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MCLU Argues Against Police Brutality (11/03/2008)
PORTLAND — Tomorrow, attorneys for Rosanna Morelli will present arguments in her police brutality case at the U. S. Court of Appeals in Boston. Ms. Morelli, who was injured by a South Portland police officer in 2006, hopes to persuade the court to allow her case to go to trial. The police never arrested Ms. Morelli, who suffered from a torn rotator cuff from the incident.

MCLU Working Hard to Protect Mainers' Right to Vote (10/30/2008)
PORTLAND – The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today announced it would have legal help available for Maine residents who may face challenges at the polls on Election Day, Nov. 4.

Mainers Granted Intervenor Status in Warrantless Spying Case (10/28/2008)
PORTLAND – A California court has granted the motion of the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation to intervene in a case involving National Security Agency wiretapping of potentially millions of Americans. Under the new ruling, James D. Cowie and twenty-one other Mainers have been given formal legal status in a consolidated case against the telephone companies for their role in the NSA warrantless surveillance program.

Maine Law Court Strikes Down Political Endorsement Statute (10/21/2008)
PORTLAND – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court today struck down a Maine election statute as an unconstitutional restriction of political speech and a violation of the First Amendment. The court sided with a Cape Elizabeth man who challenged the law after he received a rebuke from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices in the closing hours of his Republican primary campaign for election to the Maine House of Representatives.

Ethics Commission Won't Restrict Campaign Speech (10/17/2008)
AUGUSTA - The state Ethics Commission voted 5 to 0 today to uphold free speech rights for political candidates when they dismissed a complaint filed against a Portland City Council candidate, Ed Suslovic, for his use of quotes in campaign materials.

Freedom of Political Speech Once Again In Jeopardy (10/16/2008)
PORTLAND — Tomorrow, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will once again find itself in the middle of a dispute over campaign advertisements. At issue is a quote from Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings in praise of Portland's Mayor, Ed Suslovic. His opponent claims the quote of praise gives the false impression that the Mayor was endorsed by Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings, which Suslovic adamantly denies. The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation will represent Mayor Suslovic at the hearing on Friday, arguing that the quote was clearly not an endorsement and that candidates have freedom of speech when it comes to campaign advertisements.

MCLU Applauds Freedom to Marry Victory in Connecticut (10/10/2008)
PORTLAND - Today, the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down Connecticut's restriction on marriage by same-sex couples. The American Civil Liberties Union, which was co-counsel in the case along with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, applauded the decision in Kerrigan & Mock et al v. Connecticut Department of Public Health.

MCLU Opposes Government's Motion to Dismiss Telecom Cases (09/22/2008)
PORTLAND - The Maine Civil Liberties Union filed a motion today to preserve its right to participate in proceedings in California where the fate of several cases involving the telephone companies and National Security Agency surveillance will soon be decided. These cases include a Maine case that arose from a 2006 complaint filed with the state Public Utilities Commission by Mainers seeking information on Verizon's complicity in the NSA spying program.

City of Portland Upholds Freedom of Religion (08/22/2008)
PORTLAND — After more than five hours of testimony from neighbors, clergy, and supporters of religious liberty, the Portland Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously voted to allow a Portland Rabbi to continue prayer in his home. Rabbi Moshe Wilansky had received a cease-and-desist letter from Portland in May, ordering him to stop using his home as a "place of worship". The Zoning Board of Appeals, however, rejected the city's interpretation of the zoning ordinance, finding instead that the Rabbi was using his home in a perfectly acceptable way.

Vigil planned to support Rabbi in Portland zoning dispute (08/20/2008)
PORTLAND, Maine - People from many religious faiths are expected to rally at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, at City Hall Plaza to support a Portland rabbi locked in a zoning dispute with the city. The "Vigil for Religious Liberty" will include leaders from several faith traditions who are deeply opposed to government interference in religion.

MCLU Files Appeal in Excessive Force Case (08/05/2008)
PORTLAND –The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in a case involving allegations of excessive force by a South Portland police officer. The U.S. District Court had granted summary judgment to the officer in a ruling in May.

Anti-REAL ID Leaders Vow to Press Forward on Repeal (07/17/2008)
PORTLAND, ME - Leaders of the repeal REAL ID effort vowed today that they will press forward and ensure that Maine takes no further steps toward compliance. Their optimism is fueled by the stunning turn-out of 652 volunteers who gathered 24,125 signatures from 398 towns across the state in the grassroots effort to repeal Maine's REAL ID compliance law.

ACLU Sues to Stop New FISA Legislation (07/10/2008)
PORTLAND, ME - The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking to throw out the new FISA Amendments Act that would vastly expand the government's ability to conduct mass surveillance on the international communications of Americans.

Senate Vote Ends Mainers' Privacy Complaint Against Verizon (07/09/2008)
PORTLAND - The Maine Civil Liberties Union deplored the actions of Maine's two Senators who voted today for an Administration-backed bill that vastly expands the federal government's power to spy on Americans without a warrant. The bill also ends Mainers' attempts to discover if Verizon illegally participated in the government's domestic spying program.

Repeal REAL ID Petition Drive Gears Up for Fourth of July (07/01/2008)
PORTLAND - Leaders of the drive to Repeal REAL ID announced Wednesday they will be "Defending the Fourth on the Fourth," by mobilizing hundreds of volunteers for a final push for signatures to repeal the state's REAL ID law, which violates the privacy rights guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

Maine Phone Privacy Case Still Alive - For Now (06/26/2008)
Maine's privacy complaint against Verizon got a reprieve Thursday as the Senate delayed legislation that would have given the phone companies immunity from litigation on the issue.

Unconstitutional FISA Spying and Immunity Deal Threatens Maine Complaint (06/20/2008)
The MCLU condemned the House vote on final passage on changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which gives the telecommunications companies immunity and expands the National Security Agency warrantless surveillance. HR 6304 likely means an end Maine consumer privacy complaint before the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Both Maine Congressmen Allen and Michaud voted against the bill citing civil liberties concerns. Unfortunately the House voted 293 to 129 to approve the bill.

MCLU Asks Supreme Court To Reject Augusta's $2,000 Fee for Protest March As Violation of Free Speech Rights (05/29/2008)
PORTLAND, Maine. - Yesterday, the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation asked the US Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of the fees of about $2,000 imposed on marchers by the City of Augusta. The request came in the form of a petition for a writ of certiorari--a mechanism for the Supreme Court to review decisions of lower courts across the country-for the case of Sullivan, et al. v. City of Augusta, a case originally filed by the MCLU in 2004. The lower court in question in this case is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston, which last year upheld Augusta's parade fee provision even as applied to individuals who could not afford the fee.

MCLU to Appeal Verdict in Excessive Force Case (05/20/2008)
PORTLAND, ME – Attorneys with the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today said they would appeal a U.S. District Court decision granting summary judgment to a South Portland police officer who was accused of using excessive force against a Westbrook woman.

MCLU Praises Groundbreaking California Decision on Gay Marriage (05/15/2008)
PORTLAND, ME – The MCLU applauds the decision of the California Supreme Court, which ruled today that the state may no longer exclude same-sex couples from marriage.

MCLU Disappointed in Legal Status Compromise (04/16/2008)
AUGUSTA - The Maine Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment in the enactment of LD 2039. The final bill requires the Secretary of State to enact regulations requiring driver's license applicants to demonstrate a "legal presence" in order to obtain a license.

MCLU Seeks Public Records on REAL ID Waiver (04/03/2008)
PORTLAND - Today, the Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation filed a public records request with the Office of Governor John E. Baldacci for records relating to the debate over REAL ID. After more than a week of back and forth between the Governor's Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the two parties announced yesterday that Maine was granted a waiver in exchange for promises by the Governor to propose changes to Maine driver license law. Just last year, Governor Baldacci signed into law a statute prohibiting Maine's participation Real ID.

MCLU Applauds Representatives Allen and Michaud for Rejecting Telecom Immunity (03/14/2008)
The MCLU praises the house vote, 221 to 188 in favor of a surveillance program that does not include retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that provided information to the National Security Agency, under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This vote allows the Maine Public Utilities Commission complaint case to move forward in the courts. Both Reps Tom Allen and Michael Michaud voted in favor of protecting Mainers’ privacy.

MCLU Applauds Senators Collins and Snowe for Defending Mainers’ Right to Fly (03/13/2008)
PORTLAND – The Maine Civil Liberties Union today praised Maine’s two Senators for calling on the Department of Homeland Security to scrap its May deadline for compliance with the controversial REAL ID program.

MCLU Blasts Sen. Susan Collins for Pandering to the Bush Administration and Selling Mainers’ Privacy Down the River (02/29/2008)
Portland, ME – The Maine Civil Liberties Union condemned a letter sent by Senator Susan Collins today that attempts to pressure Governor John Baldacci into complying with the federal Real ID Act against the will of the people and legislature of Maine.

MAINE ACTIVISTS RENEW CALL FOR NET NEUTRALITY (02/25/2008)
PORTLAND –Mainers who are actively working to ensure that the Internet is available to all users without discrimination travel to Boston today for a Federal Communications Commission hearing on the issue of network neutrality, the principle of non-discrimination on the Internet. The FCC hearing will address Comcast’s practice of blocking peer-to-peer traffic on its network, and the FCC has requested comment on Verizon Communications’ recent blocking of text messaging.

MCLU Denounces Senate Vote to Expand Warrantless Surveillance (02/12/2008)
PORTLAND- The MCLU expressed strong disappointment with Maine’s two Senators after they backed the Bush Administration’s extension of a law that would vastly expand the government’s ability to spy on Americans without a warrant. The Senate bill, which passed on Tuesday in a 68-29 vote with both Maine’s Senators voting in favor, would extend the government’s power to bypass the safeguards that have been part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, (FISA), which was enacted after the Watergate scandal to provide a court check on government surveillance. Several amendments that would have safeguarded civil liberties were defeated as was an amendment that would have stripped telecom immunity from the bill. Telecom immunity could possibly bring to a close the Maine Public Utilities Commission inquiry into whether Verizon violated Mainers’ privacy by collaborating with the National Security Agency.

Budget Cuts Target Elderly and Disabled Refugees (02/06/2008)
PORTLAND, ME – Many elderly and disabled refugees who have sought asylum in Maine could lose their only source of income under proposed budget cuts that will be presented Thursday to a joint meeting of the Appropriations and Health and Human Services Committees. The budget cuts proposed by Governor John Baldacci would change current law, which has allowed the state to help disabled refugees who are here legally but who are not eligible for federal SSI benefits.

MCLU Applauds Public Utilities Commission Order On Sale Of Verizon To FairPoint (02/04/2008)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) today released an order that will allow its investigation into Verizon’s alleged abuses of customer privacy to continue. The order requires that, as a condition of the sale of Verizon assets to FairPoint Communications, the PUC retain jurisdiction over the telecomm giant even after the transaction with FairPoint has been completed.

108 Maine Lawyers Urge Senators to Stop Telecom Immunity (01/21/2008)
PORTLAND, ME – Scores of Maine lawyers have joined forces to ask Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe to reject a Senate bill that would grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies who allegedly provided their customers personal information to the National Security Agency without proper warrants. That bill is due to be considered by the Senate this week. A letter to the Senators signed by 108 Maine attorneys is attached.

MCLU Welcomes Two New Staffers (01/15/2008)
PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Civil Liberties Union has added two new staff members to its Portland office. Brianna Twofoot has been hired as the MCLU’s new field organizer, and Marian McCue as the new communications specialist.

MCLU Blasts New REAL ID Regulations (01/11/2008)
Portland – The Maine Civil Liberties Union condemns the final regulations for the REAL ID Act, issued by the Department of Homeland Security today. The REAL ID Act passed in 2005. In January of 2007, the Maine State Legislature was the first in the country to reject the REAL ID, passing a resolution calling for its repeal. An Act To Prohibit Maine from Participating in a National Identification Card System was subsequently passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor John Baldacci. Sixteen other states have followed Maine’s lead in rejecting the REAL ID.*

Maine Civil Liberties Union Applauds Federal Court Decision Striking Down Portions of Unconstitutional Parade Ordinance (12/14/2007)
PORTLAND – Today the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that advance notice and meeting requirements associated with the city of Augusta’s parade ordinance are unconstitutional. The decision upholds an earlier decision by the district court in Bangor to strike down Augusta’s restrictions on free speech because they improperly limited the rights of citizens to march and protest in the state’s capital.

MCLU Urges PUC to Consider Privacy as Condition of Verizon/FairPoint Sale (11/02/2007)
PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) and a group of Verizon telephone customers urged the Maine Public Utilities Commission today to make privacy protections for telephone customers a condition of sale in the transfer of Verizon assets to FairPoint Communications. The MCLU and the consumers also argued that continued jurisdiction in the ongoing case regarding past violations of customer privacy should be a condition of sale.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Attorney General’s Office Unfairly Targeted City Councilor (11/01/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today began negotiations with the Maine attorney general’s office on behalf of Jill Duson, a Portland City Councilor who is running for re-election on November 6. Duson, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Law, came under criticism from the attorney general’s office last week for referring to herself as an attorney in campaign material, in reference to her previous work in Pennsylvania as a lawyer for low-income and elderly clients.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Commission Investigating Government Misconduct Should be Subject to Public Scrutiny (10/17/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - A commission established by the state Attorney General to investigate alleged government misconduct should be subject to Maine's Freedom of Access Act (FOAA), according to an amicus brief filed by the Maine Civil Liberties Union today in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The panel of three prominent Maine lawyers was convened to investigate possible prosecutorial and law enforcement misconduct related to the investigation and trial of Dennis Dechaine for the 1988 murder of Sarah Cherry.

Verizon Admits Turning Over Customer Records to the Federal Government (10/16/2007)
PORTLAND, ME -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union expressed outrage today at Verizon's revelation that it has turned over the phone records of U.S. customers to the federal government without a warrant hundreds of times since 2005. Verizon is asserting that the acquisition of its operations by Fairpoint will remove the state's jurisdiction over any privacy violations it may have committed.

Verizon Admits Turning Over Customer Records to the Federal Government (10/16/2007)
PORTLAND, ME -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union expressed outrage today at Verizon's revelation that it has turned over the phone records of U.S. customers to the federal government without a warrant hundreds of times since 2005. Verizon is asserting that the acquisition of its operations by Fairpoint will remove the state's jurisdiction over any privacy violations it may have committed.

Diverse Coalition Announces Support for Net Neutrality Legislation in Maine (05/08/2007)
PORTLAND – The Maine Civil Liberties Union and other free speech advocates today joined state business leaders and computer professionals to call on the Maine Legislature to keep the Internet neutral and protect the freedom of individuals and small companies to post content online. The coalition is urging legislators to pass a bill known as “An Act to Protect Network Neutrality,” or LD 1675.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Appoints Zachary Heiden as Legal Director (03/20/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union today announced that it has appointed staff attorney Zachary Heiden as the new MCLU Legal Director. For the last three years, Heiden worked tirelessly as a staff attorney on a wide variety of civil liberties issues, said the MCLU.

MCLU Says Candidate’s Right to Exercise Political Speech Violated (03/02/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - On Monday, the Maine Civil Liberties Union will argue in Cumberland County Superior Court that a Maine law restricting political speech is unconstitutional.

MCLU Disappointed Phone Privacy Case Heading To California, Vows to Continue Fight For Privacy Rights (02/16/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union expressed disappointment today that the lawsuit concerning Maine phone customer privacy has been transferred to a Federal Court in California. The MCLU has vowed to continue its fight for answers about what exactly Verizon did with Maine phone customer records.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Releases The Way Life Should Be: Marriage in Maine (02/14/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - Melissa and Angela have been together 11 years and are raising a young son. Steve and Jim, together for 30 years, run a small business. Rita and Sara Jane have eight grandchildren between them, and have been together for 25 years. All three Maine couples would like to get married – but they can’t.

MCLU Applauds Public Utility's Demand that Verizon Tell the Truth About Cooperation with NSA's Spying Program (01/29/2007)
AUGUSTA, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union applauded the Maine Public Utilities Commission's decision today to initiate contempt proceedings against Verizon Maine for failure to comply with an August 9 order by the Commission. The order required a Verizon official to swear under oath to the truth of previous statements issued by Verizon regarding the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance and data collection program

ACLU Fights Government Legal Maneuvers to Delay Challenges to Datamining (01/25/2007)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union today argued before a federal panel that lawsuits against telecommunications companies over unlawful wiretapping by the National Security Agency should remain in the five states where the challenges were filed. ACLU affiliates in those states brought actions before local Public Utility Commissions that resulted in lawsuits that were heard today by the Multidistrict Litigation Panel as the government sought to get the cases consolidated and transferred to California.

“Santa’s Butt” Can Come to Maine (01/04/2007)
PORTLAND, ME - In what may have been the most talked about censorship case of the holiday season, Santa and the brewing company that wished to put him on their labels came out on top. In a letter dated December 22, 2006, Maine’s Liquor Licensing Unit Inspector Supervisor Jeffrey Austin told Shelton Brothers Brewers that they could register the label for “Santa’s Butt Winter Porter”, which features Santa’s fully-clothed derriere perched atop a barrel (or “butt”) of beer.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Challenges State Censorship of Artistic Beer Labels (11/30/2006)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union today filed legal papers challenging the state's refusal to issue permits to a beer distributor because their labels were deemed "undignified or improper." One beer features Santa Claus on its label, while another features a well-known French painting that hangs in the Louvre.

MCLU Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision Not to Accept Case Challenging Maine Law Protecting Religious Freedom (11/28/2006)
WASHINGTON - This week the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case that sought to undermine Maine’s prohibition on using taxpayer funds to subsidize religious education. The Maine Civil Liberties Union argued successfully in support of the position taken by the state of Maine and approved earlier by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Federal Appeals Court to Hear Arguments Over Free Speech Rights of Maine Anti-War and Labor Activists (11/03/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- On Monday in Boston the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit will hear arguments about the constitutionality of Augusta's free speech restrictions. The Maine Civil Liberties Union successfully challenged the city's Parade Ordinance and Mass Outdoor Gathering Ordinance, resulting in a December 2005 decision striking down Augusta's restrictions as unconstitutional.

What Good are Rights if You Don’t Know You Have Them? (11/02/2006)
ORONO, ME -- Do students shed their rights at the school house door? Maybe some of them. High school students from northern Maine will have chance to talk about what they can and can’t say or do, how much privacy they can expect, and what they can do to get involved and make change in their school, town or state when they gather for “Life, Liberty, &…,” a civil liberties conference for young people hosted by the Maine Civil Liberties Union. The event takes place Friday, November 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the University of Maine at Orono Memorial Union Bangor Room.

MCLU to Court: Keep Maine Lawsuit in Maine (10/27/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- Today the Maine Civil Liberties Union formally opposed a court order to transfer a high profile Maine telecom case to California. The federal government has sued Maine Public Utilities Commissioners to prevent the PUC from investigating whether Verizon turned over Mainer’s phone records to the National Security Agency.

ACLU Uncovers FBI Surveillance of Maine Peace Activists (10/25/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union today released new documents revealing that the FBI has monitored the activities of peace activists, including Maine Veterans for Peace and Peace Action Maine.

DOJ Threatens to Sue Maine PUC (08/02/2006)
PORTLAND, ME – The United States Department of Justice has threatened to sue the Maine Public Utilities Commission if it decides to open an investigation into Verizon Maine’s cooperation with the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program. In a letter dated Friday, July 28, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler cited the DOJ’s history of issuing lawsuits in response to similar investigations in New Jersey and Missouri.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Candidate’s Right to Exercise Political Speech Violated (07/20/2006)
PORTLAND, ME — The Maine Civil Liberties Union today filed a motion on behalf of Michael Mowles, a 2006 candidate for the Maine House of Representatives. Mowles became the subject of harmful scrutiny during his bid for the Republican primary nomination after the State Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices publicly criticized his campaign literature, using an unconstitutional law to limit political speech.

MCLU and Maine Residents Call on State Officials to Investigate NSA Spying (06/12/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union today delivered petitions from more than 360 residents to the Maine Public Utilities Commission, urging it to investigate Verizon’s role in the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance and data-mining of Americans.

ACLU Urges Appeals Court Action on Behalf of Muslim Man Harassed by Coworkers (06/07/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- Tomorrow, the Maine Civil Liberties Union will argue before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that a Muslim man subjected to humiliating harassment at work should receive a remedy in court.

Responding to Complaint Filed in Maine, Verizon Refuses to Deny Participation in the NSA Spying Program (05/19/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- In a 44-page response to the Maine Public Utilities Commission today, Verizon refused to confirm or deny cooperation in the illegal National Security Agency program, arguing that the Public Utilities Commission lacks the authority to investigate whether Verizon has provided NSA access to its customer records and its switching machines in Maine.

NSA Spying Complaint filed with Maine Public Utility (05/12/2006)
The Maine Civil Liberties Union, acting as intervenors in a Commission complaint filed by James Cowie with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) demanding an investigation into whether the Verizon telecommunications company has allowed the NSA to spy on its customers in Maine.

Maine High Court Upholds School Tuition Program (04/26/2006)
PORTLAND, ME -- In a 6-to-1 decision, the Maine Supreme Court today ruled that the state is not required to fund religious education with taxpayer money.

MCLU Urges State Legislators to Safeguard Personal Information (03/16/2006)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union today urged Maine’s legislators to protect Mainers’ privacy when considering two bills in work sessions this week.

ACLU Seeks Pentagon Files on Peace Groups (02/01/2006)
WASHINGTON -- In the wake of new evidence revealing Pentagon surveillance of peace groups and protest activities, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates across the country today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to uncover who is being spied on by the Pentagon and why.

Peace Groups in Maine Under FBI Scrutiny (02/01/2006)
PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Civil Liberties Union announced today that it has uncovered evidence of Federal Bureau of Investigation surveillance of the Maine Coalition for Peace and Justice. The FBI responded to a June records request from the MCLU with revelations that it has intercepted and collected past communications from members of the Maine Coalition for Peace and Justice, a statewide organization of individual citizens and Maine group representatives working collectively and nonviolently for social equality, economic justice, direct democracy, and regenerative environmental policies.

Federal Judge Strikes Law Restricting Protest in Maine (12/22/2005)
BANGOR, ME -- Ruling in a case brought by the Maine Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. today issued an order striking down an Augusta parade ordinance, after finding that the city unfairly imposed fees and rules on peaceful protesters seeking to march and gather in the state capital.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Urges High Court to Keep Government Out of Religion Business (03/24/2005)
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments today in a case that will determine whether the state can be forced to fund religious education with taxpayer money through its school voucher program.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Demands Truth From Justice Department (04/17/2003)
PORTLAND, ME -- In a move reflective of the ongoing controversy over the government's expanded powers under the USA PATRIOT Act, the Maine Civil Liberties Union yesterday sent a letter to the Maine Congressional delegation urging them to request that the Department of Justice publicly correct false statements made about the USA PATRIOT Act and asking that the Congressional members take a closer look at the government's powers under the Act.

Maine's Proposed Financial Privacy Bill Protects Corporations, Not Consumers, ACLU Says (03/26/2001)
PORTLAND, ME -In testimony today before the state legislature, Sally Sutton, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine urged lawmakers to reject a proposed bill that will put Maine's financial services privacy laws on a par with the federal government's less restrictive legislation. 

ACLU Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Maine High School Student Expelled for Taking Pain Reliever (02/01/2001)
PORTLAND, ME - In yet another case of zero tolerance school policy gone awry, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine filed a lawsuit today on behalf of ninth-grader Tracy Jannicelli, who was denied her right to due process when she was expelled by school officials for violating her school's zero tolerance drug policy, which bans possession or use of Tylenol. 

ACLU Urges Support for Maine Ballot Initiative on Medical Use of Marijuana (10/12/1999)
PORTLAND, ME -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union today urged voters to support "Question 2," a ballot measure that would allow the use of small amounts of marijuana for the medical treatment of people suffering from cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, neurological seizures, and severe muscle spasticity.

ACLU to Challenge Maine Campaign Finance Law (09/29/1999)
PORTLAND, ME -- A state court will hear oral arguments tomorrow in the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine's challenge to the campaign finance reform initiative passed by state voters in November 1996.

ACLU Wins Right to Sue Maine Medical Center Over Interpreter Services for Patients (09/28/1999)
PORTLAND, ME -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine and the National Health Law Project this week won the right to continue their lawsuit against the Maine Medical Center on behalf of persons with limited English proficiency who need interpreter services while they are patients at the hospital.

Citing Wholesale Privacy Violations, Advocates Reject Revised Bill on Patient Privacy (03/23/1999)
Our analysis reveals that the proposed changes to the law severely diminish, rather than protect, the individual's right to control medical information. We also have serious concerns that, to date, the discussions about confidentiality have been dominated and driven by the lobbyists of the health care industry, without the input necessary from patient advocates to provide a balanced view. 

ACLU Settles AIDS Discrimination Case for Homeless Man, Creating Model Education Program for Shelters Nationwide (01/15/1999)
NEW YORK, NY -- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the settlement of an AIDS discrimination case in which Patrick Keegan Biggers, a homeless man, was evicted from a shelter in Maine because he was HIV positive.