Cases

For more than one hundred years, ACLU lawyers have been at the center of one history-making court case after another, participating in more Supreme Court cases than any other private organization. 

This page highlights current and important ACLU of Massachusetts cases, and provides ways to sort and search for other casework.

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Courtroom
Sep 9, 2017

Commonwealth v. Eldred

The case Commonwealth v. Eldred addresses whether someone who suffers from addiction can be deemed to have violated their probation when they use drugs, which is a symptom of the disease.

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Women of color in Tech
Jun 28, 2017

Shawn Musgrave and Nasser Eledroos v. Clerk of the Superior Court for Criminal Business in Suffolk County, et al.

Government Transparency

Challenging government secrecy in prosecutors' use of surveillance letters called "administrative subpoenas"

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Deanna Mya and Colleen Cook
May 19, 2017

Cook v. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School

Racial Justice

Two 15-year-old Black Boston-area students have been repeatedly punished by their school for wearing their hair in braids with extensions.

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Apr 3, 2017

Commonwealth v. Lunn and Lunn v. Smith

Immigrants' Rights

Can Trump retaliate against states refusing to hold people on ICE detainers when doing so would violate the state constitution?

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Annie Dookhan and attorney
Apr 3, 2017

Bridgeman v. District Attorney for Suffolk County

Criminal Law Reform

Seeking answers on whether the more than 24,000 defendants whose cases were tainted by Dookhan should have their convictions vacated.

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Cartoon sketch of Sonja Farak
Mar 8, 2017

Commonwealth v. Cotto

Criminal Law Reform

Sonja Farak may have tainted thousands of drug cases, on top the 24,000 cases tainted by ex-chemist Annie Dookhan.

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