News & Commentary

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island expressed alarm today that, without any regulations governing the practice, the Providence Police Department has been videotaping peaceful demonstrations the past two years. Even more disturbingly, the videotaping has often focused on other people, including journalists, who are recording the events, rather than trying to document illegal activity, suggesting that the real purpose of the recordings is to intimidate protesters engaging in First Amendment-protected activity.

The Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project and the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island issued the following statement in response to the Senate introduction of a bill that would make it a felony to “loiter” on a highway, causing a “distraction” or “delay” of motorists.

A number of community and advocacy organizations are calling on the Council of Elementary and Secondary Education to promptly overturn guidance issued by Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist that advises school districts they can use the PARCC exam as a high-stakes test graduation requirement as early as 2017, three years before the 2020 starting date the Council had originally proposed.

ACCESS/RI, of which the ACLU of Rhode Island is an active member, has filed 14 complaints citing a total of 53 violations of the state’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA) with the Rhode Island attorney general. The complaints stem from an audit released in September to determine whether state and municipal agencies were in compliance with amendments enacted by the General Assembly in 2012 to strengthen APRA.

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.