Our Chapter's Local Activities

The Monterey County Chapter of the ACLU maintains a full-time Complaint Line and a Legal Committee, both overseeing complaints and projects reflective of ACLU concerns.

We have a Speaker's Bureau to provide civil liberties information and to participate in community forums, organizational conferences, presentations, panels, and workshops.

We also maintain this website to provide readily accessible civil rights information to the public.

2007

The activities listed below have advanced civil liberties in Monterey County by publicizing issues of importance to the community. They have also helped us forge coalitions, provide educational material (especially "Some Practical Suggestions About You and the Police" in English and Spanish), put law enforcement and government on notice that we are vigilant about civil liberties issues, let community members know that we are there to support them, and provided assistance to those who might need it.

• Local Issues
  • Restrictions on July 4th Parade: When the Monterey City Council placed what were clearly unconstitutional restrictions on who could participate in the City's annual July 4th parade, one of the Co-Chairs of our Legal Committee wrote the Council a letter and spoke on the issue at a Council meeting. As a result of those efforts and those of other protestors as well, the Council dropped the offending restrictions and replaced them with others that were acceptable.
  • District Elections for Monterey Peninsula College: The Chapter, in coalition with the Monterey County Branch of the NAACP and the League of Latin American Citizens, "Monterrey" Council No. 2895, has been in an extended campaign to change the way Trustees are elected to the Governing Board of Monterey Peninsula College. At-large elections have resulted in an all-male, all-Caucasian, Carmel/Pebble Beach-centered Board. The Citizens Committee for MPC Redistricting (CCMPCR) is seeking to change the at-large elections to district elections, which would allow residents in other areas of the Community College District to elect representatives from their areas. After being unable to move the MPC Governing Board to make this change, and after initially being turned down by the County Committee on School District Organization, the CCMPCR began a petition campaign in which some 500 signatures were gathered in one month. That and the failure of two minority candidates from the underrepresented areas of Seaside and Marina to gain seats on the Board in the last election, moved the CCSCO to reverse its position. The CCSCO is currently considering instituting election by trustee areas and seeking a waiver so the change can be implemented without a general election on the change. Both the change in method of election and the waiver have to be approved by the State Board of Education, and then by the Justice Department. Our Chapter's Legal Committee Co-Chair has argued before the CCSCO that -- even though it seems inconsistent to be advocating for voting rights and to request a waiver of the election for MPC trustee areas -- it really isn't. The fundamental right to vote under the Constitution should not be put to a vote. So establishing trustee areas to protect that right should not be subject to the risk that it will be voted down by the same at-large voters that now prevent minority voters in Marina and Seaside from electing representatives in the first place. The Constitution is intended to balance out democracy by protecting the rights of minorities from the power of the majority when it comes to certain rights like voting. The County Committee can fulfill its obligation to ensure equal voting rights for all by seeking a waiver of the election. And the State Department of Education can then make the decision based on these considerations. The County Committee owes it to the community to give the Department of Education an opportunity to waive the election.
  • Use of TASER Stun Guns by Local Law Enforcement Agencies: The Chapter is in the process of receiving TASER Stun Gun use records from local law enforcement agencies. These records were requested by our Legal Committee under the guidelines of the Freedom of Information Act. Once we have received these records, we will study the use of the stun guns to see whether their use has civil liberties implications.
     
• Lobbying: This year Chapter representatives lobbied California State Senator Abel Maldonado on SB 1019 and on AB-1019, a police practices bill, as well as lobbying State Assemblywoman Anna Caballero on SB-30 and SB 28, 29, and 32.
   
• Complaint Line [831.622.9894]: Our Chapter complaint line, both in English and Spanish, is staffed by Board volunteers. We receive anywhere from 4-10 calls a week. Almost all relate to non-civil liberties issues. When we can, we refer the callers to agencies that might be able to help them (e.g., Senior Services for Seniors, California Rural Legal Assistance, the Department of Fair Housing and Employment, the California Department of Consumer Affairs, the Monterey County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, etc.). When there are issues that involve civil liberties, these are referred to our Legal Committee, which is composed of attorneys, half of whom are Board members. Our attorneys always consult with the ACLU of Northern California staff attorneys before responding to civil liberties issues.
   
• Civil Liberties Related Performances: At the invitation of the ACLU-NC, our Chapter contributed funds to underwrite benefit performances of Joe Raiola at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur in mid-July. Raiola, a senior editor for Mad Magazine, performed his "Almost Obscene" act which focuses on First Amendment issues. The Chapter tabled at both events.
   
• Forums and Town Hall Meetings:
  • Co-sponsor of Castroville racial profiling and police practices forums. We provided panel members at each, and tabled. The lead organization was the North County Chapter of LULAC. About 200 people attended each forum. In response to these public forums, the Sheriff's Department assigned a full-time deputy to Castroville with the responsibility of establishing a working relationship between the community and the Sheriff's Department.
  • Co-sponsor of a Town Hall Meeting on "Voter Protection and Election Law." The lead organization was the Monterey College of Law. Some 80 people attended.
  • Conducted a public forum featuring a talk by ALCU-NC staff attorney Alex Cleghorn on LGBT Rights and Issues.
  • Co-sponsored the Gay Pride celebration at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in July. We tabled most of the day.
  • Co-sponsored and tabled at the 2007 Human Rights Day Luncheon, which is conducted by the Monterey Bay Chapter of the United Nations Association/USA.
     
• Annual Essay and Art Contest: The Chapter holds an annual Art and Essay Contest. Each year, a civil liberties issue is selected by the Art and Essay Committee and approved by the Board. One of the Co-Chairs of our Legal Committee then prepares a summary of the issue. The announcement of the contest, the guidelines, and the summary of the issue are sent to all junior and senior high schools in Monterey County and posted on our web site. During the weeks leading up to the deadline, the number of hits on our web site rises noticeably.
   
• Talks to Students: Members of our Speaker's Bureau gave presentations to middle and high school students regarding the Art and Essay Contest topic. In addition, our speakers also gave talks at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, Monterey Peninsula College, and Chapman University in Monterey.
   
• Advisory Committees: The Chapter sends a representative to the Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee (EEOAC) at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) in Monterey. Our representative has been very active in framing school district policy in this area.
   
• Ralph B. Atkinson Award: Each year the Chapter presents the Ralph B. Atkinson Award to a local civil rights activist. This year, the award-winner was Evelyn Caracheo Gracia for her work in youth advocacy, especially her work with ending gang contracts in the Salinas Union School District and her work in trying to stem the school-to-prison pipeline. The award luncheon in late October was attended by some 60 people, including a number of Ms. Gracia's fellow workers at the Monterey County Board of Education. Ms. Gracia works in Migrant Education. Keynote speakers were Dr. Nancy Kotowski, Superintendent, Monterey County Office of Education, and Mike Meuter, attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance.
   
• Participation in First Gay Pride Parade in Salinas: The Chapter took part in the first Gay Pride Parade ever to be held in the City of Salinas.
   
• Chapter Web Site: This exceptional web site was designed and is maintained by a Board member. Through it, we have received inquiries and telephone calls from as far away as Florida and Hawaii. The web site is filled with information about current ACLU actions, local events, Chapter services, etc., and has links to both the Northern California and the National ACLU. Requests for speakers at local colleges and universities usually come through the web site, as well as a number of membership applications. There are currently about 100 web pages.
   
• Fundraising: Each year we ask our members to contribute to the annual ACLU of Northern California Bill of Rights Day fundraising campaign through a mailing to our members in Monterey County. On average we raise $12-$15,000 from 10% of our Chapter households.