Prisoners held in solitary ask full Ninth Circuit for review

Last week, men who sued the state of California for imprisoning them in solitary confinement for over a decade continued their fight. A district court had ruled the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) violated the terms of a landmark settlement when it transferred men who had been imprisoned in Security Housing Units for more than 22 hours a day to units in which they receive even less out-of-cell time than they did in the SHU, as well as when it deprived some of the men of any social interaction with other prisoners. A three-judge appellate panel reversed that decision – the petition we filed on August 31 requests that the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals review that ruling.

“Keeping prisoners, who have not violated any disciplinary rules, in their cells nearly all day long is cruel, contrary to California law and federal standards, and represents terrible management of a prison system costing over $13 billion per year,” said Sam Miller, cooperating counsel with the Center for Constitutional Rights. 

Learn more about this filing on our website.

Arizona lawmakers must not be allowed to conduct government business at secret "pay-to-play" ALEC meetings

[caption align="right"][/caption]

On Tuesday, attorneys representing leaders from Arizona’s social justice community urged an Arizona court to reject an attempt by 26 state lawmakers to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the lawmakers for attending a secretive meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The lawsuit alleges the 26 Arizona legislators violated the state’s Open Meeting Law by attending private closed-door meetings at ALEC’s Nation and States Policy Summit, held at a private spa in Scottsdale, Arizona in December 2019. This is a case that strikes at the heart of Arizona’s Open Meeting Law and the principles of transparency and democratic accountability it is designed to protect. 

“Our lawmakers are doing dirt in the dark and they want us to look the other way,” said Jamaar Williams of Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro. “In the dark is where they plot violence on our bodies. In defense of Black lives, we need to shine a big bright light on those who claim to support law and order but break their own rules with impunity.” 

Continue reading about this case on our website.

U.S. sanctions on ICC prosecutor constitute a full frontal attack on rule of law

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and prosecution jurisdiction division director Phakiso Mochochoko as targets of U.S. sanctions.

The designation of senior International Criminal Court staff for sanctions is an unprecedented targeting of an international prosecutor seeking to enforce international law and universally-recognized prohibitions on the commission of war crimes and torture. The ICC was established to put an end to impunity and to prevent serious crimes against civilians. 

With its action, the United States makes clear that it stands with dictators and war criminals, and not with victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Continue reading on our website.

Join us on 9/16: From the Streets to the Supreme Court

[caption align="right"][/caption]

We’re just a few weeks away from Supreme Court arguments in Tanzin v. Tanvir, our case brought on behalf of American Muslims who were placed or kept on the No-Fly List by the FBI for refusing to spy on their communities. Join the Center for Constitutional Rights and CLEAR for a virtual panel discussion, From the Streets to the Supreme Court: Protecting our Communities from Federal Repression, on Wednesday, September 16, from 5–6:30 p.m. ET.

What happened to the Tanvir plaintiffs is part of a long history of federal agents abusing tools at their disposal to target Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. A history that is ever-present. We are currently witnessing a blatant and well-resourced federal crackdown on a vibrant movement of protestors, with communities of color at the center, in defense of Black lives. We are seeing in real time the dizzying expanse of tools used to target, suppress, and surveil individuals and movements across the country. 

Speakers will discuss how communities are fighting back and holding federal agents accountable using litigation, advocacy, and public education resources. The panel features Naveed Shinwari (Tanvir plaintiff), Diala Shamas (Center for Constitutional Rights Staff Attorney), Ramzi Kassem (founding director of CLEAR), Thenjiwe McHarris (co-founder of Blackbird and member of the Movement for Black Lives leadership), moderated by journalist Rozina Ali.

Please register to attend on our website!