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Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Attorney General’s Office Unfairly Targeted City Councilor (11/01/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today began negotiations with the Maine attorney general’s office on behalf of Jill Duson, a Portland City Councilor who is running for re-election on November 6. Duson, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Law, came under criticism from the attorney general’s office last week for referring to herself as an attorney in campaign material, in reference to her previous work in Pennsylvania as a lawyer for low-income and elderly clients.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Attorney General's Office Unfairly Targeted City Councilor (11/01/2007)
PORTLAND, Maine -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today began negotiations with the Maine attorney general's office on behalf of Jill Duson, a Portland City Councilor who is running for re-election on November 6. Duson, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Law, came under criticism from the attorney general's office last week for referring to herself as an attorney in campaign material, in reference to her previous work in Pennsylvania as a lawyer for low-income and elderly clients.

ACLU of North Carolina Announces Successful Resolution Protecting First Amendment Right of Town Resident to Speak at Public Meeting (10/23/2007)
OAKBORO, NC - The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina Legal Foundation (ACLU-NCLF) today announced the successful resolution of a battle between local anti-drug activist Brandon Smith and the Oakboro Town Board of Commissioners over Smith's constitutional right to free speech during the public comment portion of the Town Board of Commissioners meetings.

ACLU of Arizona Says Arrest of Newspaper Owners Stifles Freedom of Press, Violates Privacy Rights of Readers (10/19/2007)
PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today blasted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for arresting two Phoenix New Times owners, saying the arrests appear to be retaliatory in nature and part of a dragnet effort to uncover confidential information about New Times readers.

Reporters Shield Bill that Passed the House Compromises on Free Speech, ACLU says (10/17/2007)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment with the version of the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 that passed in the House last night, but believes the reporters’ shield legislation is a step in the right direction. H.R. 2102, introduced by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), will lessen the chance that reporters will be arrested or intimidated for their reporting, particularly when using government sources.

ACLU Calls for Congressional Hearings on Net Neutrality (10/05/2007)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to hold hearings to explore recent anti-consumer actions taken by several Internet service providers that infringed on users’ freedom of speech and access to lawful information. The ACLU believes Congress must take action to restore the network neutrality protections that were in place before 2005 and ensure the Internet remains vibrant, innovative and free of discrimination.

ACLU of Virginia Challenges Dismissal of Censored Art Teacher (10/04/2007)
Richmond, VA - Lawyers for the ACLU of Virginia today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond to challenge the dismissal of Stephen Murmer, a Chesterfield County high school art teacher, who was fired over paintings he produces and sells on his own time. Murmer, who uses his buttocks and other parts of his body to transfer paint onto canvasses, lost his job last December after a video of him demonstrating his technique surfaced on YouTube.com.

ACLU ‘Howls’ Against FCC Destroying the Best Poems of a Generation (10/03/2007)
Washington, DC – On the 50th anniversary of a court ruling that deemed Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ not obscene, the American Civil Liberties Union lamented an ironic reversal of First Amendment rights. A New York public radio station chose not to air the poem in its news story commemorating the decision, fearful that massive FCC fines that would have effectively shut down the station. WBAI instead posted the poem online, out of the reach of the FCC.

ACLU of Southern California Asks Chapman University to Restore Free Speech Rights to Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity Members (10/03/2007)
ORANGE, CA - The ACLU of Southern California is asking administrators of Chapman University to restore the free speech and association rights of a group of students affiliated with the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity on their campus.

ACLU of Arizona Wins Major Victory in Challenge to Law Criminalizing Sale of Anti-War Shirts (09/27/2007)
PHOENIX - In a victory for free speech, a federal judge today issued a preliminary injunction halting the enforcement of an Arizona law that makes it a crime to sell anti-war t-shirts in Arizona. The landmark decision in this closely-watched lawsuit held that the misguided law is a content-based restriction on political speech that violates the First Amendment.

ACLU Urges Senate Panel to Rework Reporters’ Shield Legislation, Says Free Flow of Information Vital to Democracy (09/27/2007)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to amend S. 2035, The Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, during its markup of the bill to give greater protection to reporters and their sources. Raising concern was an exception for national security circumstances in the bill that was broadly written and could be misused in such a way as to nullify any protection afforded a source. The ACLU is asking that the exception be rewritten to allow the press as much freedom as possible when it comes to reporting relevant news to Americans.

Verizon’s Blocking Content is a Cry for Government Action on Net Neutrality, Free Speech Advocates are Feeling the Big Chill (09/27/2007)
Washington, DC –- The American Civil Liberties Union said that Verizon’s actions to block political speech in text messages do not bode well for free speech. While the ACLU appreciates that Verizon immediately changed course and allowed the speech after public outcry, Director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office Caroline Fredrickson said, “this is exactly why we need the Government’s leadership on net neutrality for a free and open marketplace of ideas to continue to thrive in this country.”