Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/american-civil-liberties-union/)
ACLU lawyers say the county has a host of illegal and unconstitutional policies and practices that stifle public information and debate. A judge now will decide if officials are breaking the law and whether to block their policies.
The American Civil Liberties Union sent warning letters to Anaheim for its public comment structure and the city attorney’s office, in a response letter, defended the system. Now the Council will discuss the matter in a closed session later this month.
An American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) study determined the sheriff’s department fails to meet physical security, medical and mental health care standards inside Orange County jails, an assertion Sheriff Sandra Hutchens called “inaccurate or purposely distorted.”
The news comes as her department faces multiple controversies ranging from a federal investigation into the use of jailhouse informants to the recent misidentification of a dead body.
Officials still are drafting rules for when the cameras must be turned on, what the repercussions are for not using the cameras and whether any videos will be made public. The City Council also is considering increased oversight of the police department, including possibly creating a civilian review panel.
Activists want to see Anaheim’s Public Safety Board turned into a full-fledged commission, while the police association says it should stay as is.
Mohammed Aly refused to stop speaking when his three minutes were up. A sheriff’s deputy threatened to arrest a Voice of OC reporter who was filming Aly and sheriff’s officers when everyone was ordered to leave the board room.
County Counsel Leon Page is defending a ban on public commenters addressing supervisors by name, among other the ACLU claims is illegal. In response, ACLU officials say county supervisors will be set straight by the courts if they don’t change their policies.
In recent months, Orange County supervisors put tighter and tighter restrictions on speakers who try to address them at public board meetings. The ACLU’s letter is prompting county officials to consider possible policy changes.
Local organizers call on the Anaheim Union High School District to establish a policy protecting students and staff who are unauthorized.