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Debtors’ Prison Project

  • Lawsuit Filed to End Enforcement of Glendale’s Unconstitutional Panhandling Bans

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2025 MEDIA CONTACTS Public Justice, nfunaro@publicjustice.net ACLU of Arizona, media@acluaz.org First Amendment Clinic, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, firstamendmentclinic@asu.edu Glendale, Ariz. – Today, three Glendale residents filed a lawsuit alleging that the city’s panhandling bans violate their First Amendment rights to engage in constitutionally protected speech.…

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  • Faith Leaders, Detained People, and Civil Rights Groups File Lawsuit in California Challenging Riverside County’s Bail Process

    Riverside County, Calif. — On May 26, 2025, individuals detained in Riverside County jails filed a class action lawsuit challenging Riverside County’s cash-based jailing of individuals between their arrest and first court hearing, as well as Riverside County’s unnecessary delay of that hearing. Rabbi David Lazar and Reverend Jane Quandt chose to join this lawsuit because…

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  • Court Accountability Advocate Files Motion in Abrego Garcia Case To Ensure Public Access to Hearings

    For Immediate Release May 12, 2025 Contact: Nicole Funaro, Public Justice nfunaro@publicjustice.net Gabe Roth, Fix the Court gabe@fixthecourt.com | 202-780-4990 Greenbelt, MD – Fix the Court has filed a motion to intervene in Abrego Garcia v. Noem to ensure the public has remote access to hearings in this important case. Fix the Court is a…

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  • Public Justice and the ACLU of Iowa File Appeal in Black Hawk County Lawsuit

    Media Contacts: Nicole Funaro, Public Justice media relations strategist, nfunaro@publicjustice.net ACLU of Iowa Communications Director Veronica Fowler, veronica.fowler@aclu-ia.org, cell: 515-451-1777 Waterloo, Iowa — Civil rights groups today filed a notice of appeal in their federal class action lawsuit to block the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office from wrongly extracting money from people before releasing them…

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  • A Conversation with Debtors’ Prison Project Staff Attorney Charles Moore

    Meet Charles Moore, a dedicated staff attorney with our Debtors’ Prison Project. Since joining the team in early 2023, Charles has been committed to challenging unjust systems and advocating for those impacted by debtors’ prisons. Recently, Charles sat down with our Membership Manager, Nikki Duffney, to share his journey to this work, what motivates him…

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  • Amicus Brief Filed In Iowa Supreme Court Low-Income Legal Fees Case

    Des Moines, Iowa — Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court allowed the ACLU of Iowa, the Fines and Fees Justice Center, and Public Justice to file an amicus brief in State of Iowa v. Ronald Pagliai (PAG-lee-eye), a case currently before the Court. The amicus brief argues that Iowa courts may not bill low-income Iowans…

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  • Public Justice Statement on New FCC Regulations to Cap Phone, Video Call Costs in Prisons and Jails

    Last week, the Federal Communications Commission issued new regulations that will drastically reduce the costs for families to talk to their loved ones who are in jail or prison. For the first time, both phone and video call charges are capped. The FCC also banned up-front commission payments to prisons and jails and barred telecom…

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  • Meet Jacquelyn Oesterblad

    “The advice that led me into law school in the first place was that your vocation should lie at the intersection of your rage and your joy.” Jacquelyn Oesterblad is a Skadden Fellow in the Debtors’ Prison Project, where she litigates cases related to the criminalization of poverty and homelessness. Jacq’s work is particularly focused…

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  • Cort Carlson: Using the Law to Empower the Marginalized

      Tycko & Zavareei LLP’s Public Interest Fellowship is an incredible opportunity for recent law graduates to gain hands-on experience in public interest law. This May, one of the firm’s current fellows, Cort Carlson, embarks upon the non-profit externship portion of his Fellowship with the Debtors’ Prison Project at DC-based non-profit, Public Justice. A Passion…

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