“APD chooses to provide an example where its officers assessed an assault suspect, but they conveniently forget to mention that they’re also surveying what seems to be any political gathering that happens in downtown Asheville, regardless of size.”

“APD chooses to provide an example where its officers assessed an assault suspect, but they conveniently forget to mention that they’re also surveying what seems to be any political gathering that happens in downtown Asheville, regardless of size.”
APD says drones can be a force multiplier for the department, which is understaffed. However, privacy experts warn that the usage of such technology by the government needs to be proactively curtailed.
On July 1, the window in which to end a pregnancy in North Carolina narrowed. Senate Bill 20 criminalizes abortion after 12 weeks of gestation with few exceptions and places additional requirements on women seeking abortions.
Proceeds from the ABSFest Speakeasy Allstars’ in-show raffle on Aug. 19 at The Orange Peel benefit the ACLU.
Released on Dec. 1, the digital-only Code Red is curated by Asheville musician Dave Harris (formerly the owner of Smashing Guitars) and features six local artists among the 40 musicians represented. “But the support has been far and wide,” Harris says.
Asheville’s annual ritual showdown with fire-and-brimstone street preachers has played out much the same as usual, with some mutations: street preachers have discovered the Bele Chere hashtag on Twitter, and the city’s attempts to restrict amplification failed to bear fruit. (photo by Bill Rhodes)
The city of Asheville needs to be careful in any attempts to regulate street preachers at the Bele Chere festival, and any rules must apply to all groups, Katie Parker, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, says. She adds that the current situation, with vocal showdowns between preachers and their opponents “sounds like it’s already working the way it ought to work.”
Photo by Jerry Nelson
In a case that could have implications for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners invocation, a federal judge found Thursday that the use of a sectarian prayer to open a public meeting violates the First Amendment of the U.S.Constitution.
The WNC Chapter of the ACLU will present their annual civil liberties award to Asheville resident Karen VanEman this Saturday.
Civil liberties award goes to legal team that freed Glen Chapman
The Asheville Police Department’s new online Police Blotter, which publicizes prostitution arrests, has come under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. The Raleigh-based group challenged the practice in a March 6 letter to Assistant City Attorney Curt Euler. “With regard to the posting of arrestees’ names and photos on the police […]
The Asheville Police Department has launched a new online police blotter where they will post the photos of individuals arrested on prostitution charges. The photos, names, charges and cities of residence of individuals arrested for prostitution (including the “johns,” as they are called) will be displayed on the site and on the Asheville Channel’s Bulletin […]
Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan and Asheville Police Chief William Hogan have announced that they will participate in a panel discussion on How to Exercise Your Right to Dissent to be held at UNCA on Thursday, Sept. 27.