Shawky Law

The Death Penalty Info Center reports that after a 17-year hiatus, the federal government resumed executions in July 2020 amid a global pandemic and in less than 6 months the feds executed more inmates (10) than all US states for the entire calendar year (7). While 2020 marks a record low for US executions, in less than six months this administration carried out more executions than any prior president in the 20th or 21st centuries, Republican or Democratic, had authorized in... any calendar year. The administration performed the first lame-duck federal execution in more than a century, while scheduling more transition-period executions than in any prior presidential transition in the history of the United States. The details of the cases and the highly politicized manner in which they were carried out highights the need to eliminate capital punishment based on the arbitrary and highly political nature of executions. Link below to Death Penalty Info Center 2020 Annual Report. #Justice #ShawkyLaw https://deathpenaltyinfo.org//the-death-penalty-in-2020-ye

Judge Peter Wilson orders the Sheriff to reduce Orange County's jail population by 50% as Covid quickly spreads among inmates. The DA and Sheriff oppose the order citing safety concerns while ignoring the fact that incarceration is temporary and nearly all of these inmates will eventually be released to the community. Incarceration only creates an illusion of safety, it is not a long term solution.

One of the most progressive cities in the country finally has a DA that reflects our goals and concerns. Yesterday George Gascón unveiled some major policy changes including the elimination of cash bail, elimination of 3rd strike filings, elimination of death penalty filings and elimination of prison sentencing enhancements. "It is time to change course and implement a system of justice that will enhance our safety and humanity...today we are confronting the lie that strippi...ng entire communities of their liberties somehow made us saferand we're doing it with science, research, and data. For decades those who profit off incarceration have used their enormous political influencecloaked in the false veil of safetyto scare the public and our elected officials into backing racist policies that created more victims, destroyed budgets, and shattered our moral compass. That lie and the harm it caused ends now." George Gascón #Justice #ShawkyLaw

Tarek Shawky, Founder and Managing Attorney