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    • Active
    • Advancing liberty
    • Closed
    • Decided
    • Defending liberty
    • Filed
    • Historic
    • In federal trial court
    • In State Supreme Court
    • In state trial court
    • In U.S. Supreme Court
    • Landmark case
    • Lost
    • Lost appeal
    • On appeal
    • Open
    • Other
    • Pending
    • Settlement Agreement
    • Victory!
    • Won
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    • Derechos De Los Inmigrantes
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All Cases

33 Court Cases
Court Case
Feb 15, 2023
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
  • Criminal Legal Reform

NFB-VA, et al. v. VDOC, et al.

The Virginia Department of Corrections denies equal services to people who are blind or visually impaired. So we sued.
Court Case
Aug 15, 2022
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Antoine Anderson v. Clarke and Bowles

The ACLU of Virginia filed Anderson v. Clarke in the Albemarle County Circuit Court, challenging the continued incarceration of Antoine Anderson and demanding his immediate release from Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) custody. The petition for a writ of habeas corpus asserts that VDOC officials wrongly interpreted the Governor’s Amendment 19 to the 2022 Budget Bill to apply retroactively, negating the sentence credits earned by Mr. Anderson prior to the budget going into effect.
Court Case
Apr 25, 2022
Over a light purple background is a bright purple gavel.
  • Criminal Legal Reform|
  • +1 Issue

Dwayne Law, Jr. v. Zook et al.

ACLU of Virginia and Muslim Advocates filed an emergency complaint on behalf of Dwayne Law, Jr., a Muslim man incarcerated at a state prison in Baskerville, VA. The complaint asks a federal court to force the facility to provide him with meals before sunrise and after sunset so that he may observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. By refusing to allow Mr. Law to eat with other fasting Muslims during non-daylight hours, Baskerville Correctional Center staff and Warden David Zook are unconstitutionally forcing him to choose between eating to survive during the day or adhering to his deeply-held religious beliefs.
Court Case
Jan 06, 2022
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Randy Burke v. Harold Clarke et al.

The ACLU of Virginia entered an appearance in a federal lawsuit on behalf of Randy Burke, an incarcerated person within the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC). Mr. Burke is a practicing Rastafarian who was put in solitary confinement for over five years for refusing to cut his hair, even though cutting his hair would violate a tenet of his religion. During his time in solitary confinement, he was also denied opportunities to practice his religion, including receiving religious services, religious items, and holiday meals.
Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Interfaith Action for Human Rights et al v. The Commonwealth of Virginia et al

Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Whorley et al v. Northam et al

The ACLU of Virginia joined a federal class action lawsuit as co-counsel with Charlottesville attorney Elliott Harding on behalf of 27 people who are incarcerated in Virginia prisons. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, April 8 against Gov. Ralph Northam, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and other state officials. It alleges that Virginia is violating the U.S. Constitution by failing to decarcerate overcrowded facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and asks that the Commonwealth be ordered to immediately decrease the number of people in custody, implement policies for social distancing, and require staff members to wear personal protection equipment.
Court Case
Jun 19, 2017
CLR_Case_Page_GreenGavel.png
  • Criminal Legal Reform

John Louis Freeman, Jr. v. Virginia Department of Corrections, et al

Over confinement of State-Responsible Prisoner in Virginia Beach Correctional Center
Court Case
Jun 27, 2016
Voting_Case_Page_BlueGavel.png
  • Voting Rights|
  • +1 Issue

Howell v. McAuliffe

Restoration of voting rights
Court Case
Aug 30, 2015
repro_case_page_maroongavel.png
  • Reproductive Rights|
  • +1 Issue

Commonwealth v. J

Right to Abortion for Jail Inmate
Court Case
Feb 15, 2023
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
Court Case
Feb 15, 2023
  • Criminal Legal Reform

NFB-VA, et al. v. VDOC, et al.

The Virginia Department of Corrections denies equal services to people who are blind or visually impaired. So we sued.
Explore Case
Court Case
Aug 15, 2022
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
Court Case
Aug 15, 2022
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Antoine Anderson v. Clarke and Bowles

The ACLU of Virginia filed Anderson v. Clarke in the Albemarle County Circuit Court, challenging the continued incarceration of Antoine Anderson and demanding his immediate release from Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) custody. The petition for a writ of habeas corpus asserts that VDOC officials wrongly interpreted the Governor’s Amendment 19 to the 2022 Budget Bill to apply retroactively, negating the sentence credits earned by Mr. Anderson prior to the budget going into effect.
Explore Case
Court Case
Apr 25, 2022
Over a light purple background is a bright purple gavel.
Court Case
Apr 25, 2022
  • Criminal Legal Reform|
  • +1 Issue

Dwayne Law, Jr. v. Zook et al.

ACLU of Virginia and Muslim Advocates filed an emergency complaint on behalf of Dwayne Law, Jr., a Muslim man incarcerated at a state prison in Baskerville, VA. The complaint asks a federal court to force the facility to provide him with meals before sunrise and after sunset so that he may observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. By refusing to allow Mr. Law to eat with other fasting Muslims during non-daylight hours, Baskerville Correctional Center staff and Warden David Zook are unconstitutionally forcing him to choose between eating to survive during the day or adhering to his deeply-held religious beliefs.
Explore Case
Court Case
Jan 06, 2022
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
Court Case
Jan 06, 2022
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Randy Burke v. Harold Clarke et al.

The ACLU of Virginia entered an appearance in a federal lawsuit on behalf of Randy Burke, an incarcerated person within the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC). Mr. Burke is a practicing Rastafarian who was put in solitary confinement for over five years for refusing to cut his hair, even though cutting his hair would violate a tenet of his religion. During his time in solitary confinement, he was also denied opportunities to practice his religion, including receiving religious services, religious items, and holiday meals.
Explore Case
Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Interfaith Action for Human Rights et al v. The Commonwealth of Virginia et al

Explore Case
Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
Over a light green background is a white circle with a green gavel in the middle.
Court Case
Apr 22, 2020
  • Criminal Legal Reform

Whorley et al v. Northam et al

The ACLU of Virginia joined a federal class action lawsuit as co-counsel with Charlottesville attorney Elliott Harding on behalf of 27 people who are incarcerated in Virginia prisons. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, April 8 against Gov. Ralph Northam, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and other state officials. It alleges that Virginia is violating the U.S. Constitution by failing to decarcerate overcrowded facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and asks that the Commonwealth be ordered to immediately decrease the number of people in custody, implement policies for social distancing, and require staff members to wear personal protection equipment.
Explore Case
Court Case
Jun 19, 2017
CLR_Case_Page_GreenGavel.png
Court Case
Jun 19, 2017
  • Criminal Legal Reform

John Louis Freeman, Jr. v. Virginia Department of Corrections, et al

Over confinement of State-Responsible Prisoner in Virginia Beach Correctional Center
Explore Case
Court Case
Jun 27, 2016
Voting_Case_Page_BlueGavel.png
Court Case
Jun 27, 2016
  • Voting Rights|
  • +1 Issue

Howell v. McAuliffe

Restoration of voting rights
Explore Case
Court Case
Aug 30, 2015
repro_case_page_maroongavel.png
Court Case
Aug 30, 2015
  • Reproductive Rights|
  • +1 Issue

Commonwealth v. J

Right to Abortion for Jail Inmate
Explore Case
1 2 3 4

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