Criminal Law Reform
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Arizona
Oct 2023
Criminal Law Reform
Racial Justice
Fund for Empowerment v. Phoenix, City of
Fund for Empowerment is a challenge to the City of Phoenix’s practice of conducting sweeps of encampments without notice, issuing citations to unsheltered people for camping and sleeping on public property when they have no place else to go, and confiscating and destroying their property without notice or process.
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2023
Criminal Law Reform
McElrath v. Georgia
Does the Double Jeopardy Clause bar an appellate court from reviewing and setting aside a jury’s verdicts of acquittal on the ground that the verdict is inconsistent with the jury’s verdict on other charges?
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2023
Criminal Law Reform
Pulsifer v. United States
This case involves the interpretation of a federal law that allows defendants to avoid mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug crimes, allowing judges to impose sentences tailored to their individual circumstances.
Texas
Jul 2021
Criminal Law Reform
Prisoners' Rights
Sanchez et al v. Dallas County Sheriff et al
Decarceration has always been an emergency, a life and death proposition, but COVID-19 makes this effort intensely urgent. The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û has been working with our partners to litigate for the rights of those who are incarcerated and cannot protect themselves because of the policies of the institutions in which they are jailed.
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133 Criminal Law Reform Cases
Massachusetts
Jan 2017
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Bridgeman et. al v. District Attorney for Suffolk County et. al
Update: On January 18, 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Court directed district attorneys to dismiss thousands of drug offense cases that were tainted by the misconduct of chemist Annie Dookhan. Prosecutors must produce a list of all drug convictions they plan to dismiss, and also produce a list of cases that they wish to re-prosecute, both within 90 days. They will be permitted to re-prosecute cases only if they certify they can do so on the basis of untainted evidence. The people hurt by Annie Dookhan’s actions deserve justice from the prosecutors who have the power to right thousands of grave wrongs by dismissing these cases.
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Massachusetts
Jan 2017
Criminal Law Reform
Smart Justice
Bridgeman et. al v. District Attorney for Suffolk County et. al
Update: On January 18, 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Court directed district attorneys to dismiss thousands of drug offense cases that were tainted by the misconduct of chemist Annie Dookhan. Prosecutors must produce a list of all drug convictions they plan to dismiss, and also produce a list of cases that they wish to re-prosecute, both within 90 days. They will be permitted to re-prosecute cases only if they certify they can do so on the basis of untainted evidence. The people hurt by Annie Dookhan’s actions deserve justice from the prosecutors who have the power to right thousands of grave wrongs by dismissing these cases.
Arizona
Dec 2016
Criminal Law Reform
White Mountain Health Center v. Maricopa County
Update: In December 2016, the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s 2012 ruling that federal marijuana prohibition does not void Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act and that the County and State should therefore allow the White Mountain dispensary to continue operating and providing medicine to qualifying patients in Arizona with debilitating medical conditions.
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Arizona
Dec 2016
Criminal Law Reform
White Mountain Health Center v. Maricopa County
Update: In December 2016, the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s 2012 ruling that federal marijuana prohibition does not void Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act and that the County and State should therefore allow the White Mountain dispensary to continue operating and providing medicine to qualifying patients in Arizona with debilitating medical conditions.
Puerto Rico
Jul 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Religious Liberty
Marrero-Méndez v. Pesquera
In 2013, the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û and ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Puerto Rico filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Officer Alvin Marrero-Méndez, a 13-year veteran of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
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Puerto Rico
Jul 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Religious Liberty
Marrero-Méndez v. Pesquera
In 2013, the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û and ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Puerto Rico filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Officer Alvin Marrero-Méndez, a 13-year veteran of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Birchfield v. North Dakota
Whether states may criminalize a driver’s refusal to consent to a warrantless blood, breath or urine test for alcohol after a drunk driving arrest.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Birchfield v. North Dakota
Whether states may criminalize a driver’s refusal to consent to a warrantless blood, breath or urine test for alcohol after a drunk driving arrest.
California
Apr 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Phillips v. State of California
The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Northern California, in partnership with ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û National’s Criminal Law Reform Project and the firm Paul Hastings LLP, have filed a lawsuit against California, Governor Brown, and Fresno County seeking a writ of mandate and injunctive and declaratory relief to fix the county’s failing public defense system—which is supposed to provide a rigorous legal defense to people who are accused of crimes in Fresno and cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.
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California
Apr 2016
Criminal Law Reform
Phillips v. State of California
The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Northern California, in partnership with ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û National’s Criminal Law Reform Project and the firm Paul Hastings LLP, have filed a lawsuit against California, Governor Brown, and Fresno County seeking a writ of mandate and injunctive and declaratory relief to fix the county’s failing public defense system—which is supposed to provide a rigorous legal defense to people who are accused of crimes in Fresno and cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.