ACLU of Oregon

An Open Letter - A Request for Details and Early Release of Joint Terrorism Task Force Report

Submitted by Aclu of Oregon on January 27, 2012 - 2:14pm

January 24, 2012

To Mayor/Police Commissioner Sam Adams,Chief Mike Reese and members of Portland City Council:

In late April 2011, the Council adopted a Resolution outlining its understanding of how the Portland
Police Bureau (PPB) will, in limited circumstances, cooperate with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task
Force (JTTF). Part of that resolution declared that the Chief will present an annual report to Council
every year in January. We understand that the Mayor has proposed a resolution giving the Chief
until the end of February to present the report. We, the undersigned, request that the report be
released in draft form at least two weeks prior to any formal presentation to City Council to allow
public input. We continue to urge the City to fulfill the promise of that part of the resolution, to
ensure transparency and to assure the people of Portland that our officers are in compliance with
state and federal laws regarding gathering information for legitimate criminal investigations.
In addition to the five points outlined by the ACLU of Oregon in their testimony to Council (and
repeated in a June 24 letter to Council), we request an update on the security clearance status of the
Mayor, Chief, and any officers or supervisors in the Bureau who are working with the JTTF.

Ten Years of Guantánamo

Submitted by Aclu of Oregon on January 12, 2012 - 6:42pm

By Claire Syrett, Field Director

OSU Guantanamo Protest January 11, 2012, marked a somber anniversary – the arrival of the first prisoners to Guantánamo Bay prison 10 years ago. It is shocking to realize that there are men who have endured 10 long years incarcerated in our very own American gulag. It is especially shocking when you consider that only four of 779 men held there have received even the semblance of a trial. Now we wait to see how long the remaining 171 men still held there will remain in legal limbo. Will it be another 10 years? 20?

For those Americans who stood up to protest Guantánamo on this anniversary of its opening the answer is clear; Guantánamo must be shut down now. I raised that rally cry at a demonstration in Corvallis organized by the local Veterans for Peace group among others. The sight of a line of orange jump-suited “prisoners” wearing black hoods parading through downtown and onto the Oregon State University campus drew plenty of attention. More importantly this and the many other protests held around the country served to remind Americans that it is past time to close this terrible chapter of American history and recognize the constitutional and human rights of those still held there.

ACLU of Oregon Offers Summer Legal Intern/Externships

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU-OR) is pleased to offer unpaid summer intern/externships to interested law school students. A minimum commitment of 35 hours per week for nine weeks is expected.

At the ACLU, law students gain exposure to a broad range of civil liberties and civil rights issues and an opportunity to improve legal writing and research skills. Students work closely with the Legal Director and will conduct legal research, write legal memoranda and draft correspondence to individuals in response to documented complaints of civil liberties and civil rights violations. Students also assist ACLU attorneys in the development of cases for litigation, preparation of cases for trial and submission of amicus curiae briefs in courts of appeal.

ACLU Celebrates Reopening of Schrunk Plaza and Bill of Rights Day

The ACLU of Oregon will celebrate the reopening of Terry Schrunk Plaza and Bill of Rights Day on Thursday, December 15th at noon in the amphitheater at Shrunk Plaza with readings of the Bill of Rights.

Federally owned Terry Schrunk Plaza had been closed since November 13, when Portland police evicted Occupy Portland demonstrators from nearby Chapman and Lownsdale parks. The City has stated that Chapman and Lownsdale need to remain closed to allow time for repairs, but Terry Schrunk Plaza had not been damaged yet remained closed.

The plaza’s amphitheater, which was designed to accommodate public gatherings and foster public discourse, had been the site of the General Assembly meetings for Occupy Portland. Last week, the ACLU of Oregon filed for a permit to hold a reading of the Bill of Rights at the Plaza, in part to encourage the federal General Services Administration to remove the fences and reopen what has been a traditional public forum. The ACLU’s permit was granted on Monday and the fences came down the same day.

ACLU of Oregon Supports Governor's Action to Stop Executions

Scales of justice November 23, 2011 - The ACLU of Oregon fully supports the decision of Governor John Kitzhaber to stop the planned execution of Gary Haugen for December 6th. Earlier this month the ACLU of Oregon joined our anti-death penalty allies, Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, the Oregon Capital Punishment Resource Center and Amnesty International, in urging Gov. Kitzhaber to stop the execution and call for a study of Oregon’s capital punishment system. Now that the governor has taken the bold step asked of him, it is imperative that a thorough, non-politicized study of the death penalty system occurs in our state. Other states have made the decision to end the death penalty because it is arbitrary, costly and discriminatory. The last time Oregon had this conversation was 27 years ago. It is time for Oregonians to start this conversation again. The ACLU of Oregon, on behalf of its more than 10,000 members, will monitor the next steps of our state Legislative and Executive branches on this important issue.

At the same time we extend our thanks to Governor Kitzhaber for his courageous action, we recognize that there are victims of Gary Haugen’s crimes who are put in the middle of the debate about the use of the death penalty in Oregon.

Victory! Gov. Kitzhaber Blocks Execution of Gary Haugen

November 22, 2011 - At a press conference this afternoon, Gov. Kitzhaber said he will not allow further executions while he's in office and is calling for a review of the death penalty system in Oregon.

The ACLU of Oregon appreciates this courageous act on the part of the governor. We would also like to the thank the nearly 1,000 ACLU supporters who took action through our online letter asking the governor to block this execution and re-examine a system that is expensive, broken and arbitrary.

See the full text of Gov. Kitzhaber's prepared statement here.