ACLU

A proposed ordinance requiring licenses for panhandlers in New Bedford was struck down during Thursday night's City Council meeting.

Efforts to regulate New Bedford's panhandlers through licensing met its match during Thursday evening's City Council meeting thanks to major concerns over costly lawsuits against the city.

The American Civil Liberties Union is keeping a close eye on the New Bedford City Council. Thursday night's meeting will discuss the future of an ordinance that would require panhandlers to obtain a license in order to beg for money. ACLU Deputy Legal Director Sarah Wunsch tells WBSM News the ordinance is unconstitutional, saying free speech cannot be licensed...

Mayor Jon Mitchell says there's no easy answers to getting panhandlers off the streets of New Bedford. Speaking on his weekly radio program on Wednesday, Mitchell said the courts have protected the First Amendment rights of panhandlers who ask for money...

An associate professor at UMass Dartmouth's School of Law was part of an important discussion on a burgeoning industry in Massachusetts. Associate Professor Hillary Farber joined in discussion with representatives from MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Center, and the ACLU of Massachusetts to talk about drones and proposed uses and regulations...

The American Civil Liberties Union is asking the highest court in Massachusetts to come up with a comprehensive plan for handling thousands of criminal cases tainted by a scandal at a state drug lab.       Chemist Annie Dookhan was sentenced in November to serve at least three years in prison for faking test results and tampering with evidence at the lab...

Edward Snowden's legal adviser says his client's leaks about the government's surveillance program have been "profoundly valuable." The ACLU's Ben Wizner spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press" and said there's much the U.S. could gain in conversations with Snowden. ...

A criminal inquest is being sought from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office in the May, 2012 shooting death of 15-year-old Malcolm Gracia. The Massachusetts American Civil Liberties Union, along with the NAACP and other civil rights groups, are questioning the District Attorney's findings after a formal investigation...