The New York Civil Liberties Union today applauded a State Supreme Court judge’s order dismissing an unconstitutional proposal that sought to curb gang activity by banishing certain residents from gathering in public areas in Wyandanch. Judge Jeffrey A. Spinner dismissed the banishment proposal “with prejudice,” meaning the county cannot attempt in the future to obtain an injunction against these same individuals. The county, which under a new administration had sought to withdraw the proposal, consented to the judge’s order, which is dated April 19.

The New York Civil Liberties Union, the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging Suffolk County’s policy and practice of obstructing the First Amendment right of the press and the public to record and gather news about police activity in public places.

People housed at Suffolk County Correctional Facilities – whether or not they have been convicted of a crime – are forced to live amidst overflowing sewage, chronic overcrowding, rodent and insect infestations, pervasive mold and rust, and other deplorable and dehumanizing conditions, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed today by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Shearman & Sterling LLP.

New York Supreme Court Justice Eugene Devine today upheld New York’s law ending prison-based gerrymandering in the Little v. LATFOR lawsuit. His decision squarely rejects the plaintiffs’ claim that the New York law violated various provisions of the New York State Constitution. The New York Civil Liberties Union was among seven civil rights organizations representing 15 voters from around New York State who joined the suit as intervenor-defendants.

Police officers throughout New York State are consistently misusing and overusing Tasers, according to a report released today by the New York Civil Liberties Union. The report, Taking Tasers Seriously: The Need for Better Regulation of Stun Guns in New York, analyzes 851 Taser incident reports from eight police departments across the state as well as 10 departments’ policies and guidelines for using the weapons, which deliver up to 50,000 volts of electricity and have caused the deaths of more than a dozen New Yorkers in recent years.

As the Occupy Wall Street movement spreads, the New York Civil Liberties Union is working in towns and cities throughout New York State to protect the right to protest. “The right to peaceful protest is a core constitutional principle,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “As the demonstrations spread across the state, the NYCLU is standing alongside the protestors to defend their right to speak their minds.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union today called on Suffolk County officials to immediately adopt U.S. Department of Justice recommendations that will enhance public safety by improving police relations with immigrant residents.

The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a motion for permission to file a friend-of-the-court brief requesting that a judge stop an unconstitutional Suffolk County proposal that seeks to curb gang violence by prohibiting 37 people from gathering together in a public places in Wyandanch.

The New York Civil Liberties Union today released a briefing paper examining the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and anti-mosque activities throughout New York State. The briefing paper, Religious Freedom Under Attack: the Rise of Anti-Mosque Activities in New York State, explores the legal and cultural background against which mosque controversies have unfolded across the state over the past year. It calls on public officials to promote intercultural understanding of Muslim New Yorkers while respecting the First Amendment rights of those who oppose mosque projects.

A New York Supreme Court judge has cleared the way for civil rights organizations representing 15 voters from across New York State to join the Attorney General in defending New York’s law ending “prison-based gerrymandering,” a practice that had distorted representation across New York State.