Floridians.

Last-Minute ACLU Appeal Allows Cuban Activist To Take his Message to the Skies (02/24/2001)
MIAMI, FL--Responding to a last-minute appeal by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, a federal appeals court today lifted a gag order preventing an exiled Cuban activist from making a memorial flight to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Cuban military shoot-down of two civilian planes flying over the Florida straits.

ACLU of Florida Launches Equal Voting Rights Project to Address Irregularities, Reform Election Practices in Florida (02/17/2001)
MIAMI--In the wake of the presidential election fiasco that left thousands of Florida voters wondering whether their ballots were accurately recorded, the ACLU of Florida today announced the launch of a new project to ensure that Florida voters are never again deprived of their right to vote.

ACLU Calls for Public Hearings on Tampa's "Snooper Bowl" Video Surveillance (02/01/2001)
MIAMI--In a letter sent to Tampa city officials today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida questioned the police department's use of intrusive surveillance technology at last Sunday's Super Bowl and called for public hearings on the use of security systems that may jeopardize the public's privacy rights.

In Joint Effort, ACLU and Community Groups Help Ex-Offenders Restore Their Voting Rights (01/24/2001)
MIAMI, FL-- In an effort to help ex-offenders navigate through the lengthy and complicated application process of restoring their voting rights, a coalition of community groups is sponsoring a town hall meeting here this Saturday to educate former offenders on how to regain their right to vote.

Emergency Motion Filed in Federal Court Seeking Immediate Release of Palestinian Jailed on "Secret Evidence" (12/07/2000)
MIAMI--Two days after a Bradenton immigration judge ordered the release of a 43-year-old man jailed for three-and-a-half years on "secret evidence," his lawyers are still fighting to set him free, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Judge Orders Release of Palestinian Immigrant Jailed by U.S. (12/06/2000)
BRADENTON, FL-- A local immigration judge today ordered the release on bond of Mazen Al Najjar, a Palestinian held for more than three-and-a-half years as a national security threat on the basis of secret evidence that neither he nor his lawyers ever had a chance to see.

Fate of Election May Hang on 20,000 Voters in Palm Beach County, Not Florida Recount, ACLU Says (11/22/2000)
MIAMI--Twenty-thousand voters in Palm Beach County, not a handful of chads, could well determine the outcome of the presidential election, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Supreme Court Sets Aside Appeals Court Ruling in Jacksonville School Prayer Case, Orders Further Review (10/02/2000)
MIAMI, FL--The American Civil Liberties Union's seven-year battle to address school-sponsored prayer at graduation ceremonies in Jacksonville public schools may be one step closer to being resolved, the ACLU said today.

Drop in Adoptions Costs Florida $2.6 Million in Federal Funds; ACLU Vows to Overturn Ban on Gay Adoptions (09/26/2000)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - New information reveals that Florida's state law prohibiting lesbians and gay men from adopting not only harms children but also will cost the state millions of dollars in federal funds, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which has a federal lawsuit underway to overturn the adoption ban.

Lawyers for Palestinian Jailed on "Secret Evidence" Say INS Judge Flouted Order to Disclose Documents (09/05/2000)
MIAMI, FL - Lawyers for jailed Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar, filed a motion today asking a federal judge to prohibit the Immigration and Naturalization Service from continuing to detain their client without presenting a summary of the "secret evidence" on which Al-Najjar has been held these past three years.

Florida Court to Hear Arguments Today in "Secret Evidence" Case (08/29/2000)
BRADENTON, FL--At a hearing before an immigration judge today, the American Civil Liberties of Florida will urge the release of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar -- a Palestinian who has lived in the United States for 18 years -- who has been jailed for more than three years based on secret evidence that the government has refused to reveal.

Hospital Merger Threatens Reproductive Rights (08/16/2000)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida along with three national advocacy organizations today filed a federal lawsuit against the City of St. Petersburg and two local healthcare management systems saying that the insertion of religious beliefs into the policy of a public hospital violates the separation between church and state.

Citing Privacy Concerns, ACLU Challenges Florida Law Requiring Social Security Numbers for Absentee Voting (08/10/2000)
TALLAHASSEE, FL -- In an effort to protect privacy rights, the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit here today challenging a state statute that requires voters to disclose the last four digits of their social security number in order to obtain absentee ballots.

System May Be Slowing Appeals (07/17/2000)
TALLAHASSEE, FL --Two years after the Florida Legislature implemented a system to give death penalty cases to private defense attorneys, problems are arising that suggest the effort could delay rather than streamline the death penalty process, the St. Petersburg Times reported today.

Judge to Bar Miami-Dade County from Enforcing Culture Ban on Cuba (07/11/2000)
MIAMI, FL -- Vindicating the free expression rights of the arts community here, a federal court today said it would permanently block Miami-Dade County from barring artists connected with Communist-ruled Cuba from performing in Miami.

Lawsuits May Threaten Web Anonymity (06/23/2000)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Corporations are striking back against their online critics in court, threatening the Internet's status as a haven for anonymous free speech, USA Today reported.

ACLU Charges Race Discrimination in Florida County Election Methods (05/12/2000)
FT. MYERS, FL--The Voting Rights Project of the American Civil L