Court Cases
Center for Individual Freedom v. Natalie Tennant
The Brennan Center and other amici and its pro bono partner in defending provisions of West Virginia's disclosure law, arguing that the law is well within the mainstream among states that have adopted similar laws; laws which have been upheld repeatedly by the federal courts.
– 12/29/11
League of Women Voters of Florida v. Browning
The Brennan Center is working with nonpartisan voter registration groups in Florida to mount a constitutional challenge against Florida’s onerous new restrictions on community-based voter registration drives.
– 12/15/11
United States v. Jones
The Brennan Center filed an amicus brief arguing that the prolonged, warrantless use of GPS tracking devices to monitor a suspect's behavior is unconstitutional.
– 10/03/11
DeWolfe v. Richmond (Amicus Brief)
The Brennan Center participated as a friend of the court in an important right to counsel case pending before Maryland’s highest court, which will determine how early in a criminal case counsel must be provided to a low-income person facing criminal charges.
– 09/21/11
State Of Florida v. United States of America
On May 19th, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed Florida’s House Bill 1355, a mammoth 158-page omnibus bill, which includes language that restricts the opportunity and ability of citizens and grassroots organizations to conduct voter registration drives by imposing burdensome and wholly unnecessary regulations and red tape, reduces the number of days in the state’s early voting period, and potentially reduce the total of early voting hours, and, makes it impossible for registered voters who have recently moved between Florida counties to provide notice of their change of address on election day and still cast a regular ballot.
– 09/12/11
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Inc. v. Swanson
After an Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld Minnesota's disclosure laws and ban on corporate contributions, the Eighth Circuit granted petitioners' request for an en banc review, vacating the panel's prior ruling.
– 07/12/11
AOSI v. USAID
The Brennan Center is challenging funding restrictions put on organizations that receive Global AIDS Act funding.
– Ongoing
Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett
The Brennan Center, with its pro bono partner, defended the Arizona Clean Elections law in front of the Supreme Court in Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett, a case challenging one provision of Arizona’s public financing system—triggered matching funds.
– 06/27/11
Turner v. Rogers (Amicus Brief)
The Brennan Center, along with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Southern Center for Human Rights, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of a petitioner seeking the right to counsel in civil contempt proceedings where he or she faces incarceration.
– 06/20/11
Wisconsin Right to Life PAC v. Michael Brennan
A federal district court in Wisconsin upheld the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s judicial public financing program. In doing so, the court found no merit to plaintiffs’ claims that the law infringed on the free speech rights of Wisconsin residents and political organizations, or their ability to participate vocally in the state’s judicial elections.
– 06/17/11