Montana
Western Native Voice v. Jacobsen
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and the Harvard Election Law Clinic challenged two Montana laws that hinder Native American participation in the state’s electoral process — HB 530, which prohibited paid third-party ballot collection; and HB 176, which repealed Election Day voter registration (EDR) in Montana. Together, these laws violate a number of provisions in the Montana Constitution: the right to vote, equal protection, free speech, and due process.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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All Cases
15 Montana Cases
Montana
Feb 2024
The Imperial Sovereign Court of the State of Montana v. Knudsen
On February 15, 2024, the ACLU and ACLU of Montana filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to leave in place an injunction against enforcement of a Montana law that infringes minors’ First Amendment rights by restricting their ability to attend drag performances.
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Free Speech
LGBTQ Rights
The Imperial Sovereign Court of the State of Montana v. Knudsen
On February 15, 2024, the ACLU and ACLU of Montana filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to leave in place an injunction against enforcement of a Montana law that infringes minors’ First Amendment rights by restricting their ability to attend drag performances.
Feb 2024
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Jul 2021
Yellow Kidney, et al. v. Montana Office of Public Instruction, et al.
In July 2021, the ACLU, the ACLU of Montana, and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of five Indian nations and 18 individual plaintiffs challenging the state of Montana’s failure to fulfill its constitutional mandate to teach public school students the history and culture of the first peoples of Montana in consultation with local tribes.
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Racial Justice
Yellow Kidney, et al. v. Montana Office of Public Instruction, et al.
In July 2021, the ACLU, the ACLU of Montana, and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of five Indian nations and 18 individual plaintiffs challenging the state of Montana’s failure to fulfill its constitutional mandate to teach public school students the history and culture of the first peoples of Montana in consultation with local tribes.
Jul 2021
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Nov 2020
Suda v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two American citizens detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for speaking Spanish while shopping at a local convenience store in Havre, Montana.
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Montana
Immigrants' Rights
Racial Justice
Suda v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two American citizens detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for speaking Spanish while shopping at a local convenience store in Havre, Montana.
Nov 2020
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Montana
Sep 2020
Western Native Voice v. Stapleton
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund challenged a Montana law that severely restricted Native Americans’ access to the ballot. In September 2020, the court issued its ruled for plaintiffs, finding that they presented “cold, hard data” about the law’s impact on Native Americans, and how its costs were “simply too high and too burdensome to remain the law of the State of Montana.”
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Montana
Voting Rights
Western Native Voice v. Stapleton
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund challenged a Montana law that severely restricted Native Americans’ access to the ballot. In September 2020, the court issued its ruled for plaintiffs, finding that they presented “cold, hard data” about the law’s impact on Native Americans, and how its costs were “simply too high and too burdensome to remain the law of the State of Montana.”
Sep 2020
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Montana
Nov 2019
Mitchell and Meuchell v. First Call Bail and Surety, Inc, et al.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Terrell Marshall Law Group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Eugene Mitchell, his wife Shayleen Meuchell, and their six-year-old daughter against private entities — bail bondsmen, bounty hunters and insurance companies — who profit off our country’s exploitative, for-profit bail system.
Status: Ongoing
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Montana
Smart Justice
Mitchell and Meuchell v. First Call Bail and Surety, Inc, et al.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Terrell Marshall Law Group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Eugene Mitchell, his wife Shayleen Meuchell, and their six-year-old daughter against private entities — bail bondsmen, bounty hunters and insurance companies — who profit off our country’s exploitative, for-profit bail system.
Nov 2019
Status: Ongoing
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