News & Press https://cacj.org/news/default.asp Sun, 7 Jun 2026 07:20:15 GMT Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:22:00 GMT Copyright © 2026 California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Statement In Support Of San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=724045 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=724045 CACJ has long opposed judicial interference with the criminal defense function. Thus, we stand in support of San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju and his office in their fight to retain the right to declare themselves unavailable to protect the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and uphold their obligations to their clients as required by the California State Bar. We are appalled to learn that San Francisco Judge Harry Dorfman has held Defender Raju in contempt and fined him $1,000 per case in which he has declared his office unavailable, a fine which is $26,000 and climbing. It is shameful that San Francisco, one of the richest communities in the world, is unwilling to fund indigent defense at the levels required to provide effective representation and ensure a sustainable workplace for the dedicated staff of that well regarded office. The court's ruling cannot help but benefit the prosecution at the expense of the poorest San Franciscans. A confiscatory fine to punish a public servant seeking to serve the poor makes a mockery of the concept of justice for all.

- 2026 President Marketa Sims

]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:22:00 GMT CACJ Statement on the Killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=718909 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=718909
CACJ Statement on the Killings of 
Renée Good and Alex Pretti

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice is an organization dedicated to upholding the Bill of Rights, including the right to protest, and the right to petition for redress of grievances.  These rights are meaningless without accountability when government agents kill or otherwise harm people. We stand with the People of Minneapolis and the loved ones and friends of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in their pursuit of justice.  Events in Minneapolis during these past weeks have exposed serious gaps in both law and society that would permit a representative of the government to kill without consequence.  

For us, these events call to mind the Boston Massacre, when a government force invaded a city and indiscriminately killed five people and wounded six others in an act of senseless violence in response to minor provocation by local people who did not want them there.  Those who perpetrated the massacre were held accountable at trial, defended by founding father John Adams.  

Similarly, today’s deadly acts must be investigated and, if warranted by independent investigation, those who perpetrated them should face justice. 

Marketa Sims
CACJ President 2025

]]> Mon, 26 Jan 2026 23:16:00 GMT From the President: Crossing the Rubicon: CACJ Condemns Deployment of the Military in Los Angeles https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=704506 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=704506


CACJ condemns President Trump’s deployment of 4700 armed federal military members - 4000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines - to confront civilian demonstrators protesting against increasingly aggressive ICE raids in Los Angeles. This domestic use of the military against protesters is characteristic of authoritarian dictators, not the president of a democratic nation.

The Los Angeles protests ignited after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted immigration raids on businesses in Los Angeles’ garment district. ICE has been using increasingly aggressive tactics to conduct these raids, with heavily armed masked agents in combat gear rolling up in armored trucks in neighborhood business districts.

This is the scene that played out on a Friday evening just over a week ago in the quiet leafy residential business district of South Park in San Diego. ICE agents stormed Buona Forchetta, one of San Diego’s most beloved neighborhood restaurants. Without warning, agents armed with assault rifles handcuffed employees, pushed the manager against a wall, used flash-bang grenades on members of the community, and turned a peaceful neighborhood business district into a scene of fear, confusion and trauma. Three workers were taken into custody, the restaurant was forced to shut down for several nights, and neighbors and patrons were left stunned. Commando style raids in peaceful neighborhoods like these ignited these protests.

The use of handcuffs, riot-style tactics and smoke grenades near a family-friendly restaurant during dinner hour has no place anywhere in our country. It is traumatizing for the workers, shocking for the owners, and deeply disturbing to the residents who witnessed this administration sponsored terrorism. These raids in our communities and cities do not target terrorists or violent criminals. They target workers. Neighbors. Family members. People just trying to earn a living and contribute to a city they call home. This was not law enforcement — it was spectacle. It was not an operation in public safety — it was an exercise in intimidation. Employees go home in fear. Families are left wondering where their loved ones are. Businesses are wondering if they’re next. Our communities feel targeted and violated; it is not surprising that this administration’s callousness and cruelty has enraged ordinary citizens.

But the administration crossed a rubicon when it sent military forces in to confront protesters. The employment of military forces to intimidate the dissenters under the guise of “protecting federal property” sets a dangerous precedent, and will only escalate the growing tension and unrest. The Los Angeles city’s police, not the Marines, are responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens in Los Angeles communities, and there is no indication that the civilian police department could not control the limited number of violent incidents that have occurred during these otherwise peaceful protests. Our governor has not requested this assistance; it will only make a volatile situation - caused in the first instance by these aggressive ICE raids - more dangerous for citizens. Bypassing the governor to deploy federal military assets in our streets has not happened since the Civil Rights era, when Lyndon Johnson brought in the National Guard to protect civil rights protesters; not quash dissent. Commanding the federal military to engage with our nation’s citizens should be resorted to in exceedingly rare cases, and certainly not to crack down on protesters.

To our leaders in Washington: this use of military assets to intimidate citizens must end. A clear message should be sent that this shall not to be tolerated in our democracy. To our neighbors: Stay vigilant and continue peaceful protest of this administration’s lawless rogue actions. And to our immigrant community: You are part of our community, and you are not alone. Fear is not safety. We demand better from our federal agencies and from those in power. And we must stand in solidarity with those who were targeted, because the future of our democracy depends on it. 

From CACJ President Robert Boyce, with contributions from attorneys Laura Schaefer and Andrew Nietor

 

]]> Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:34:00 GMT Statement from CACJ on Protests and National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=703637 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=703637
In recent months we have all witnessed an increased erosion of due process and attempts to weaken and circumvent the legal system. Attacks on the independence of the judiciary, government actions that ignore legal processes and evisceration of constitutional protections have become daily occurrences. The result is unjustified denial of liberty and a general undermining of the core principles of our constitutional democracy. This is most pronounced in the ongoing use by our federal government of paramilitary tactics to seek out, incarcerate and attempt to deport those without full citizenship. Sitting outside courtrooms with masked and armed agents ready to arrest and detain individuals who are following the legal process is both unconstitutional and inhumane.

The protests in Los Angeles and around the country are the natural byproducts of a government going too far for too long. The California Attorneys for Criminal Justice stands by the community's first amendment right to assembly and freedom of expression. As criminal defense attorneys, we have dedicated our professional lives to ensuring our government complies with constitutional protections and due process. We call on the Governor of California to continue his request to withdraw national guard troops from Los Angeles. We also call on ICE to adhere to the federal law allowing members of Congress to visit immigration detention centers and report back what they see. We also call for justice for those unlawfully arrested and detained.]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:44:00 GMT Was Justice Served? https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=562447 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=562447

 Was Justice Served?


I have been asked what the verdict in the George Floyd case means to us as a society and if justice was served by this verdict. As a criminal defense lawyer for 26 years, this type of brutality that I witnessed on video is not anything new. What is new is the public way George Floyd died. He died in front of the country’s eyes. Eight minutes and forty-six seconds of pure horror- all caught unabashedly on camera. What is new are the discussions stemming from his death. People are now engaging in conversations on TV, in the media, and over the internet about racism. The summer of 2020 was marked with the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Those protests were about police brutality, excessive force, and systemic racism.  There has not been a national dialogue like this before. However, these two concepts of whether justice is served and what the verdict means have become intertwined. I think that these ideas are separate and distinct.

Whether justice was served is something that I cannot answer. Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd but has not yet been sentenced. We as a nation did see the video of George Floyd’s murder. Other than the jurors, most people did not see the entire trial from gavel to gavel. We did not see all the evidence presented in court or the cross examination of each witness. We did not see the testimony of the lay witnesses or the experts.  We did not see their demeanor or attitude about testifying.  We did not have a chance to review all the exhibits. However, the jurors did. As a defense attorney who has tried some controversial and difficult cases, I have seen critics render opinions in my cases that were not part of the record but were a part of the public sentiment. So I am not going to comment on whether justice was served. The prosecution argued that “George Floyd didn’t die because his heart was too big, but because Derek Chauvin’s heart was too small.” The jury agreed and convicted him on all counts. Is that justice? The judge will decide that when he sentences former Officer Chauvin.  

What this case has done is open a dialogue about the police, policing, and racism in our society. Last summer was gripped with numerous protests about how racism is still with us as a society. People of color have endured a different reality than those of white folks. This case amplified this reality and brought attention to the fact that people live in different worlds based upon their skin color. If you are black or brown, you are not likely to have a jury of your peers but rather a jury of older white folks. That is another reality in our criminal justice system. Over policing and targeting areas where most people are either black or brown promotes attitudes of distrust and skepticism of law enforcement. The minority community becomes disenfranchised and negative feelings for law enforcement spiral out of control from one generation to the next.

Before George Floyd, I have heard folks, mainly white folks, say that racism is part of the past. George Floyd and his death stopped that discussion in its tracks. His death and the verdict has opened up another discussion, a true discussion, about what racism is in the 21st century. We are not over it. We are not even close.  We have not begun to deal with the ramifications of hundreds of years of overt and hidden racism. What this verdict means is an acknowledgement that there is unchecked racism in all aspects of our lives. It does not matter what race you are. The discrimination from racism is present in our institutions, in our society, and even in the establishments where the people are supposed to help us like the police. In other words, racism is here.

This verdict is a beginning and certainly not an ending. This verdict will not heal wounds.  It is a step forward to engage in an open dialogue where people can be heard. President Biden said of the verdict, “This gives us a shot to deal with genuine, systemic racism.”  I hope the President is correct in his assessment. After the verdict, Merrick Garland said that the Justice Department will open an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department to address whether or not the department has engaged in a pattern and practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing. What comes from this verdict and the subsequent justice department investigation has yet to be seen.

For justice to be served from this verdict, the discussion needs to continue. We as a society need to continually check ourselves and see what is going on around us. As President of CACJ, I am reflecting on what CACJ can do at this moment. CACJ’s mission is to protect our constitutional rights and to preserve due process and equal protection under the law.  CACJ will stand up for those rights. We will continue to work as a group to help enact (or quash) legislation to ensure police accountability and the preservation of our constitutional rights. CACJ will stand up against racism.  The verdict in the George Floyd trial is just a start. CACJ will continue being a voice in this discussion.  We will continue to move forward and push for significant change in the system until there is truly equal justice under the law.

]]> Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:36:00 GMT CACJ PRESIDENT’S CALL FOR UNITY IN THE WAKE OF RECENT ATROCITY TOWARDS ANOTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=510055 https://cacj.org/news/news.asp?id=510055


















CACJ PRESIDENT’S CALL FOR UNITY IN THE WAKE OF
RECENT ATROCITY TOWARDS ANOTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN

Dear CACJ Members,

Again, we are witness to an atrocity. One cannot erase the indelible image of George Floyd being murdered by one police officer, while 3 others acted not for the benefit of the victim, but for the killer. This latest lynching occurred in full view of the public who were powerless to intervene on Mr. Floyd’s behalf because these armed thugs had not only the immediate ability to do the same to viewers, but also the ability to coordinate the immediate response from confederates whose first alliance is always to their comrades. Whether criminally prosecuted or not, whether fired or not, these rogue state actors will now seek refuge behind the court created  “qualified immunity” that I find to be at the fulcrum of everything from Colin Kaepernik’s worthy efforts to related events that are unfolding as this is written. 

“Qualified immunity” as it presently stands is pernicious. In Jessop v. City of Fresno, the Ninth Circuit granted immunity to several police officers who stole more than $225,000 in cash and rare coins while executing a search warrant. Oh, it was “morally wrong”. But, since no previous decision had ever involved the issue of “whether the theft of property covered by the terms of property covered by the terms of a search warrant, and seized pursuant to that warrant, violates the Fourth Amendment”, the police were in the clear. SCOTUS denied cert on May 18, 2020. 

For those of you who aren’t versed in the field of civil rights litigation, even though federal law makes the police civilly liable for the deprivation of “any rights” SCOTUS has dialed this back by substitution of the phrase “clearly established”.  The result is that absent case law places the fact of the alleged civil rights violation in stark detail and “beyond debate”, the cops and the cities that hired and trained them are not civilly liable for what we all would deem murder. And we all know which citizens they tend to murder. Under this rule, the more aberrant or outrageous the police conduct, the less it is likely for any other cops to have behaved in the exact same manner. The courts then say it’s not clearly established. End result, the cops and their employers not only get a free pass for committing unspeakable atrocities, their culture is imbued with the belief that they are incapable of violating anyone’s civil rights, particularly the rights of “fleeing” African Americans or even those who are playing video games with the kids in their own living rooms. And if the cop forgets to say that seeing a black person frightened them and then if DA fails to whitewash and prosecutes....well? I’d take those odds at Vegas any day. We must educate ourselves and out communities to demand that this insidious version of “qualified immunity” be abolished. CACJ’s Amicus Committee has or will surely weigh in on many if not all of “qualified immunity” cases that are coming before SCOTUS in future sessions. CACJ will be at the forefront. 

As a result of this judicial veil (spun from whole cloth - without any legal or sound public policy underpinnings), we witness protests, civil unrest, riots and looting. Indelibly biased commentators assembling the usual “two wrongs don’t make a right” along with their inevitable character assassinations are baying like mongrel dogs. Calls for peaceful protest, understanding and even healing of divisions will too appear on the horizon. As objective as we all are, it is impossible for any of us to remain on the periphery of this conflict.  Let no mistake be made, we are on the front lines!

Warriors for justice know the truth. And the truth is that African Americans and Latinos are systematically excluded from legal redress and they always have been. The truth is there is only so much that can be endured. As hard as it is to be constructive in the face of such an outrage, we know that this only scratches the surface of what lies beneath. And in spite of all this damn ignorance and hate, we must all stand stalwart and united for the rule of law. 

This truth is that our efforts to expand the protections of Batson are at the crux of this issue. Here and now in the Legislature via our sponsored AB 3070, we are guiding California to eliminate pervasive bias that is so institutionalized that few Californians even know it exists.  COVID or no COVID, Our Legislative Committee and Ignacio’s shop will tirelessly shepherd this landmark bill to the Governor’s desk. 

No matter where we individually mourn, protest or labor to remove the scourge of implicit bias from our California institutions, let us raise our heads and look to the future. CACJ will continue to demand what our name implies. 

ERIC H. SCHWEITZER

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