ACLU backs Craig’s bid to reverse his guilty plea

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) won an unlikely supporter on Monday in his uphill battle to reverse his guilty plea and rehabilitate his reputation on the Hill: the liberal-leaning American Civil Liberties Union.

{mosads}The ACLU sent an amicus brief to the Minnesota district court that will hear Craig’s case on Sept. 26, contending that the conservative’s arrest for disorderly conduct in an airport sex sting may have been unconstitutional. While Craig was arrested for allegedly soliciting homosexual contact, the ACLU noted, police failed to prove that the infamous bathroom encounter did not fall under First Amendment protections.

“Senator Craig has not always been a great friend of civil liberties, but you shouldn’t have to endorse the civil liberties of others to keep your own,” Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said. “Government should make public restrooms safe for all, but it should do so in a manner that is really designed to stop inappropriate behavior, rather than destroying the lives of people who might have no intention of doing anything illegal.”

Craig continues to maintain his innocence of all charges as well as his heterosexual preferences.

Billy Martin, the lead attorney representing Craig, said his legal team welcomed the ACLU’s involvement.

“We have argued to the court that the facts which Senator Craig admits happened on that day do not constitute a crime,” he said. “The ACLU’s legal position is that Senator Craig’s arrest may have violated his constitutional rights. Furthermore, the ACLU’s position is the sting conducted by the airport police may also violate the protection the United States Constitution provides all of us.”