The ACLU, along with the NAACP, filed an amicus brief on behalf of the defendants in the case against Louis Haddad, a recalled City Councilman in Seaside, California. Haddad "asserts various courses of action against large numbers of people concerning alleged irregularities and statements made during the course of the recall election." One of these such actions involved "either doing, conspiring to do, or concealing acts of circulating recall petitions before legally permissable," changing dates on recall petitions, and falsifying signatures on these petitions.

Complicating this issue is the fact that Haddad, who is white, is regarded by the black community as a racist. Haddad filed suit against 77 defendants accused of fasifying petitions to keep him out of office, including several black churches and their ministers, as well as "almost every politically active black person in Seaside." The case brought up issues of legal representation, and points out that only those with immense financial resources are able to file suits such as this. Many worried over the potential chilling effects that this case might have on the exercise of political opinions and free speech. Haddad sought general damages in the amount of one million dollars and punitive damages in the amount of five million dollars, as well as attorney's fees. The outcomes of the case is not known.