Legislation

In recent years, organizations spanning the political spectrum have spoken against current civil asset forfeiture laws. These laws have been called many things: highway robbery. Policing for profit. An unconstitutional attack on the basic rights of citizens. HB 2640 addresses critical…

People with serious mental illness who are charged with crimes and who are unable to assist in their own defense may be ordered by the criminal court to undergo a competency evaluation, and, depending on the results of that evaluation, be ordered to receive…

Unreliable testimony from so-called “jailhouse informants” is a key component of wrongful convictions and a contributing factor to systemic inequality in our criminal legal system. There is a well-documented history of misleading or false information provided by jailhouse…

Imagine someone you know is arrested for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell. They are convicted and sent to prison. Following release and post-release supervision, they are ready to put their mistakes behind them and make different choices. Instead, they find…

Currently, individuals whose property is confiscated under Kansas civil asset forfeiture laws face an uphill battle in retrieving their property from law enforcement. You do not need to be arrested or convicted of a crime for law enforcement to seize and permanently keep your…

The ACLU of Kansas is opposed to HB 2538 for three crucial reasons: the use of two-way electronic communications in this context is a violation of the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause; “reasonable time” is a vague, immeasurable standard…

The ACLU of Kansas strongly supports HB 2575, requiring criminal records to be automatically expunged in cases of acquittal or dismissal. A criminal record of any kind impacts your life long after charges are dismissed. These impacts, outlined below, constrain individual’s ability…