If you have a
case you would like us to take, you MUST send us a letter with copies of
any relevant documentation. (DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION. We can
not be responsible for it!) Please do not send certified mail it will delay
the process.
Please note the following
when submitting Complaints for consideration by the ACLU Central Chapter
Legal Panel:
By following these suggestions
your complaint will have the best chance of full consideration and evaluation
by our team of trained attorneys.
First, you should submit
as much relevant information as possible about your claim. Include factual
details, names, places, dates. witnesses, etc.
Avoid argument and venting.
Too much emotion may draw the focus away from important aspects of your
claim.
Remember, this Legal
Panel only considers claims arising from certain counties in the State of
Florida. Those counties are: Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake. If your claim
comes from another area, please submit it to the proper Legal Panel. If you do
not know which panel has jurisdiction over your claim, please contact:<!-start of iemail @ statement--> jcollins@aclufl.org
to request further assistance or
use this online form. Finally, please note that the ACLU is made up
largely of volunteers, with extremely limited resources. We cannot accept
all cases that fall within our purview as a group, even if we want to.
The cases with the best chance of acceptance involve constitutional issues
that affect many people, or certain classes of individuals. The facts should
not be in dispute, and the plaintiff must be willing to endure possibly
years of litigation. The ACLU is not a legal aid society, and does not
offer general legal services to the poor Please make sure that your claim
involves important civil liberties, and not purely personal concerns. Thank
you for considering the ACLU Central Chapter for assistance!
Central Chapter
(Orange, Osceola,
Seminole and Lake Counties)
To get involved with the ACLU of Florida Central Chapter, please
contact the Central Regional Office at: (407) 340-3550 or centralregion@aclufl.org
ACLU
of Florida Board of Directors Places
Central Chapter in
Receivership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, December 6,
2008
CONTACT:
Brandon Hensler, Director of Communications,
(786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org
NAPLES, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Board
of Directors, at its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting, today voted to
place the Central Florida Chapter (which is comprised of members residing in
Lake, Osceola, Orange and Seminole Counties) in Receivership. Receivership
means that the current Board of Directors is disbanded and a Receiver shall be
appointed.
The State Board has attempted to resolve
problems with the Central Florida Chapter Board for several years. These
problems have included internal controversies and led to resignations and
grievances from members of the Central Chapter Board. During this
period of transition and into the future, the ACLU remains fully committed to
maintaining a strong and vibrant presence in Central Florida.
The following statement was made by Jeanne Baker,
President of the State ACLU Board of Directors. Ms. Baker, of Coral
Gables, is an attorney.
“Contrary to claims made by some current
Central Chapter Board members, this is not about free speech or someone’s
choice of t-shirt; this is about ending years of Chapter Board dysfunction and
flagrant disregard for ACLU policies and procedures. The Board of Directors of
the ACLU of Florida, which oversees the 18 local Chapters throughout the
state, has responsibility to ensure that Chapter Boards operate in accordance
with the policies and procedures of the ACLU. At our quarterly meeting
today, the State Board made the difficult decision to intervene in the
administration of the Central Chapter Board.
“The ACLU of Florida is committed to a
strong and vibrant ACLU presence in Orlando and Central Florida.”
While in receivership status, the following will take
place:
·
All communications
related to the ACLU in Central Florida, whether regarding ACLU activities in
Central Florida or State or National ACLU activities, shall be directed
to/from the ACLU of Florida Communications Office at: (786) 363-2737 or media@aclufl.org. No person previously on the Central
Chapter Board of Directors is authorized to speak on behalf of the ACLU of
Florida, or on ACLU policies, lawsuits, or other ACLU matters;
·
The current Board of
Directors has been removed and will cease to serve as directors. A Receiver
will be appointed to administer the Chapter’s
funds and supervise its ACLU activities, which will continue forward as
normal, until such time a new Board is put in place;
and
·
An interim Chapter
Board, which will work toward
re-attaining full Chapter status, will be appointed.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida
is freedom's watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and
communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by
the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For additional information,
visit our Web site at: www.aclufl.org
