News & Commentary

Once again, the Chicago Tribune reports that the number of child abuse and neglect related deaths in Chicago continues to be high, only this time, the numbers may actually be the highest they have ever been. For decades, the ACLU of Illinois has monitored the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) as a result of a consent decree aimed to improve the care and services for children in its custody. The consent decree outlined a limit to the number of cases a DCFS social worker can have, so that they are able to fully accommodate new child abuse and neglect cases. DCFS states that the new numbers may not be accurate due to the efficacy of their data collection process. The Chicago Tribune spoke with ACLU of Illinois' Ben Wolf: 

ACLU of Illinois senior staff counsel Adam Schwartz joined State Senator Daniel Biss and several privacy experts at the Skokie Public Library for a forum entitled "Rethinking Privacy in a Digital Age."  The event coincided with the signing of the location tracking bill, a key ACLU legislative priority which was sponsored by Senator Biss. Additionally, the ACLU of Illinois has worked with Biss to pass measures that would place sensible regulations on the use of surveillance drones by law enforcement and also privately, by individuals. On the issue of these new technologies, Schwartz stated:

The events in Ferguson have created a vigorous discussion around issues of police accountability and oversight of law enforcement in the United States.  One idea advanced by many is the notion of having police-civilian interactions recorded by small, mobile video cameras, known as "body cams."  The ACLU of Illinois sees the value of utilizing this emerging technology (mobile video cameras) in this fashion as long as there are adequate safeguards for personal privacy.  Below is a memorandum developed by the ACLU of Illinois outlining the privacy safeguards we believe necessary to keep the focus on accountability and oversight of police, and preventing the use of body cams from becoming another broad surveillance tool. 

The New York Times editorial board voiced in on the recent ruling in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down bans on same-sex marriage in Wisconsin and Indiana on Thursday. Arguments were made last week as to why the states should be able to reinstate bans on same-sex marriage, due to a previous ruling that the bans were unconstitutional. The case in Wisconsin was brought with the assistance of John Knight, LGBT Project Director for the ACLU of Illinois. The Times editorial lauded Judge Richard Posner's opinion, in which he stated:

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments regarding the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in Indiana and Wisconsin on Monday in Chicago. During the hearing, the states presented their reasons for reinstating bans on same-sex marriage in their states, which had been ruled unconstitutional in lower courts this past June. Their arguments were met with harsh, and at times disapproving responses throughout the hearing. In particular, Judge Richard A. Posner took issue with the defense of the bans in the name of "tradition":

ACLU of Illinois Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka appeared on WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss the topic of police wearing video cameras. In light of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, the discussion of police transparency and accountability has gained traction, with an increasing number of police departments considering issuing body cameras to be worn during police interactions with civilians.

Watch ACLU of Illinois Board Chair Jill Metz accept an award from the Chicago Bar Foundation at the 2014 Chicago Bar Association & Chicago Bar Foundation Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon. The event, which took place on July 15, 2014 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago,  honors lawyers from a broad cross-section of the legal community whose passion for serving others is reflected in their extraordinary commitment to the ideals of equal access to justice. Jill Metz is a renowned and experienced lawyer, who was inducted into the Lesbian and Gay Hall of Fame in 2006 for her outstanding work in the law and in support of and for the LGBT community. Watch her acceptance speech:

Pregnancy shouldn’t be a firing offense, but time and time again, when pregnant women ask their employers for reasonable accommodations, they are shown the door.Guadalupe, a pregnant fast food worker in I

The tragic killing of college-bound teenager Michael Brown has raised questions about the frequency with which police kill unarmed black men in America. The answer, unfortunately, is far too often.