New York Civil Liberties Union

And like I think within days or maybe the first day, the van goes out and picks her up.

But on the other side of it is the ACLU or the NYCLU, the New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, because they hear this plan that Ed Koch just thinks is so reasonable.

But from their perspective, they're like, hey, you are lowering the standard for what it takes to commit someone.

Like, that is, in a civil libertarian's point of view, that is the biggest restriction of liberty that we have, basically.

I think it really is a democratic question.

And, you know, for example, to that very point, we recently filed a lawsuit against Westchester County with the New York Civil Liberties Union and Knight First Amendment Institute, where we're challenging the Westchester County Police Department's use of an automated license plate reader system.

And we challenge it on two bases.

One is a Fourth Amendment, essentially a privacy basis to say that it's impermissibly tracking tracking citizens and it's indiscriminate surveillance in that way.

I think it really is a democratic question.

And, you know, for example, to that very point, we recently filed a lawsuit against Westchester County with the New York Civil Liberties Union and Knight First Amendment Institute, where we're challenging the Westchester County Police Department's use of an automated license plate reader system.

And we challenge it on two bases.

One is a Fourth Amendment, essentially a privacy basis to say that it's impermissibly tracking tracking citizens and it's indiscriminate surveillance in that way.

Got it.

And when the mayor announces these expanded guidelines, the New York Civil Liberties Union is immediately like, "What the hell?" Because from their perspective, it's like, wait a minute, you're telling me that you are lowering the bar for what it takes to keep someone locked on a psych ward against their wishes, which is, in and of itself, this huge restriction of civil liberty.

Like no, no, no, that's not gonna fly.

And the executive director, Norman Siegel, he would tell the media that citizens, like, should be concerned about the prospect of government vans-

You know, the ACLU saying, "This is a slippery slope."

Right.

And so as soon as the mayor announces this initiative, the New York Civil Liberties Union is handing out flyers to homeless people advising them of their rights, saying, "If you get picked up, call us."

And that's exactly what Joyce does.

Three students, Cathy Kuhlmeier, Leslie Smart, and LeAnn Tippett, went to the American Civil Liberties Union about this.

The ACLU had also been part of West Virginia versus Barnette, and the New York Civil Liberties Union was part of Engel versus Vitale.

This time, ACLU lawyers filed suit against the school system, and the case made its way to the Supreme Court.

The court issued a 5-3 ruling against the students, finding that their First Amendment rights had not been violated in this censorship of the paper.