7/14/14 - A Detroit federal judge ordered the Livingston County Jail to deliver mail from the American Civil Liberties Union earlier this year, and now an appeals court has upheld that order. The ACLU filed a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in March challenging the constitutionality of the Livingston County Jailâs policy of restricting most mail for inmates to postcards. The lawsuit is set for a jury trial in August 2015, but in the meantime the court has granted an injunction filed by the ACLU and determined that mail sent by that group qualified as legal mail and must be delivered. Jail officials argue that the mail sent by the ACLU was a mass solicitation. Last week, an appeals court upheld the district court order, saying jails can adopt restrictions for mail as a matter of security but that mail from lawyers typically gets greater protection under the First Amendment. Meanwhile, a publication known as the Prison Legal News is also suing for the right to be distributed in the jail. (TD)
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