LOS ANGELES - In a letter to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, the ACLU of Southern California is calling on the county to guarantee early voting will be available for residents wishing to vote in a special election scheduled on the first day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.

The letter sent late Friday by ACLU/SC attorney Hector Villagra to Registrar Steve Rodermund states that the ACLU is aware of 'fruitful discussions about how to minimize the burden imposed on Jewish voters by a special election scheduled in the 48th Congressional District on the first day of Rosh Hashanah,' but the letter goes on to say 'we wish to avoid litigation, and therefore seek written assurances from the County that early voting will be made available.'

The letter also seeks specific information about the educational outreach the County will provide in order to inform residents of early voting for the election scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 4.

'We understand the tight timeline to which the County must adhere in order to fill the Congressional seat, but we need to make sure for the sake of all community members that a viable option will be readily available for those who wish to vote,' said Villagra, who is also the director of the ACLU Orange County branch office.

The Congressional seat was made available after Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Orange County) was appointed by President George Bush to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

'We remain concerned about the burden this places on Jewish voters and that a portion of Orange County will be denied the right to vote at the polls on election day and we hope this will serve as a reminder that election dates must be selected with care so that everyone can vote,' said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU/SC.

Letter to the Los Angeles Police Commission

LOS ANGELES - The ACLU of Southern California is deeply concerned that the LAPD's conduct may have lead to another precarious situation in South Los Angeles. The use of excessive and unlawful force on any person is deplorable. We expect that the investigation of the most recent incident involving Minister Tony Mohammed will be handled by the Commission's Inspector General, utilizing methods emphasizing transparency, reasonable expeditiousness and accountability. Every use of force by police officers must be investigated in a careful and thorough manner.

The ACLU, like many community groups, will closely monitor this investigation. We believe a proper start involves the Commission publicly describing the methodology it intends to require, and the setting of a timetable for a report to be completed. Those responsible for breaking the law must be held accountable, especially if they are entrusted with enforcing it.

Harris v. Board of Supervisors

LOS ANGELES - In a landmark action for low-income residents requiring necessary medical care, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted late Tuesday to approve a settlement that would ensure increased access to better care for patients two years after it announced it would slash medical care at two Los Angeles public facilities.

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the law firm Alshuler Grossman Stein & Kahan, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a lawsuit in March 2003, to stop the Boards' slated closure of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and the reduction of close to 100 emergency services beds at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. The settlement will ensure that LA County-USC will continue to operate with the appropriate staff and budget for 40,000 patient admissions and Rancho los Amigos will remain open with more than 150 beds for patients requiring catastrophic rehabilitation services.

"This is a victory for the poor, indigent patients in L.A. County who suffer from chronic health conditions and have to rely on the county healthcare system," said Silvia Argueta, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

The settlement will further ensure at least 50 inpatient psychiatry beds at LA County-USC remain open, maintain a lower waiting time for emergency care, establish a patient tracking system in the emergency department, allocate money to effectively and efficiently operate the facility including managing patient stays in accordance with the national standard.

The County also agreed to ensure Rancho los Amigos remain open for at least three years, which will decrease staff turnover and ensure stability in the hospital. The settlement requires that Rancho continue its mission as a catastrophic rehabilitation hospital for eligible indigent or Medi-Cal patients.

"The settlement is like CPR for the County's health care delivery service," said Mark Rosenbaum, ACLU/SC legal director. "It means that indigent families will receive necessary emergency and rehabilitation services delivered by a more cost and medically efficient system."

In the Fall of 2002, the County Board of Supervisors closed eleven health centers and cut vital services provided by free and low cost clinics. Community organizations and public interest groups submitted over 2,500 pages of testimony, letters, studies and reports to the County detailing the dramatic impact the cuts would have on the quality of medical care in Los Angeles County. In January 2003, the Board announced further reductions, voting to close Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and to reduce the number of hospital beds at County's largest trauma care provider, LA County-USC Medical Center.

Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center is the largest safety net provider in one of the most densely populated areas of the County. LA County-USC serves close to 50,000 inpatients and 750,000 outpatients a year.