Public Justice supported a nonprofit challenging California’s ban on electronic recordings in most civil court hearings In December 2024, The Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) and Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) represent indigent and low-income litigants in trial and appellate proceedings; the groups filed a writ petition in the California Supreme Court to challenge the…
When ICE agents terrorized Maine, our client, Robert Peck, exercised his First Amendment rights to observe them When masked and armed federal agents poured into Portland, Maine as part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) “Operation Catch of the Day,” 67-year-old Robert Peck was one of many residents that took to the streets to watch,…
We are holding corporations accountable for threatening drinking water supplies in Pennsylvania The Susquehanna River is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. Millions of Americans rely on it as a source for drinking water. Residents in York County, Penn., however, are justifiably concerned about the threat that toxic coal ash…
What’s at Stake America’s immigration landscape has intensified and the public’s access to information surrounding the conditions individuals endure in immigration detention facilities is more important than ever. Public Justice represents the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (“ICIJ”) in moving to intervene and unseal records pertaining to the excessive spraying of a pesticide in the…
What’s at Stake Standing is the legal principle that decides who gets to bring a lawsuit. Traditionally, a person who has experienced the violation of a statute has standing to bring a claim for that violation. For example, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) says that people can bring claims when an employer or…
Public Justice represented Richard Barber in his efforts to obtain public access to the court file in Aleksich v. Remington, a personal injury case involving defects in the firing mechanism of Remington Rifle Co.’s popular 700-series rifle. The case settled in 1995 and was subsequently sealed in its entirety. Mr. Barber sought to unseal the court…
What’s at Stake Whether Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC may continue to repeatedly release high levels of copper and chloride into Hecker Creek and the Yellow River in Iowa without penalty or proper abatement. Summary Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC operates a beef and poultry slaughterhouse facility in Postville, Iowa. Since Agri Star’s…
What’s at Stake Whether the Iowa Department of Natural Resources may work in concert with polluters to thwart an interested parties’ right to intervene in a settlement by quickly filing and settling the case in a manner that precludes public participation. Summary Since 2020, Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC has repeatedly violated its Clean…
What’s at Stake Protections for students abused by school employees — and accountability when those protections fail. Summary “Jane Doe 1” and “Jane Doe 2” were students at Beaumont Independent School District in Texas. Both were sexually abused by a teacher and brought legal claims against the school district. After a trial, a jury found…