Legal Cases
The ACLU of Maryland Legal Department's docket features an array of cases touching on a wide range of civil liberties issues. It also reflects important themes. First, the ACLU of Maryland has been increasingly called upon to defend important federal civil rights laws from challenges by courts increasingly hostile to enforcing the protections of federal law. Second, the ACLU resolves legal issues with legislative remedies, bringing advocates, activists, and others together to effect social change.
From a single phone call to complex litigation, the ACLU brings the force and intent of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Maryland Declaration of Rights to life for all Marylanders.
Recent Activity
Illegal Arrests Lawsuit Against Baltimore Police Department
ACLU works to ensure that reforms are fully implemented in the Baltimore City Police Department
Issues: Racial Justice Police Practices Criminal Justice
Redistricting: Ensuring Election Fairness
ACLU is dedicated to realizing the promise of the Voting Rights Act for all Marylanders
Issues: Racial Justice Voting Rights and Elections
Anne Arundel County Executive Leopold's "Enemies List"
ACLU files public information requests, demands full investigation after County Executive is indicted.
Issues: Free Speech Police Practices Open Government
Bradford v. Maryland State Board of Education
Issues: Education Reform Education Funding Student Achievement
Amicus brief in support of "No Representation Without Population Act"
The ACLU of Maryland and a coalition of local and national civil rights groups file an amicus brief to defend the "No Representation Without Population Act," Maryland’s first-in-the-nation voting rights law requiring the state to count incarcerated persons at their home addresses.
Issues: Racial Justice Voting Rights and Elections
LGBT censorship of Bel Air High School play
The ACLU of Maryland urged Harford County Public School officials to allow a play to be staged as written and not censor a scene that features an LGBT storyline.
Issues: Free Speech LGBT Rights Youth Rights
LGBT web filtering in Montgomery County
The ACLU of Maryland advocated that the iBoss web filtering software being used by Montgomery County government unblock a filter falsely labeling LGBT websites as pornography.
Issues: Free Speech LGBT Rights Privacy & Technology
Homeless women denied overflow shelter beds
The ACLU of Maryland and the Homeless Persons Representation Project ask Baltimore City Mayor to intervene as homeless women are denied overflow shelter space only being offered to men.
Issues: Women's Rights
Mardela Springs' property ownership requirement for local office
The ACLU of Maryland demanded that officials in the small town of Mardela Springs immediately rescind an unconstitutional property ownership requirement for candidates for local office.
Issues: Racial Justice Voting Rights and Elections
Sharp v. BCPD
Concerned that the Baltimore City Police Department routinely violates the First Amendment by threatening citizens who try to photograph or record police encounters, the ACLU of Maryland filed a lawsuit against BPD on behalf of Christopher Sharp.
Issues: Free Speech Privacy & Technology
Unconstitutional Hurlock voter ID proposal
The ACLU of Maryland and the Dorchester County NAACP oppose proposed voter identification law in the town of Hurlock.
Issues: Racial Justice Voting Rights and Elections