ACLU of Northern California Action Alert
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Dear ACLU-NC Supporter,

The legislative session is heating up, and we wanted to let you know about the issues we're
currently working on.
From reducing wrongful convictions to drug policy reform, the ACLU of
Northern California is advocating for a fair and equitable criminal
justice system.

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Investigating Civil Liberties Violations in Immigration Enforcement
Actions

Recently, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) conducted
actions as part of "Operation Return to Sender" across Northern
California that raised serious concerns about civil liberties
violations, including illegal searches and seizures by ICE agents,
violation of due process, and abusive treatment. The Lawyer's
Committee for Civil Rights, the ACLU of Northern California, and the
San Francisco Bay Guardian have filed a Freedom of Information Act
request for records related to the planning and implementation of ICE
raids in Northern California. More information regarding the ACLU's
Freedom of Information Act request can be found on our website.

http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=wZrF2WfnGa7JfYZ4xjcD7A..

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Seeking Equalization of Federal Sentencing Guidelines for
Cocaine

Under current law, someone who is caught with 500 grams of powder
cocaine gets a mandatory minimum 5 year criminal sentence, while
someone caught with 5 grams of crack cocaine - one-hundredth of the
amount - gets the same sentence. This 100:1 ratio was established by
the Anti-Drug Abuse Act in 1986. The disparity results in an
unjustified racial disparity in our justice system - African Americans
comprise the vast majority of those convicted of crack cocaine
offenses, even though whites and Latinos comprise the majority of
crack cocaine users. You can read the ACLU's report "Cracks in the
System: Twenty Years of the Unjust Federal Crack Cocaine Law" here.
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=o1CPBYQU-zlDNmARayDODg..

The United States Sentencing Commission is currently accepting public
comment regarding federal sentencing laws. Please join the ACLU of
Northern California in calling for an equalization of sentencing laws
for different forms of cocaine.

TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to support the reform of sentencing laws!

http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=Uf4Q08yFSXTw0sziO_h6MQ..

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Introducing legislation to Reduce the Rise of Wrongful Convictions

The ACLU is working with criminal justice advocates and crime victims
to pass legislation based on the reforms recommended by the California
Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. This blue-ribbon
panel of prosecutors, law enforcement, victim advocates and defense
attorneys has unanimously recommended a series of reforms to prevent
wrongful convictions and ensure that the people who commit crimes are
convicted - because the only person a wrongful conviction is good for
is the true perpetrator. You can see the press release from the
Commission on their website.
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=ln4QXUu8VcRh3n-hpskWFg..

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Leading the Effort to Create Greater Police Accountability

A recent California Supreme Court decision in Copley Press v. Superior
Court prevents local civilian police review agencies from holding
public hearings or releasing records related to police misconduct
complaints. This increase in secrecy, which rolls back 30 years of
openness in police disciplinary hearings, will damage police/community
relations and decrease trust and accountability.

AB 1648, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, will overturn Copley
Press, allow civilian oversight agencies to continue holding public
hearings, and require police agencies to release certain limited
information about sustained internal affairs cases including the name
of the officer, a summary of the incident, and any discipline issued.

Greater openness will lead to increased police accountability and
improved police/community relations. For the full text of AB 1648, please visit
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=uPcVV-TcHZU9peyqcv19Hg..

If you have not done so already, I invite you to become a proud
card-carrying member of the ACLU, and to encourage your friends and
family to visit our new Web site and sign up for our online
communications.
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=FKIvBr2AQQh-LDu7LhBuEQ..
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=BQZaTh6PaMNc_rJK7m2CIA..
http://action.aclunc.org/site/R?i=b6dXSzFbatKAcJeXm3Sa4w..

Sincerely,

Maya Harris

Executive Director, ACLU of Northern California



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Our Mission:
The ACLU of Northern California works to preserve and guarantee the Bill of Rights for all,
through litigation, public education, organizing, lobbying and legislation. Protecting freedom
of expression, the right to privacy, and the right to be free of discrimination are fundamental
goals of the ACLU.


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