MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — In a lawsuit filed in federal court, the American Civil Liberties Union alleges that Montgomery County is violating the First Amendment by not allowing their lawyers access to people held in the county jail.
The organization claims they have been singled out since March and they are being required to show court documentation or a letter that establishes an existing relationship between someone in the jail and an ACLU lawyer.
They say the county is doing this because the organization worked on behalf of two public defenders who were recently fired.
A county spokeswoman says they support ACLU access at the county jail, and that the policy dates back to before the pandemic, it applies to every lawyer, and it is based on state law intended to make sure attorneys are not soliciting business from people held in the jail.
The county says everyone is offered legal counsel and access to a public defender during intake to the county jail.
