News & Commentary

The Rhode Island ACLU has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of East Providence on behalf of former state Senator Michael Damiani, whom the City Council last year conditioned his appointment as an Assistant Harbormaster on his passing a “vigorous” physical exam. The lawsuit, filed by ACLU volunteer attorney Carolyn A. Mannis, argues that the requirement violated Damiani’s rights under various employment anti-discrimination laws.

The Rhode Island ACLU is distributing throughout the state a voting rights card designed to inform people of their rights in next month’s Presidential election, in an effort to assist voters during what is supposed to be a record turn-out on November 4th. The ACLU is also staffing a voting rights hotline through Election Day to address voters’ questions or problems. (The card is available in Spanish as well.)

In response to a Rhode Island ACLU lawsuit filed last week, U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres this morning entered a temporary restraining order (TRO) against enforcement of the Town of West Warwick’s political sign ordinance. The ordinance had been challenged by ACLU volunteer attorney Richard A. Sinapi on behalf of town resident and state legislative candidate Thomas K. Jones.

The Rhode Island ACLU today filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of West Warwick, challenging its discriminatory enforcement of an ordinance that significantly limits the posting of political signs in the town. The suit was filed by ACLU volunteer attorney Richard A. Sinapi on behalf of town resident Thomas K. Jones, who is both a state legislative candidate and an outspoken critic of plans to develop a water park in the town. The suit argues not only that the ordinance violates Jones’ freedom of speech, but also that it has been enforced against him by town officials in a discriminatory manner. Although signs that he has displayed have been cited for violating the ordinance, dozens of other political signs supporting other candidates have not been cited at all.

Calling it “essential” to ensure that the legitimate votes of potentially thousands of voters do not get disqualified on November 4th, the Rhode Island ACLU and Common Cause/RI have urged local Boards of Canvassers (BOC) to take steps to notify individually all voters in their communities of their polling location. The request was made in a letter sent by the two groups to all BOCs in the state.

The Rhode Island ACLU today announced that it has agreed to provide legal representation to the family of Hiu Liu (“Jason”) Ng, the Chinese detainee who died last month while in the custody of immigration officials at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls. The case will be handled by RI ACLU cooperating attorney John J. McConnell, Jr. of the law firm of Motley Rice, LLC.

The Rhode Island ACLU today filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of a recently-adopted Board of Elections’ (“Board”) regulation that the ACLU claims may improperly disenfranchise certain voters on Election Day. The suit, filed by ACLU volunteer attorney Angel Taveras in R.I. Superior Court, specifically addresses the situation of qualified but unregistered voters who have the right, under state law, to go to their city or town hall on Election Day and cast a limited ballot for President and Vice-President.

The Rhode Island ACLU today filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the controversial “immigration executive order” that Governor Donald Carcieri issued in March. Specifically, the lawsuit, filed in R.I. Superior Court by RI ACLU volunteer attorney Randy Olen, challenges the order’s requirement that all vendors and contractors with the state participate in the federal employment authorization system known as E-Verify.

The R.I. ACLU today filed a lawsuit charging Governor Donald Carcieri with a “knowing and willful” violation of the Access to Public Records Act, and seeking imposition of a $1,000 fine against him for the violation. The suit, filed in R.I. Superior Court by RI ACLU volunteer attorney Kathleen Managhan, argues that the Governor has failed to turn over records that are clearly public under the law.