Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

WATCH: Here are some of our favorite highlights of our work in 2020. From fighting for the rights of immigrants and refugees in detention to protecting small businesses from evictions during the pandemic, we remain committed to creating equitable, just, and joyful world together. We are proud to showcase the work we have done with our pro bono and community partners and awardees at LCCRSF's annual MLK Awards, Anti Police-Terror Project, Cooley LLP, Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, and Perkins Coie LLP.

Did you cosign a Bad Boys Bail Bond? On April 8, 2021, a CA judge ordered Bad Boys Bail Bonds to stop collecting money from most of its cosigners. If you cosigned a Bad Boys bail bond, please contact the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area to learn more at [email protected] or (415) 236-0332.

Tifanei Ressl-Moyer, a Thurgood Marshall fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, said she is concerned there are so many ways the system is going to replicate the injustices. Justice would be George still being alive, and an end to all violent policing of Black people, Ressl-Moyer said. ... https://www.mercurynews.com//you-can-win-these-cases-coul/

Nearly a year ago, we wrote a statement following the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, titled Justice for George Floyd. Today, the world contemplates what justice means once more with the guilty verdict of his murderer, Derek Chauvin. Before we discuss Chauvin’s conviction, we want to celebrate and honor George Floyd’s life. Floyd was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and grew up in Houston, Texas. He would always make sure that we had our clothes...Continue reading

Stopping Bail Abuse in California Come learn about our historic lawsuit w/ @KekerLLP that halted collection of $37.5M in debt "owed" by the families and loved ones of incarcerated individuals. @BerkeleyLaw Thursday, April 22 at 1pm PST. Zoom link here: https://bit.ly/32r80AM

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF), I am making the bittersweet announcement of Monika Kalra Varma’s transition from her role as LCCRSF’s Executive Director. Monika will be moving back to Washington, DC and transitioning out of her role at the end of June. Under Monika’s incredible skill and leadership, LCCRSF has grown tremendously since her arrival in 2017, more than doubling its staff and ...Continue reading

LCCRSF is proud to co-sponsor #AB1238, the Freedom to Walk Act, to decriminalize jaywalking in California! "Jaywalking is one of those criminal offenses that many of us don’t think twice about committing. We need to cross the street, any approaching cars are a safe distance away, so off we trot from one side to the next mid-block. Simple and straightforward unless you have black or brown skin, or are for some other reason more likely to be cited for breaking a broadly igno...red law. Then you can be singled out by a police officer itching to write a ticket. And citations aren’t cheap: The base fine set by California is a hefty $197." https://www.sfchronicle.com//Editorial-Here-s-a-crime-Cali

We can’t allow budgets to continue to be balanced on the backs of Black & Brown people by charging unjust criminal system fees. We have the resources for bold action, we must use this time to #FinishTheFees. Pass #SB586, CA Sen. Public Safety!

Need business law advice? We can help! On April 15th, join our Virtual Legal Clinic. Attorneys will be available to provide legal consultation to small businesses. Registration in advance is required and spots are limited. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/APRIL15CLINIC

Bad Boys Bail Bonds’ unlawful deception plunged me into debt and caused me tremendous pain after I bailed out a friend. Over months, they relentlessly threatened and harassed me, my mother, and my employer, claiming I had unpaid debt, Caldwell said in a statement Thursday. The judge’s order is a tremendous relief for me and thousands of other Californians who have cosigned with Bad Boys. Seligman found Caldwell and other co-signers have a good shot at succeeding on the me...rits of their class action the first of its kind for under fraudulent or unfair business practices under California’s Unfair Competition Law stemming from the bail company’s failure to provide them with notice that they would be responsible for repayment. Seligman found no such notice had been provided to cosigners in the 150 collections actions filed in his court by Bad Boys since July 1, 2019. He also found the balance of hardships required for a preliminary injunction tips decidedly towards Caldwell since the legislature mandated notice under state civil code to protect consumers. Caldwell and her declarants all demonstrate how they have been victimized by the lack of notice. BBBB claims it could lose bail premiums worth millions of dollars if the statute is enforced. But it makes no showing it cannot provide the notice and comply with the statute, he wrote, noting that the injunction won’t stop the bail agency from doing business and merely requires it to comply with California’s consumer protection laws. It’s an incredible step, Caldwell’s attorney Elisa Della-Piana with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area said in a phone interview Thursday. Bad Boys has been violating the law for so many decades, as have so many other bail companies, and halting more than $34 million in collections will benefit thousands of Californians. https://www.courthousenews.com/bail-bond-company-barred-fr/

California has led the way in the fight for #DebtFreeJustice. Last year the state eliminated a handful of unjust criminal fees, helping pave the path toward greater #RacialJustice. It’s time to #FinishTheFees and Pass SB 586!