Press Releases - Litigation
Legal Advocacy and Policy Work
Legislative Reports - Resources - Events

Indigent Defense

The Sixth Amendment guarantees every person accused of a crime the right to an attorney for his or her defense, regardless of ability to pay, and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees all citizens equal rights regardless of race or national origin. Yet all too often, these rights are violated by indigent defense systems that leave low-income people, including many people of color, without adequate representation. Read about the ACLU of Utah's efforts to address the constitutionally inadequate state of indigent criminal defense in Utah >>

Death Penalty

The death penalty is the ultimate denial of civil liberties, and violates the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The ACLU of Utah is proud to be a coalition partner of Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Read more >>

Fair trial integral to American valuesPosted 6/21/10 - An Op-Ed by Darcy Goddard, Legal Director for the ACLU of Utah, published in the Deseret News. No matter what you think of the death penalty, we can all agree that capital cases are riveting. They're like a seven-car pileup on the highway; we just can't look away. This past week, Ronnie Lee Gardner became the third person since 1976 to be executed by firing squad in this country. His case generated a worldwide media frenzy, intended to captivate us all. Read more >>

Press Releases

Execution In Utah Highlights Need To Abolish Death Penalty, Says ACLU (6/18/10)

Salt Lake County Must Appoint Counsel for Child Abuse Substantiation Hearings (12/3/02)

The ACLU of Utah Questions Proposed Database for all Arrestees (8/10/99)

State v. Ethridge

State of Utah v. Paul Johnson

Femedeer v. Department of Corrections

Crank v. Utah Judicial Council

State of Utah v. Simmons and State of Utah v. Gardner

Legal Advocacy and Policy Work

ACLU of Utah writes Chief Justice Durham about Box Elder County Judge Kevin Christensen (2/24/10)

ACLU of Utah Action Alert: Stop Sentencing Discrimination (August 2009)

ACLU of Utah writes Kanab mayor about the lack of Fourth Amendment protections in the city’s new animal control ordinance (6/8/06)

Letter to the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center regarding the detention of minors without parental notification (2/20/04)

Letter to Judge Kevin Christensen regarding Trent M. Brown and unpaid fine for citations including illegal dumping, parking a trailer, and a violation of UDOT right of way (10/3/03)

ACLU of Utah sends legislative interim committee a review of the proposed amendments to the law regarding sentencing in capital cases (9/17/02)

In a letter to the Utah Supreme Court, the ACLU of Utah outlines the effects of Alabama v. Shelton (7/1/02)

ACLU of Utah urges Senator Orrin Hatch to attend a hearing on the death penalty (6/10/02)

ACLU of Utah sends a letter to Governor Leavitt and GRAMA requests to the 8th District Drug Court and Uintah County Jail in order to address due process concerns posed by the drug court’s testing facilities (6/10/02)

In a Letter to the Salt Lake City Council, the ACLU of Utah Questions the Proposed Administrative Law Division (11/9/99)

Two Bills that Sought to Expand the Death Penalty Are Amended to Address Constitutional Concerns (2007)

Legislators Consider Two Bills to Help Inmates Who Have Been Wrongly Convicted (2007)

New Law Bans Convicted Sex Offenders From Some Public Areas (2007)

Legislature Finally Funds the Drug Offender Reform Act (2007)

Lawmakers Change Penalties for Drug and Alcohol Crimes (2005)

No Resources Allocated to Provide Treatment for Drug Offenders (2005)

Legislators Consider Drug Offender Reform Act (2004)

Three Bills Amend Utah’s Death Penalty Law (2004)

Sentencing in Capital Cases Amendments Passed (2003)

Mental Retardation to be Considered in Capital Offenses (2002)

Sex Offender Registration Requirements Modified (2002)

Law Passed Requiring Warrants in More Child Removal Cases (2002)

Lawmakers Expand State’s DNA Database (2002)

Sex Offender Registry Becomes Even More Expansive (2001)

Bill Provides Some Reform to State Sex Offender Registry (2000)

Rules Regarding the State Child Abuse Database Are Modified (1999)

State Now Will Maintain Database of Teachers Accused But Not Necessarily Convicted of Certain Crimes (1999)

The State Child Abuse Database Continues to Pose Due Process Concerns

Resources

Fair trial integral to American values
Posted 6/21/10 - An Op-Ed by Darcy Goddard, Legal Director for the ACLU of Utah, published in the Deseret News. No matter what you think of the death penalty, we can all agree that capital cases are riveting. They're like a seven-car pileup on the highway; we just can't look away. This past week, Ronnie Lee Gardner became the third person since 1976 to be executed by firing squad in this country. His case generated a worldwide media frenzy, intended to captivate us all.

Read more >>

Indigent Defense in Utah Ranked Almost Last in Nation (December 2009)

Indigent Defense in Utah: Constitutionally Adequate? (November 2009)

Detention Prior to Preliminary Proceedings in Utah (Spring 2003)

The Warrantless Removal of Children (January 2002)

Information About Utah’s Sex Offender Registry (December 2000)

Events

"American Violet" with Graham Boyd of the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Project (11/2/09)

Listen to KRCL's Radioactive - featuring Graham Boyd and Marina Lowe of the ACLU talking about the film, the case, and the 6th and 14th Amendments >>

Civil Liberties Film Series Kicks Off with William Kunstler Documentary (9/8/09 )

ACLU of Utah in Honors the Life and Work of Attorney Martin Garbus (1/2/09)

 

 

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