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By Patricia Flynn, Communications Fellow, ACLU

Featured Work

News & Commentary
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Un-American Justice: Chilling Scenes from a Southwest Courtroom

Imagine a courtroom where the accused face a judge 50 at a time. They are handcuffed, and their feet are chained together. The judge calls them before the bench in groups of eight to face the charges. His message to the group: either plead guilty to a misdemeanor, or face felony charges and a federal prison sentence of up to 20 years. Not surprisingly, every one in the group accepts the guilty plea, without argument.