News & Commentary

As part of an ongoing analysis of racial disparities in Rhode Island, the ACLU of Rhode Island today announced that racial disparities in searches during motor vehicle stops appear to be increasing.

The ACLU of Rhode Island Tuesday commended the federal judiciary for promoting greater transparency in court proceedings by allowing court spectators to take notes without having to obtain prior approval. The long-standing requirement of advance judicial approval was eliminated in revised local federal court rules that are scheduled to take effect on December 15th. Instead, members of the public will be able to routinely take notes as long as they are not disruptive.

The ACLU of Rhode Island Monday filed a federal lawsuit against the Providence Police Department for violating the “clearly established” free speech rights of two protesters last year at a fundraiser in Roger Williams Park for then-Gubernatorial candidate, and now Governor-elect, Gina Raimondo. The suit alleges that the police department’s actions amounted to a “willful” violation of the “constitutionally protected right of people to peaceably assemble and demonstrate in public parks,” and seeks various court-imposed remedies, including monetary damages. The suit notes that only six months earlier in another ACLU case, a federal judge condemned the Providence police department’s practice of “clearing vast public spaces” of people engaged in free speech activity without legal cause.

The ACLU of Rhode Island testified Friday before the R.I. Vehicle Value Commission to urge the Commission to stop using unrealistic vehicle valuation to determine car taxes and adopt a meaningful appeals process for Rhode Island car owners.

The ACLU of Rhode Island Tuesday said the investiagion into a Providence firefighter for silently gesturing in support of an anti-racism protest was troubling on a number of levels and raised a number of questions. Executive Director Steven Brown said:

If a dog is declared vicious, does a town have the right to seize the animal and potentially euthanize it solely because the pet owner lives within one mile of a school or daycare facility? The ACLU of RI has entered its appearance in a court case in order to challenge the enforcement of a North Kingstown ordinance that orders just that, and that has placed a local family in the position of losing their pets despite complying with all relevant state laws. The case also raises fundamental due process concerns since the town had already agreed in a legal proceeding that the animals could be kept if the owners took steps, which they did, to better confine the pets.

The ACLU of Rhode Island has issued the following statement in response to recent events in Ferguson, Missouri: “Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri highlight the vast gap that often exists between the police and communities of color. Certain policing practices can unnecessarily antagonize communities by casting a blanket of suspicion over entire neighborhoods. These practices are responsible, at least in part, for the vast racial disparities we see in our criminal justice system. The discussion generated by Michael Brown's death must lead to constructive resolutions. In that regard, the ACLU of Rhode Island will continue to work to promote transparency and accountability in police conduct, to roll back the militarization of local police departments, and to end racial profiling in the state."

Many police departments across Rhode Island disproportionately arrest black individuals at rates that eclipse the racial disparity of arrests found in Ferguson, Missouri, newly reported data shows.