News & Commentary

Read our Q&A with Scout Katovich, staff attorney at the Trone Center for Justice and Equality, on the stakes of Grants Pass v. Johnson.

Here’s what past criminal law rulings tell us about how the justices may interpret the law moving forward.

Maine lawmakers are attempting to roll back important restrictions on deadly no-knock raids, endangering both civilians and law enforcement.

At a moment when our fundamental rights are increasingly eroded, now is the time to fulfill the promise of Gideon.

Homelessness is a racial and gender justice issue. Homelessness and racism are public health emergencies requiring investment in housing, treatment, and services—not segregation and criminalization. Punishing people for sleeping outside or silencing protests raises serious constitutional concerns

Testimony to the Portland Board of Education by Zachary Heiden, Legal Director, ACLU of Maine We urge you to reject funding for police officers in Portland schools and put those resources where they are truly needed – into mental health resources for your students who desperately need them.

Andrea Woods, Staff Attorney, Criminal Law Reform Project Rebecca Gill

There is already plenty of objection to making uniformed, armed police permanent fixtures in schools. Now, officials want to put cameras on the bodies of these officers – placing students under constant police surveillance and knitting schools, police, and prisons closer together.

"The Constitution requires more than simply 'a warm body in a suit' standing next to the accused—the accused has the right to a lawyer who can and does provide assistance."