Peace And Justice Law Center

TO ADVANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

THE PJLC'S FIRST PROGRAM AREA, AS MEASURED BY EXPENSE, IS HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENSE. IN 2022, THE PJLC CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS BY LITIGATING A GANG INJUNCTION CASE IN ORANGE COUNTY, AND BY LITIGATING TWO LAWSUITS DEMANDING PUBLIC RECORDS RELATING TO CIVIL RIGHTS AND POLICING. IN THE CASE OF PEOPLE V. TOWNSEND STREET, THE PJLC REPRESENTED TWO INDIVIDUALS WHOM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS SEEKING TO SUBJECT TO AN UNLAWFUL "GANG INJUNCTION." IF SUCCESSFUL, THE LITIGATION WILL RESULT IN THE DISSOLUTION OF AN INJUNCTION THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS SCORES OF DEFENDANTS. BECAUSE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S GANG INJUNCTION PROGRAM IS UNLAWFUL, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, AND RACIALLY DISCRIMINATORY, THIS LITIGATION WILL BENEFIT THE PUBLIC GENERALLY BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS SECURED BY LAW, THE ELIMINATION OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION, AND COMBATTING COMMUNITY DETERIORATION AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. OF THE PJLC'S TWO CLIENTS IN THIS MATTER, ONE IS INDIGENT AND THE OTHER IS NOT. HOWEVER, THE MATTER DEALS WITH AN INJUNCTION AND SO THE PJLC'S CLIENT HAS NOT FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME. THE PJLC HAS NOT YET SOUGHT ANY FEES IN THE MATTER FROM THE PJLC'S CLIENT'S OPPOSING PARTY. THE SECOND CASE, ACLU V. INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT, IS A CASE IN WHICH THE PJLC REPRESENTS ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, AND AN INDIVIDUAL IN A CASE SEEKING A JUDICIAL ORDER THAT THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT MUST MAKE PUBLIC CERTAIN DOCUMENTS IT CONSIDERS CONFIDENTIAL. BECAUSE THIS LITIGATION INVOLVES INVESTIGATIONS INTO NUMEROUS CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WILL HELP SETTLE QUESTIONS OF STATUTORY INTERPRETATION COMMON TO DISPUTES OVER WHETHER POLICE DOCUMENTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL, THIS CASE WILL BENEFIT THE PUBLIC BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS SECURED BY LAW, AND THE ELIMINATION OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION. THE PJLC'S CLIENTS IN THIS MATTER ARE NOT INDIGENT, BUT THE MATTER DEALS WITH INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AND SO THE PJLC'S CLIENTS HAVE NO FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME. THE RELIEF SOUGHT INCLUDES AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES FROM THE OPPOSING PARTY. FINALLY, THE THIRD CASE, CHICANXS UNIDXS V. SPITZER, IS A CASE IN WHICH THE PJLC REPRESENTS THREE ORGANIZATIONS, CHICANXS UNIDXS AND TWO CHAPTERS OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, ALL OF WHOM SEEK A JUDICIAL ORDER THAT THE ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MUST MAKE PUBLIC CERTAIN DOCUMENTS IT CONSIDERS CONFIDENTIAL. BECAUSE THIS LITIGATION INVOLVES INVESTIGATIONS INTO RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PROSECUTIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT CALIFORNIA'S RACIAL JUSTICE ACT, THIS CASE WILL BENEFIT THE PUBLIC BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS SECURED BY LAW, AND THE ELIMINATION OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION. THE PJLC'S CLIENTS IN THIS MATTER ARE NOT INDIGENT, BUT THE MATTER DEALS WITH INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AND SO THE PJLC'S CLIENTS HAVE NO FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME. THE RELIEF SOUGHT INCLUDES AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES FROM THE OPPOSING PARTY.

THE PJLC'S SECOND PROGRAM AREA, AS MEASURED BY EXPENSE, IS EDUCATION. IN 2022, THE PJLC CONTINUED TO CONVENE THE DECRIMINALIZING NEIGHBORHOODS NETWORK, A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT GANG PARTICIPATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT'S GANG SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES AS A BROAD TOPIC. AS PART OF THIS WORK, THE PJLC ENGAGED IN NONPARTISAN RESEARCH INTO THE EFFECTS OF CALIFORNIA'S ASSEMBLY BILL 333, WHICH REVISED THE DEFINITION OF A CRIMINAL STREET GANG IN THE STATE'S PENAL CODE. WITH THE SUPPORT OF LAW STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, THE PJLC REQUESTED DATA FROM EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE AND FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PJLC TO TRACK WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN THE FREQUENCY OF GANG PROSECUTIONS, GANG PROSECUTION PLEA DEALS, OR JURY FINDINGS OF INNOCENCE OR GUILT. THE PJLC ALSO ENGAGED IN AD HOC NONPARTISAN PRESENTATIONS TO COMMUNITY ON BROAD ISSUES OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE LAW, PARTICULARLY AS RELATE TO CALIFORNIA'S RACIAL JUSTICE ACT.

THE PJLC'S THIRD PROGRAM AREA, AS MEASURED BY EXPENSE, IS LEGAL AID. THE PJLC PROVIDED LEGAL AID TO SIX INDIVIDUALS IN 2022. THIS AID INVOLVED THE OFFER OF COUNSEL AS WELL AS COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATION REGARDING ISSUES INCLUDING GANG INJUNCTIONS AND POLICE MISCONDUCT. IN 2022, THE PJLC ALSO SECURED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO HELP FUND AN EXPANSION OF THE PJLC'S LEGAL AID PROGRAM IN 2023.