The Legal Program handles cases that involve infringements upon constitutional rights and civil liberties. We represent individuals or classes of individuals whose cases will either serve to create new precedent or will result in general system-wide reform in favor of protecting and defending civil liberties.
In other situations, we may not file a lawsuit, but may write letters calling for changes or reforms.
Filter Cases
Oct 10, 2006
T.L.S. v. Montana Advocacy Program
Criminal Legal Reform
An individual, "T.L.S.," had been involuntary committed to state facilities since 1992, but in 2003, state officials concluded that TLS had made enough progress so as to not be classified as “seriously...
Visit case page
Jun 6, 2006
Habeeb v. Castloo, et alia
Immigrants’ Rights
On April 1, 2003, Mr. Habeeb was stopped, searched, interrogated and subsequently arrested by Montana Border Patrol, when Mr. Habeeb, travelling en route from Seattle to Washington, DC, deboarded briefly at...
Visit case page
May 5, 2005
Sammons v. Charlo School District
Freedom of Religion
At the commencement ceremony in May 2005, one of the principals with the Charlo School District began the ceremony with a prayer, in clear violation of US Supreme Court precedent on separation of church and...
Visit case page
Apr 4, 2004
US v. Blaine County
Voting Rights
In February 2001, the ACLU, on behalf of Native American residents of Blaine County, sought to intervene in a suit brought by the US Department of Justice against Blaine County for a violation of the 1964...
Visit case page
Oct 7, 2003
State v. Mount
Criminal Legal Reform
The ACLU challenged the application of the sex offender registry law to people who had already served their sentence prior to the date of enactment of the registry in 1997. Robert Mount had fully served his...
Visit case page
Feb 22, 2002
Snetsinger v. Montana University
LGBTQ Rights
Status: Victory!
The Montana Supreme Court ruled that the state must provide lesbian and gay employees of the University of Montana System with the option of purchasing health insurance and other employee...