ACLU of NC Legal Cases

The ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation works in courts and communities across the state to protect civil rights and civil liberties. If you believe your constitutional rights have been violated, you can contact us for legal assistance here.

Below is a list of some of our active and recent legal cases. Amicus briefs filed by the ACLU of North Carolina can be found here.

Filter Cases
Advanced search
Protest crowd with a sign that says "My Body My Choice"
Sep 3, 2020

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. Moore

Reproductive Freedom
Status: Voluntarily Dismissed without Prejudice

We are fighting in the courts to protect abortion access in North Carolina. This case challenges several unnecessary abortion restrictions currently on the books.

Visit case page
Riot Police
Aug 3, 2020

ACLU of North Carolina v Charlotte (Public Records)

Free Speech
Status: Active

On August 13, 2020, Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge Casey Viser made a preliminary decision not to compel the immediate release of public records. We will continue to fight to ensure these records are...

Visit case page
ACLU: Share image
Jul 13, 2020

NAACP Charlotte v. City of Charlotte (Protest Rights)

Racial Justice
Status: Closed
In response to a lawsuit filed by civil rights advocates, journalists, and protesters, a North Carolina Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order forcing the City of Charlotte to halt the use...
Visit case page
Image showing a woman in a voting booth and a man with an "I voted" sticker
Jul 10, 2020

Chambers v. State of NC (Voting Access Amid COVID-19)

Voting Rights
Status: Lost

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, and Sullivan & Cromwell filed a lawsuit challenging absentee ballot witness requirements that needlessly put North Carolinians at risk of...

Visit case page
The Alamance County Courthouse
Jul 2, 2020

NAACP Alamance v. Peterman (Protest Rights)

Free Speech
Status: Victory!

The ACLU together with a coalition of civil rights groups filed an emergency lawsuit against the city of Graham, North Carolina, seeking to immediately block a city ordinance that the government used to...

Visit case page
An image of empty prison cells. Are prisons ready for the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic?
Apr 21, 2020

NC NAACP v. Cooper (Rights of Incarcerated People)

Criminal Law Reform
Status: Active

The ACLU of North Carolina, Disability Rights North Carolina, Emancipate NC, Forward Justice, and the National Juvenile Justice Network filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to ensure that the Governor and...

Visit case page