News & Commentary

In the past few weeks, I've seen people in tears, calling family members and begging them to come to the court with cash. I've seen defendants end up in jail over minor violations - violations that other defendants simply had to write a check to get out of. For the last five weeks my fellow interns and I have been observing courtrooms all over southeastern Michigan. We saw many defendants who are forced to choose between paying a hefty fine or spending time in jail. This type of sentence, called pay or stay, is constitutionally questionable and ethically dubious. Unfortunately, it is also very common.

Everyone likes to get out in public this time of the year, and that includes protesters, picketers and petitioners on the street and in city parks. Read this week's Rights Review to hear more about how you can participate in our work defending the First Amendment.

Coming back from summer vacation a little red? The oppressive weather hasn't slowed us down.

Just about everyone has at least one pseudonym online. Our usernames and avatars allow us the privacy and freedom to share information online that we might not dare to in public life. As a near-constant internet user, I probably have a dozen identities on a hundred websites. With one identity, I can anonymously submit a review of a local restaurant without worrying about spit in my food. As another, I can discuss private habits or political opinions without the fear or retaliation. This unique anonymity has fostered the amazing diversity of opinions online, allowing people who might otherwise be silenced, stigmatized or punished to express their views. However, corporations and public officials are increasingly using frivolous lawsuits to intimidate individuals online and discourage debate.

This week, we're defending your right to talk smack about politicians online. It's what the Founding Fathers did, after all (except for the online part).

Do you love Fellini films? How about M.C. Escher drawings, Rachmaninoff concertos or The Lord of the Rings?All these amazing artworks were in the public domain before a federal law allowed some people to make a profit at the expense of everyone's First Amendment rights.Other stories include big news on the medical marijuana front and one Michigan college now offers second chances to students.

Another busy week in the offices of the ACLU of Michigan!

I recently had a conversation with an extraordinary woman who raised 15 children, both her own and those of other parents.

On this date in 1964, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law to address gender-based discrimination in the workplace.