By: Bella Tambornino California’s Race-Blind Charging Act promises a bold experiment in criminal justice reform: a prosecutorial process free from racial bias. Enacted in September 2022 through Assembly Bill 2778 (“AB 2778”), the law requires prosecutors to make charging decisions “based on information, from which all means of identifying the race of the suspect, […]
by: Christina Robinson This blog post attempts to shed light on a fatal inconsistency in criminal law. Under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, Americans have the right to be free from purposeful discrimination based on race. Yet it is easier for defendants to succeed in making an Equal Protection claim in the context of […]
by: Nicolas Chavez On August 26, 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines for sitting during the national anthem prior to his team’s third preseason game.[1] Kaepernick explained the purpose of his silent protest is to use his status as a professional athlete to bring light to the prevalence of institutionalized oppression of people of […]
by: Zack Auspitz On August 11, 2016, the American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of multiple plaintiffs to challenge the “disturbing-schools law” in South Carolina.[1] This highly controversial law essentially criminalizes disruptive behavior in South Carolina classrooms and imposes draconian punishment on students who violate it.[2] The lawsuit stems from […]
