News & Commentary

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit challenging a state law that allows judges to extend probation for years when an offender fails to pay restitution in their cases. The lawsuit alleges the practice punishes people for being poor.

Monica Bennett, ACLU of Kansas legal director, said protection from arbitrary and unequal treatment under the law was a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution. “There is nothing about being poor that means you should be treated differently when serving a probation term, but it’s apparent that if our clients and many other Kansans were simply able to pay, their rights would be restored,” she said.

The lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas on behalf of four plaintiffs, was lodged against Attorney General Kris Kobach as well as six current and former Johnson County judges.

“Mr. Kobach is claiming that he is standing up for girls and women,” ACLU Executive Director Micah Kubic wrote on May 14, 2024. “But what he is really doing is continuing his decades-long crusade against our shared values and fundamental rights, using his misleading legal interpretations to try to transform the law into a tool that persecutes Kansans instead of protecting them.”

Gillette was reprimanded by the ACLU of Kansas last September for blocking Facebook comments.

Protest events in Overland Park and Gardner that were part of a national "No Kings" day of action were peaceful, with no incidents or arrests reported.

On October 10th, 2025, a coalition of advocate organizations including the ACLU of Kansas sent a letter to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett concerning pretrial detention. This practice, which should be used only when neccessary, has become the default, subverting the presumption of innoncence at the heart of our criminal legal system and creating a two-tiered system where those who have money can buy their freedom, while those who cannot are left in jail—and often face life-altering consequences as a result. This letter asked DA Bennett to use his discretion to reduce the number of people detained pretrial to help reduce the harm of our broken bail system.

Groups including AIRR and ACLU Kansas rallied in 2024 to get Spanish language ballot materials in Wyandotte County.

In 2023, Shawnee County District Judge Teresa Watson issued a temporary injunction blocking such changes. KDOR and the American Civil Liberties Union appealed, and the Kansas Court of Appeals overturned Watson’s injunction in June.