The ACLU of Michigan files lawsuits that impact people’s rights by setting a legal precedent, or affecting the policies and actions of public officials. Our current Fall 2024 Legal Docket details our legal cases and actions taken in 2023-2024.
Although the court system is a public service, like schools, roads and libraries, the costs of the court system fall disproportionately on those least able to afford it: low-income criminal defendants.
Tens of thousands of people in Michigan are locked up in jail, before being tried or convicted of any crime, because of cash bail. Throughout the state, it is common for judges to require people...
During the COVID-19 crisis, jails and prisons failed to take basic measures to protect incarcerated people from catching the deadly coronavirus. Social distancing in jail is...
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Michigan, jails and prisons became epicenters of contagion, and public health experts urged officials to decarcerate as much possible. As soon...