News & Commentary

Below are brief statements from five media and free speech organizations, including the Rhode Island Press Association, expressing thanks to Governor Gina Raimondo for vetoing a so-called “revenge porn” bill that would have had a chilling effect on free speech rights.

First Amendment and freedom of press advocates wrote to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo this week urging her to veto recently passed “revenge porn” legislation that although well-intended could impede legitimate newsgathering and chill protected speech.

By Judge Stephen Fortunato (ret.)

In advance of a scheduled Ethics Commission meeting tomorrow which includes a discussion of a proposed rule to establish a moratorium on the filing of ethics complaints before elections, the ACLU of Rhode Island urged the Commission to give “more thorough consideration of the consequences of such an approach.”

A federal judge has ruled that a North Smithfield man’s due process rights were violated when the North Smithfield Police Department refused for over six years to return lawfully possessed weapons that officers had seized from him, and instead demanded that he obtain a state court order if he wanted to get his guns back.

Responding to the threat of a lawsuit by the ACLU of Rhode Island, the Town of Johnston has indicated that it will halt enforcement of an anti-panhandling ordinance banning “aggressive begging.”  In doing so, the town joins the cities of Providence and Cranston in backing down from enforcement of these unconstitutional ordinances.

In a precedent-setting ruling, U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux issued a decision today holding that the City of Cranston violated the one person, one vote requirements of the U.S. Constitution when it allocated the entire incarcerated population of the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) as “residents” of one ward of the City when it drew district lines for the City Council and School Committee following the 2010 Census.  The ruling allows the City 30 days to present the Court with a new redistricting plan meeting constitutional requirements.

The ACLU of Rhode Island issued the following statement today in advance of a major conference being held tomorrow designed to encourage the employment of ex-offenders. The conference, “Road Map to Reentry,” has been organized by U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha, with support from the Department of Corrections, the Governor’s office and many others:

Calling the City’s actions “blatantly unconstitutional,” Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, issued the following statement today in response to a Providence Journal article describing attempts by some Providence city officials to bar a church from holding weekly services in Burnside Park. “According to news reports, members of Church Beyond the Walls have been told by Wendy Nilsson, the Superintendent of the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, that the church can no longer congregate on Saturdays in Burnside Park to hold services. Nilsson has allegedly cited a 98-year old ordinance that bars anybody from ‘address[ing] any political or religious meeting in any public park.’ This ordinance is blatantly unconstitutional, and has been for decades. As the U.S. Supreme Court noted over 75 years ago: ‘Wherever the title of streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and discussing public questions.’ “It is embarrassing that the city founded by Roger Williams would claim the right to kick him out of a municipal park for preaching religious freedom. We call upon city officials to immediately acknowledge the unconstitutionality of this ordinance and to recognize the fundamental First Amendment rights of the Church and others to meet in the park for political and religious purposes.”