Illegal Strip Search of Juvenile Costs County $35,000

Okanogan County recently paid $35,000 to a young woman for subjecting her to an illegal strip search at the county's juvenile detention facility in 1999. The victim was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. The County changed its strip search policy for juveniles shortly after the ACLU initially contacted officials about the matter.

"The strip search was degrading and absolutely unnecessary, and the policy allowing it was unconstitutional," said one defense attorney. The courts consistently have held for the last 20 years that when an individual is charged with a minor offense, he or she may be strip- searched only if there is a reason to suspect that the person is concealing a weapon or other contraband. Restrictions on strip searches in jails and juvenile facilities were adopted by the Washington Legislature in 1983 at the urging of the ACLU. For more information contact Doug Honig at Washington ACLU (206) 624-2184.

King County transit union files lawsuit

In early September, Local 587 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (AMU), filed a class-action lawsuit against Metro for unpaid travel time. The lawsuit was filed regarding unpaid overtime and wage damages for travel time reaching as far back as June 1998. Unpaid travel time refers to travel between two places of work. The lawsuit will benefit all Transit Operators with unpaid travel time. (587 News Review, September 2002) The unpaid travel time can be claimed under both the Washington Minimum Wage Act and the federal Fair Standards Act. For more information visit www.atu587.com.

Oregon court hands A victory to small parties

A ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals has set an exciting precedent for the ability of minor political parties to run candidates under minor party's names. In June a judge "declared unconstitutional a long standing state law whose effect was to keep many minor parties off the ballot." (Freedom Socialist, Oct.-Dec. 2002) The overturned law claimed that "a party could not be certified to run candidates in Oregon if its name shared even one word in common with an already established party." In 1998 a candidate running under the Freedom Socialist Party was forced to run as an independent even though the party had ballot status. Jordana Sardo filed a lawsuit in 2000 when the Secretary of State denied Sardo ballot status.

The appellate court set excellent precedent for future cases by stating that "[S]tate law that prevents a political party from running candidates under the name by which it is generally recognized places a severe burden on the associational and voting rights of members of the party."

According to the article in the Freedom Socialist, this sort of law exists in about half of the states.

Tully's bans Portland community publications

Tully's, a Seattle-based coffee retailers, has decided to ban local community publications from its Portland stores. The Portland Alliance reports that "the move came from corporate headquarters and was not prompted by customer complaints." The move seems ironic in light of Tully's mission statement: "Every Tully's retail store is an oasis--an inviting, comfortable atmosphere of warm colors...everyone can find a place to sit and sip, get wrapped up in a good book...sketch, people watch...read the newspaper, or just relax." (from Tully's website as reported in The Portland Alliance) For more information regarding Tully's policies visit their website at www.tullys.com.

Montana group files lawsuit over education cuts

After education cuts of $5 million, a Montana group is not happy with the way the state legislature has slashed spending. The Montana Quality Education Coalition (MQEC) announced its intent to file a lawsuit on September 3. MQEC claims that "the government has failed to maintain the level of education guaranteed to state citizens by the Montana Constitution." The legal council for MQEC cites a failure of the state government to uphold Article X of the Montana Constitution. Article X ensures a system of education that will "develop the full educational potential of each person.Ó According to the MQEC, 157 school districts do not meet state accreditation standards, schools are shutting down and there is a significant teacher shortage. MQEC members apparently say they do not want to see this matter go to court but arenÕt keeping their hopes up. Jim Molloy, legal council for MQEC, said, ÒPeople need to understand that the people who are doing this are doing it because of a firm and deeply felt belief that the state needs to invest in growth. And education is the primary investment a government can make.Ó (Missoula Independent, August 29, 2002)