News & Commentary

The ACLU of Missouri has filed a Sunshine Law suit on behalf of Aaron M. Malin against the Missouri Association of Community Task Forces (ACT Missouri) for denying a request for the release of public documents.

Today in Strake v. Robinwood West Community Improvement District, the Missouri Supreme Court held that a government entity’s refusal to provide a citizen with public records amounts to a purposeful violation of Missouri’s Sunshine Law. The Supreme Court reversed the decision of a lower court, which had held that a government entity cannot have knowingly or purposefully violated the Sunshine Law when it does so on the advice of its attorney. Government bodies that knowingly or purposefully violate the public records law face a civil penalty and being required to pay the citizen’s attorneys’ fees.

The following may be attributed to Jeffrey Mittman, Executive Director of the ACLU of Missouri:

The following may be ascribed to Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri:

St. Louis-- The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District ruled late this afternoon that a St. Louis County Judge abused his discretion by removing a foreperson from a grand jury. The Court directed the Judge supervising the Grand Jury to immediately adjourn the Grand Jury. The Court found “that the record properly before us is entirely inadequate to justify Relator’s removal from the Grand Jury for cause.”

Statement from Sarah Rossi, ACLU of Missouri director of advocacy and policy, regarding today's Pittman decision:

Late yesterday afternoon, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filed a lawsuit against the city of Springfield, Missouri, on behalf of Free the Nipple—Springfield Residents Promoting Equality. The group is challenging a new indecent exposure law that is so vague it could prohibit breast-feeding of children in public.

John Roe was selected to be the foreperson of the Grand Jury of St. Louis County for the September 2015 term and served in that capacity for two weeks. That’s when Judge Steven H. Goldman, at the request of Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, removed Roe even though he met all of the requirements and no misconduct is alleged. On October 16, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri asked the Missouri Court of Appeals to review the decision to remove Roe.

Megon Riedel, in her final weeks of pregnancy, was shackled, chained and transported by van nearly 200 miles across state while she was in active labor. Today, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, she is suing Jackson County and three Jackson County Detention Center (JCDC) correctional officers.