American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is a non-governmental organization whose stated goal is to "defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person ... by the Constitution and laws of the United States." Lawsuits brought by the ACLU have been influential in several important developments in U.S. constitutional law, and it has over 400,000 members as of 2005. The ACLU provides lawyers and legal expertise in cases where it believes an individual's or group of individuals' rights are being violated by the government. In many cases where it does not provide legal representation, the ACLU submits amicus curiae briefs in support of its positions. The ACLU has never officially supported or opposed a political candidate, and is not aligned with any political party, though it has been harshly critical of various elected officials of both major parties over the years. Its stances have engendered criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, though conservatives are much more likely than liberals to criticize the organization (see Critics of the ACLU).

Controversial defense stances

The organization believes that free speech rights must be available to all citizens and residents of the United States. Therefore, it has taken on unpopular cases to defend the free speech rights of clients such as Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazi groups, and NAMBLA, a group which supports legalization of pederasty. A number of controversial cases in which the ACLU has been involved are discussed in the sections below.

Related Topics:
Ku Klux Klan - Neo-Nazi - NAMBLA - Pederasty

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The ACLU has defended Frank Snepp formerly of the Central Intelligence Agency (from an attempt of this government agency to gag him) and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North (convicted on the basis of coerced testimony—a violation of his fifth amendment rights).

Related Topics:
Frank Snepp - Central Intelligence Agency - Oliver North - Fifth amendment rights

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