Damning Report Reveals Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Multnomah County’s Criminal Justice System

February 11, 2016 - A new report reveals people of color are negatively impacted in greater numbers than whites at every stage of the criminal justice system in Multnomah County. The county's Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) report shows the disparity is greatest for black people. 

Placeholder image

Standing Up for Someone We Disagree With

by David Rogers, Executive Director

David_Rogers_ED_web_hs.jpg

The First Amendment Rights of “Shock-Jock” Pete Santilli

Pete Santilli, who hosts an internet radio show and YouTube channel with over 60,000 viewers, had dedicated his show to covering the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as an embedded journalist. This coverage was the basis for his arrest warrant as well as a threadbare indictment on a charge of conspiracy to impede federal officers by use of force, intimidation and threats. If convicted of this federal felony, Santilli could face up to six years in prison. The ACLU of Oregon stands in solidarity with the thousands of Oregonians, particularly in rural communities, who are peacefully protesting the unwanted militia occupation in Harney County. There are reports that some of these occupiers have been intimidating and threatening community members. These are not social change strategies we support. Likewise, it is not lost on us that what was framed as a protest about land rights has ignored the historic territory of the Burns Paiute Tribe and desecrated sacred cultural properties.

Close-up of a microphone

Portland Activist Secures First Amendment Win

by Kelly Simon, Legal Fellow

aclu-web15-dem-freespeech-banner-2400x960_1.jpg

Attorney General Rosenblum: Do Not Waive Catholic Hospitals' Merger Review

Catholic Ethical & Religious Directives Restrict Reproductive, End-of-Life Care

Placeholder image

I Was Shot Six Times With Pepper Bullets and Beaten With Batons – and I'm Here to Say Thank You

Plaintiff Mookie Moss, who was shot six times with “pepper bullets” and unjustly beaten with police batons while protesting then-President Bush, penned this open letter to ACLU supporters and members:

Police in riot gear spray a protester with water

Until the No Fly List Is Fixed, It Shouldn’t Be Used to Restrict People’s Freedoms

The No Fly List is in the news this week, just in time for the ACLU’s argument in federal court on Wednesday in its five-year-long challenge to the list’s redress process.

A jet in flight directly overhead

Portland Public Schools Made the Right Decision When It Withdrew From Christmas Festival

We commend the Portland Public Schools (PPS) decision to withdraw students from the “Christmas Festival of Lights.” It is a decision consistent with the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which mandates that the government neither promote nor inhibit a particular religion.

A string of Christmas lights with bokeh effect

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Must Be More Than Symbolic

By Legal Director Mat dos Santos

A crowd of people listens to a man speak. A woman holds a sign that reads 'Tribal Sovereignty, It's the law'