News & Commentary

After receiving complaints that the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles was requiring licensed drivers from Puerto Rico to pass a written exam and road test in order to transfer their driver’s license to Rhode Island, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has urged Governor Gina Raimondo to immediately order the DMV to accept and transfer licenses from former Puerto Rican residents.

In light of the release of the depositions in the 38 Studios case, it is important to remember that "pleading the fifth" is a fundamental right that protects us all and supports a fair system of justice. As the U.S. Supreme Court eloquently explained over 50 years ago:

By Johanna Kaiser, Development & Communications Associate

After WJAR-TV reported that a family was told they could not send their children to Johnston Public Schools because they were living in a motel in town, the ACLU of Rhode Island contacted the Rhode Island Department of Education to urge Commissioner Ken Wagner to promptly intervene.

My name is Michael Thomas and I am a second year law student at Roger Williams University School of Law. My goal in coming to law school is to become a Public Defender. 

By Hillary Davis, Policy Associate

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island (ACLU) and the Rhode Island Disability Law Center (RIDLC) have filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and its Committee on Character and Fitness over inquiries on a questionnaire for admission to the Rhode Island Bar that the complaint alleges violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint, filed with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, challenges the legality of three broadly worded questions that ask about applicants’ past history of drug or alcohol abuse, mental illness, or other disability, and require applicants to provide detailed information about any treatment they have had or are receiving.