GED July 27, 2005 Susan D. Elmes 4850 California Ave. SW #401 Seattle, WA 98116 Dear Ms. Elmes: ‘Thank you for your recent letter requesting assistance from the ACLU of Washington. The ACLU seeks to preserve and extend civil liberties principles — most.of which are found in the Bill of Rights — but we are unable to participate in every case that may raise a civil liberties issue. The ACLU is a private non- profit membership organization supported solely by membership dues and private donations. Unfortunately, we lack the staff and resources to act as a general legal services provider; we are able to accept only fifteen to twenty cases a year. The cases the ACLU does accept are typically those that affect large numbers of people and have broad legal ramifications that apply beyond the specific fact patterns and circumstances of the case. The ACLU is not a government agency, and does not have resources to conduct extensive factual investigations ‘The difficulty with substantiating complaints such as yours is that they are ofien anecdotal and difficult to document, While I certainly sympathize with the situation you describe in your letter, the ACLU unfortunately cannot undertake a direct investigation of the incidents you describe. One course you may wish to pursue is seeking goverment documents that substantiate your complaints through the Washington Public Disclosure Act and federal Freedom of Information Act. I have enclosed an ACLU pamphlet, How to Get Government Records, which explains such procedures. Another option is to employ a private investigation. While I regret our inability to assist you more directly at this time, I wish you the best in your efforts Sincerely, 235 Eric S. Nygren Legal Program Associate Enclosure