NAACP, Demonstrators Sue City of San Jose for Brutal Police Violence During Protests
SAN JOSE — A class action civil rights lawsuit was filed today against City of San Jose on behalf of the NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley, the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, and demonstrators and observers who were brutalized by San Jose Police during the late May 2020 demonstrations in response to the murder of George Floyd. San Jose demonstrators were met by the City of San Jose with brutal and racially targeted repression.
Ninth Circuit Court Rules that ICE Neglected Immigrants in Detention During Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO – In a key victory for immigrants who won their release from two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in California during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today affirmed a lower court’s finding that the immigrants were likely to succeed in their claim that conditions at the facilities during the pandemic were unconstitutional and did not allow adequate social distancing.
Over 1,300 Homeless Bay Area Residents Claim Compensation Following Caltrans Lawsuit
ALAMEDA COUNTY — Nearly four years to the day after homeless residents sued Caltrans for confiscating and destroying their most valuable assets, a historic total of 1,315 homeless and formerly homeless individuals submitted claims seeking compensation for their losses. The class action lawsuit was brought by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF), the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, and the law firm WilmerHale in 2016.
Court Slams ICE for Handling of COVID at Mesa Verde
BAKERSFIELD — In a blistering federal court decision handed down today on the treatment of people imprisoned at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center that resulted in a horrific outbreak of COVID-19 infections, a federal judge condemned actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that showed a “deliberate indifference to the safety of the detainees.”
New Documents Reveal ICE and Private Prison Contractor Exacerbates a COVID Outbreak at Immigration Detention Center
SAN FRANCISCO –Last night, detained immigrants held at the Mesa Verde ICE detention center, in Bakersfield California, filed new documents in support of their request that the U.S. District Court continue to exercise oversight over a facility that suffered a severe COVID outbreak in July and August. By mid-August, more than half of those detained and more than a quarter of the staff became infected with the virus.
Bakersfield Students Settle Lawsuit Over Summer School Cancellation and School Funding
BAKERSFIELD, CA— Two students in the Bakersfield City School District have settled their lawsuit challenging the District’s cancellation of summer school in 2019.
Class Action Lawsuit Against Bad Boys Bail Bonds Demands Company End Illegal Practice Violating Consumer Protection Laws, Drop Suits Pursuing Debts
CALIFORNIA — A class action lawsuit filed today against Bad Boys Bail Bonds seeks a ruling that Bad Boys is not above the law, and must be held responsible for systemic and pervasive violations of California’s consumer and fair competition laws. The historic class action suit, the first of its kind to challenge a bail bond company for violating consumer protection laws, is being prosecuted by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and Keker, Van Nest and Peters LLP. Bad Boys has used illegal means to extract huge sums of money — typically from those least able to afford it — in recent years. This case seeks to change that.
LCCRSF Partners with City of Oakland to Provide Legal Services to Oakland Small Businesses Hit by COVID-19
OAKLAND, CA – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) is partnering with the City of Oakland to provide legal advice and assistance on lease negotiations to small businesses that have suffered revenue losses due to temporary closures mandated by local Health Orders. The City of Oakland granted $150,000 to LCCRSF in State of California CARES Act funding. Many Oakland small businesses have struggled to pay rent and require legal advice on negotiating lease terms with commercial landlords. LCCRSF will provide legal assistance through commercial leasing webinars, one-hour consultations, and longer-term legal assistance. Oakland business owners can visit this web page to learn more about these free legal services.
Cited for Being in Plain Sight: How California Polices Being Black, Brown, and Unhoused in Public
