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Court Cases

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      • Dismissed
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      • People Impacted by Discrimination
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      • Economic Justice
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    • Dismissed
    • Favorable Ruling
    • Filed
    • Lost
    • Settled
    • Victory!
    • People Impacted by Discrimination
    • Voting Rights
    • Economic Justice
    • Education Equity
    • Smart Justice
    • Health Equity
    • First Amendment

Featured Cases

Court Case
Jul 09, 2025
Graphic with a dark blue and red overlay featuring a police car with flashing lights in a city at night. On the left, the white ACLU of Nevada logo appears. On the right, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. LVMPD” in a bold, serif font, divided by a vertical white line.
  • Smart Justice|
  • +1 Issue

ACLU of Nevada v. LVMPD

We are suing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to get public records about the full extent of its involvement with federal immigration enforcement.
Court Case
Apr 19, 2023
Graphic with a dark blue and red overlay showing a school bus parked on a suburban street. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. CCSD” in a bold, serif font.
  • First Amendment|
  • +1 Issue

ACLU of Nevada v. Clark County School District

In February, Durango High School students were attacked by CCSD police, and video of the incident was captured by a bystander. CCSD continues to stonewall the release of public records related to the incident. The ACLU of Nevada is representing two of the students attacked in the incident.
Court Case
Oct 05, 2022
Graphic with a red and purple overlay featuring the exterior of the Nye County Development Services building. On the left side is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County

On Oct. 4, 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada filed a lawsuit against Nye County to prevent the county from moving forward with its proposed unlawful hand-counting scheme during this year’s elections. We are representing Nye County voters who risk having their freedom to vote suppressed by the county’s proposed procedures for this year’s election. The case is ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County, Case No. CV22-0503. We are asking the Fifth Judicial District court to prohibit the county from publicly announcing the selected candidates on each ballot prior to the close of polls on Election Day, from limiting the use of ADA touch screens to individuals with so-called “special needs,” from allowing election workers to ask about a voter’s disability or turn away otherwise eligible voters based on arbitrary decision making, and from using “stringent signature verifications” that violate state law.

All Cases

28 Court Cases
Court Case
May 26, 2025
Graphic with a green overlay showing students raising graduation caps in celebration. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. CCSD” in a bold, serif font.
  • First Amendment|
  • +2 Issues

ACLU of Nevada v Clark County School District

As Southern Nevada high school seniors headed toward graduation, many of the students were at risk of having their First Amendment rights violated under a Clark County School District policy adopted in March that added new restrictions on cap and gown decorations and banned objects and adornments that “constitute proselytizing speech.” Our civil rights attorneys say that the policy has led to individual schools creating their own guidelines, which even contradict themselves. The complaint says, for example, that Canyon Springs High School and Del Sol Academy have communicated both that all cap decorations will be banned and that students can adorn their caps with decorations that have religious or cultural significance. Las Vegas High School is going even further and requiring students to submit pictures of decorations and accessories for advanced approval.
Court Case
Dec 09, 2024
Graphic with a red and blue overlay showing a street sign for “Las Vegas Blvd 3700” and a traffic light in the foreground. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Ramsay v. State of Nevada” in a bold, serif font.
  • First Amendment

Ramsay v. State of Nevada

A Clark County court is banning people from the “Resort Corridor,” an expansive geographical area defined by Clark County ordinances, as a condition of probation without explanation or analysis for why this condition was imposed. The probation condition infringes upon the First Amendment right to access a traditional public forum and the right to intrastate travel, protected in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Probation conditions that restrict fundamental rights activities are only justified if they are directly tied to a permissible objective for probation, and the restriction is no greater than reasonably necessary to meet that objective. In imposing this probation condition, a Clark County court failed to satisfy both obligations. Another concern raised in the amicus brief is that the streets and roadways throughout the "Resort Corridor" are public sidewalks and roadways that have historically been used for public assembly and debate.
Court Case
Nov 20, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing close-up sections of printed election ballots in English and Spanish. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, the text reads “RNC v. Burgess” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

Republican National Committee v. Burgess

Nevada's "mailbox deadline" allows mail ballots received up to four business days after Election Day to be counted to account for the practical shortcomings of USPS policies and practices. For example, postmarks are not required on all mailings and are designed to prevent reuse of postage, and mail ballot postmarks may become smudged or illegible. To prevent arbitrary disenfranchisement of voters, mail ballots received by 5 p.m. on the third day after election day that are not clearly postmarked by Election Day are still counted. The Republican National Committee (RNC) claims that this deadline violates federal law because there is only one specific day recognized by federal law as the national election day. We filed an amicus brief asking the court to dismiss the case as Nevada's "mailbox deadline" is a valid exercise of the state's delegated authority over federal elections by the Electoral Count Reform Act, which does not prohibit state laws that allow for timely cast ballots to be received and counted in the days following the election. Furthermore, there are also no federal laws prohibiting or conflicting with Nevada's Mailbox Deadline Laws.
Court Case
Oct 02, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a close-up of a marked election ballot with checkboxes and a pen. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Lorena Portillo” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Lorena Portillo

Citizen Outreach Foundation seeks to remove over 19,000 registered voters from the Clark County voter rolls ahead of the November 2024 presidential election. The removals are based on National Change of Address (NCOA) data, which they claim shows these individuals are no longer residing at their registered addresses. The ACLU of Nevada (ACLUNV) has filed a motion to intervene in the case, arguing that removing voters based solely on NCOA data violates both federal and state laws, which prevent systemic voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election. The ACLU also argues that these challenges do not meet the requirements under Nevada law. At least fourteen ACLU members are among the voters being challenged. If the requested relief is granted, thousands of eligible voters could be wrongfully purged from the voter rolls, impairing their right to vote by mail or altogether disenfranchising them just weeks before the election. The organization further asserts that such a decision would set a dangerous precedent, leading to mass, arbitrary voter challenges. ACLUNV seeks to ensure that the voter roll maintenance laws are followed, safeguarding the right to vote for all eligible voters in Clark County.
Court Case
Oct 01, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing blurred election-related documents in the background. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Cari-Ann Burgess” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Cari-Ann Burgess

The ACLU of Nevada has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Citizen Outreach Foundation. The lawsuit seeks to remove over 19,000 registered voters from the voter rolls in Clark County, seven of whom are ACLUNV members. The challenge is based on the use of the National Change of Address (NCOA) database, which the petitioners claim indicates that these voters no longer reside at their registered addresses. The ACLU of Nevada argues that this method of challenging voter eligibility is unlawful under both state and federal law, particularly because such voter roll purges cannot be conducted within 90 days of an election. Furthermore, the organization argues that removing voters solely based on NCOA data without personal knowledge of their residency violates Nevada’s legal standards. The ACLU is intervening to protect their right to vote and prevent unlawful disenfranchisement just weeks before the November 2024 presidential election.
Court Case
Sep 10, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a row of voting booths outside a brick building. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County

During the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary, a nonpartisan observer who is also an ACLU of Nevada staff member was denied access to observe the election process by the Nye County Clerk's Office. The county implemented a policy that limited only one election observer per political affiliation, even when there was space available, violating Nevada law and the Nevada Constitution, which protects individuals’ right to observe voting, handling, and processing ballots. The ACLU of Nevada filed a lawsuit against Nye County for violating these rights by prohibiting them from observing the voting process. Our Nevada Constitution protects the right to access to information and access to observe government activities, ensuring there is transparency in our democratic processes. This case seeks to affirm the rights of Nevadans to uphold election transparency and prevent viewpoint discrimination in our democracy.
Court Case
May 03, 2024
Graphic with a reddish-purple overlay featuring documents and a pen, suggesting mail-in ballots or election materials. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, the text reads “RNC v. Aguilar” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

Republican National Committee v. Aguilar

ACLU of Nevada, alongside the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), filed an amicus brief asking the court to dismiss a case challenging Nevada's efforts to maintain its voter rolls. The case, Republican National Committee v. Aguilar, was filed against Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar by The Republican National Committee, the Nevada Republican Party, and a Nevada voter, claiming the state must be violating its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) because certain misleading metrics show more registered voters than eligible voters in some counties. The amicus brief explains that the lawsuit is based on deeply flawed and misleading metrics that have been pieced together by unreliable and inaccurate measures of voter registration rates and that have been repeatedly rebuked by federal courts. The voter registration numbers they rely on are taken from a single recent snapshot of the state's voter roll but use an outdated census of the citizen voting age population for comparison. Unfortunately, this lawsuit is just one of several cases recently filed across the country with claims under the NVRA and is part of a years-long pattern to bully states into administering voter roll purges beyond what the law requires. Without proper guardrails, when states rush to purge voters, eligible voters, in many cases, are kicked off the rolls and disenfranchised. These lawsuits are based on false information and only erodes the public's trust and integrity in our elections.
Court Case
May 01, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a close-up of a hand filling in an election-style ballot with a pen. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. Elko County” in a bold, serif font.
  • Voting Rights

ACLU of Nevada v. Elko County

In Nevada, people who are detained in a city or county jail are being held pre-trial or are serving a misdemeanor sentence and, therefore, have not lost their right to vote. Despite never losing this right, eligible voters detained in Nevada jails have continuously been denied meaningful access to the ballot box. Recognizing the unique constraints and widespread disenfranchisement of voters taking place in Nevada jails, the 2023 Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 286, mandating that jail administrators work with the city or county clerk to implement policies and procedures that would ensure eligible voters detained in these facilities can register to vote and cast their ballot in an election. Since the bill took effect January 1, the ACLU of Nevada has been monitoring the implementation of the policies and procedures outlined in AB286, which should have been in place for the Presidential Preference Primary; however, public records requests revealed that Elko County Jail had not implemented such policies and continues not to be compliant. ACLUNV attorneys sent a demand letter to the jail, urging them to be compliant with the law or legal action would take place. The jail continues not to be compliant. Without the implementation of these policies and procedures as outlined in the bill, eligible voters detained in Elko County Jail will continue to be disenfranchised and have their voices silenced ahead of a critical election year.
Court Case
Mar 27, 2024
Graphic with a dark blue and yellow overlay featuring a statue of Lady Justice in front of a blurred background of legal books. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Flynn v. Nevada” in a bold, serif font.
  • Smart Justice|
  • +1 Issue

Flynn v. Nevada

Our client is a prisoner at Florence McClure Women's Correctional Facility in Southern Nevada. She was sexually abused by a prison chaplain, Donald Burse, on two separate occasions in August 2020. While Burse was fired after the abuse came to light, and there is a pending criminal case, we are taking on this case because we believe that the Nevada Department of Corrections has not done enough to make sure that such abuse will not happen again in the future.
Court Case
May 26, 2025
Graphic with a green overlay showing students raising graduation caps in celebration. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. CCSD” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
May 26, 2025
  • First Amendment|
  • +2 Issues

ACLU of Nevada v Clark County School District

As Southern Nevada high school seniors headed toward graduation, many of the students were at risk of having their First Amendment rights violated under a Clark County School District policy adopted in March that added new restrictions on cap and gown decorations and banned objects and adornments that “constitute proselytizing speech.” Our civil rights attorneys say that the policy has led to individual schools creating their own guidelines, which even contradict themselves. The complaint says, for example, that Canyon Springs High School and Del Sol Academy have communicated both that all cap decorations will be banned and that students can adorn their caps with decorations that have religious or cultural significance. Las Vegas High School is going even further and requiring students to submit pictures of decorations and accessories for advanced approval.
Explore Case
Court Case
Dec 09, 2024
Graphic with a red and blue overlay showing a street sign for “Las Vegas Blvd 3700” and a traffic light in the foreground. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Ramsay v. State of Nevada” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Dec 09, 2024
  • First Amendment

Ramsay v. State of Nevada

A Clark County court is banning people from the “Resort Corridor,” an expansive geographical area defined by Clark County ordinances, as a condition of probation without explanation or analysis for why this condition was imposed. The probation condition infringes upon the First Amendment right to access a traditional public forum and the right to intrastate travel, protected in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Probation conditions that restrict fundamental rights activities are only justified if they are directly tied to a permissible objective for probation, and the restriction is no greater than reasonably necessary to meet that objective. In imposing this probation condition, a Clark County court failed to satisfy both obligations. Another concern raised in the amicus brief is that the streets and roadways throughout the "Resort Corridor" are public sidewalks and roadways that have historically been used for public assembly and debate.
Explore Case
Court Case
Nov 20, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing close-up sections of printed election ballots in English and Spanish. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, the text reads “RNC v. Burgess” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Nov 20, 2024
  • Voting Rights

Republican National Committee v. Burgess

Nevada's "mailbox deadline" allows mail ballots received up to four business days after Election Day to be counted to account for the practical shortcomings of USPS policies and practices. For example, postmarks are not required on all mailings and are designed to prevent reuse of postage, and mail ballot postmarks may become smudged or illegible. To prevent arbitrary disenfranchisement of voters, mail ballots received by 5 p.m. on the third day after election day that are not clearly postmarked by Election Day are still counted. The Republican National Committee (RNC) claims that this deadline violates federal law because there is only one specific day recognized by federal law as the national election day. We filed an amicus brief asking the court to dismiss the case as Nevada's "mailbox deadline" is a valid exercise of the state's delegated authority over federal elections by the Electoral Count Reform Act, which does not prohibit state laws that allow for timely cast ballots to be received and counted in the days following the election. Furthermore, there are also no federal laws prohibiting or conflicting with Nevada's Mailbox Deadline Laws.
Explore Case
Court Case
Oct 02, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a close-up of a marked election ballot with checkboxes and a pen. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Lorena Portillo” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Oct 02, 2024
  • Voting Rights

Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Lorena Portillo

Citizen Outreach Foundation seeks to remove over 19,000 registered voters from the Clark County voter rolls ahead of the November 2024 presidential election. The removals are based on National Change of Address (NCOA) data, which they claim shows these individuals are no longer residing at their registered addresses. The ACLU of Nevada (ACLUNV) has filed a motion to intervene in the case, arguing that removing voters based solely on NCOA data violates both federal and state laws, which prevent systemic voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election. The ACLU also argues that these challenges do not meet the requirements under Nevada law. At least fourteen ACLU members are among the voters being challenged. If the requested relief is granted, thousands of eligible voters could be wrongfully purged from the voter rolls, impairing their right to vote by mail or altogether disenfranchising them just weeks before the election. The organization further asserts that such a decision would set a dangerous precedent, leading to mass, arbitrary voter challenges. ACLUNV seeks to ensure that the voter roll maintenance laws are followed, safeguarding the right to vote for all eligible voters in Clark County.
Explore Case
Court Case
Oct 01, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing blurred election-related documents in the background. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Cari-Ann Burgess” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Oct 01, 2024
  • Voting Rights

Citizen Outreach Foundation v. Cari-Ann Burgess

The ACLU of Nevada has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Citizen Outreach Foundation. The lawsuit seeks to remove over 19,000 registered voters from the voter rolls in Clark County, seven of whom are ACLUNV members. The challenge is based on the use of the National Change of Address (NCOA) database, which the petitioners claim indicates that these voters no longer reside at their registered addresses. The ACLU of Nevada argues that this method of challenging voter eligibility is unlawful under both state and federal law, particularly because such voter roll purges cannot be conducted within 90 days of an election. Furthermore, the organization argues that removing voters solely based on NCOA data without personal knowledge of their residency violates Nevada’s legal standards. The ACLU is intervening to protect their right to vote and prevent unlawful disenfranchisement just weeks before the November 2024 presidential election.
Explore Case
Court Case
Sep 10, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a row of voting booths outside a brick building. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Sep 10, 2024
  • Voting Rights

ACLU of Nevada v. Nye County

During the 2024 Presidential Preference Primary, a nonpartisan observer who is also an ACLU of Nevada staff member was denied access to observe the election process by the Nye County Clerk's Office. The county implemented a policy that limited only one election observer per political affiliation, even when there was space available, violating Nevada law and the Nevada Constitution, which protects individuals’ right to observe voting, handling, and processing ballots. The ACLU of Nevada filed a lawsuit against Nye County for violating these rights by prohibiting them from observing the voting process. Our Nevada Constitution protects the right to access to information and access to observe government activities, ensuring there is transparency in our democratic processes. This case seeks to affirm the rights of Nevadans to uphold election transparency and prevent viewpoint discrimination in our democracy.
Explore Case
Court Case
May 03, 2024
Graphic with a reddish-purple overlay featuring documents and a pen, suggesting mail-in ballots or election materials. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, the text reads “RNC v. Aguilar” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
May 03, 2024
  • Voting Rights

Republican National Committee v. Aguilar

ACLU of Nevada, alongside the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), filed an amicus brief asking the court to dismiss a case challenging Nevada's efforts to maintain its voter rolls. The case, Republican National Committee v. Aguilar, was filed against Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar by The Republican National Committee, the Nevada Republican Party, and a Nevada voter, claiming the state must be violating its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) because certain misleading metrics show more registered voters than eligible voters in some counties. The amicus brief explains that the lawsuit is based on deeply flawed and misleading metrics that have been pieced together by unreliable and inaccurate measures of voter registration rates and that have been repeatedly rebuked by federal courts. The voter registration numbers they rely on are taken from a single recent snapshot of the state's voter roll but use an outdated census of the citizen voting age population for comparison. Unfortunately, this lawsuit is just one of several cases recently filed across the country with claims under the NVRA and is part of a years-long pattern to bully states into administering voter roll purges beyond what the law requires. Without proper guardrails, when states rush to purge voters, eligible voters, in many cases, are kicked off the rolls and disenfranchised. These lawsuits are based on false information and only erodes the public's trust and integrity in our elections.
Explore Case
Court Case
May 01, 2024
Graphic with a red and purple overlay showing a close-up of a hand filling in an election-style ballot with a pen. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “ACLU of Nevada v. Elko County” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
May 01, 2024
  • Voting Rights

ACLU of Nevada v. Elko County

In Nevada, people who are detained in a city or county jail are being held pre-trial or are serving a misdemeanor sentence and, therefore, have not lost their right to vote. Despite never losing this right, eligible voters detained in Nevada jails have continuously been denied meaningful access to the ballot box. Recognizing the unique constraints and widespread disenfranchisement of voters taking place in Nevada jails, the 2023 Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 286, mandating that jail administrators work with the city or county clerk to implement policies and procedures that would ensure eligible voters detained in these facilities can register to vote and cast their ballot in an election. Since the bill took effect January 1, the ACLU of Nevada has been monitoring the implementation of the policies and procedures outlined in AB286, which should have been in place for the Presidential Preference Primary; however, public records requests revealed that Elko County Jail had not implemented such policies and continues not to be compliant. ACLUNV attorneys sent a demand letter to the jail, urging them to be compliant with the law or legal action would take place. The jail continues not to be compliant. Without the implementation of these policies and procedures as outlined in the bill, eligible voters detained in Elko County Jail will continue to be disenfranchised and have their voices silenced ahead of a critical election year.
Explore Case
Court Case
Mar 27, 2024
Graphic with a dark blue and yellow overlay featuring a statue of Lady Justice in front of a blurred background of legal books. On the left is the white ACLU of Nevada logo. On the right, separated by a vertical white line, the text reads “Flynn v. Nevada” in a bold, serif font.
Court Case
Mar 27, 2024
  • Smart Justice|
  • +1 Issue

Flynn v. Nevada

Our client is a prisoner at Florence McClure Women's Correctional Facility in Southern Nevada. She was sexually abused by a prison chaplain, Donald Burse, on two separate occasions in August 2020. While Burse was fired after the abuse came to light, and there is a pending criminal case, we are taking on this case because we believe that the Nevada Department of Corrections has not done enough to make sure that such abuse will not happen again in the future.
Explore Case
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