News / FJP Releases
Stay informed on the latest breaking news, updates and official statements from Fair and Just Prosecution
March 24, 2025
“The End of the Rule of Law as We Know It” – FJP Condemns Trump Assault on Legal Community As Assault on Democracy
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March 21, 2025
Fair and Just Prosecution Condemns New York’s Suspension of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act
New York State prisons and jails have been systemically violating the HALT Solitary Confinement Law since it went into effect in 2022. The HALT Solitary Confinement Law was enacted by a supermajority of New York’s legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2021.
In February 2025 – three years after the law went into effect – Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Daniel F. Martuscello III announced the prisons will double down on their violations of the HALT Solitary Law, with an illegal so-called “suspension.” The announcement came as an attempt to quell a labor dispute with New York’s correction’s union which has driven a series of wildcat strikes by corrections officers. These strikes have resulted in the death of more than five incarcerated people.”
Amy Fettig, Acting Co-Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution, issued the following statement:
“The Hochul Administration’s continued refusal to enforce the HALT Solitary Law is dangerous, unlawful, and, quite frankly – Trumpian. This is not a ‘suspension’ but an unlawful plan to violate both the law and New York’s separation of powers. The HALT Solitary Law was enacted by a supermajority of the legislature and the Governor because prolonged isolation is a form of torture that inflicts devastating harm on incarcerated people and is inconsistent with basic New York values around human and civil rights. The state prison commissioner is not above the law and can not simply disregard the law.
March 20, 2025
FJP Statement on Tonight’s Scheduled Execution of Edward Thomas James
Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) condemns the upcoming execution of Edward Thomas James in Florida, who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection tonight, Thursday, March 20th at 6 P.M. EST. Mr. James pled guilty to the state’s charges of murdering Betty Dick and Toni Neuner in 1993. He was sentenced to death by a jury vote of 11-1, with one juror voting against this sentence.
Florida’s lethal injection protocols have been a subject of significant controversy and legal challenges. Since 2017, Florida has relied on untested drugs such as etomidate and potassium acetate for use in executions, which have been argued to ‘create an unacceptable risk of severe pain,’ violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement ahead of Florida’s planned execution tonight:
“Barring last minute intervention, the state of Florida will execute Mr. James with lethal injection tonight. If Governor DeSantis allows this execution to go forward as scheduled, he will be taking an extraordinary step that will only serve to undermine public trust in the courts, our criminal legal system, and ultimately the rule of law. Every citizen of this democracy should be outraged that any state government anywhere can justify ending a human life if even one single juror votes against it.”
March 19, 2025
FJP Statement on Tomorrow’s Scheduled Execution of Wendell Grissom
Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) condemns the upcoming execution of Wendell Grissom in Oklahoma, who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection tomorrow, Thursday, March 20th at 10 A.M. CST.
Mr. Grissom’s defense team has argued that ‘several mitigating factors,’ including neurological deficits from birth-related brain damage and substance dependency, contributed to his crime but were not presented during his trial. Three jurors who initially sentenced Mr. Grissom to death later wrote letters expressing regret over their decision after learning this information. Juror Deborah Givens specifically wrote that she no longer feels confident in her choice to sentence Grissom to death.
Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement ahead of Oklahoma’s planned execution:
“Barring last-minute intervention, the State of Oklahoma will execute Mr. Grissom by lethal injection tomorrow morning. The death penalty is an irreversible punishment, and cases like Mr. Grissom’s only underscore the profound injustice inherent within any legal system that permits state-sanctioned killing. Mr. Grissom’s jury was never given crucial information about his neurological and cognitive deficits before sentencing him to death. We now know that knowledge of Mr. Grissom’s condition would have made a material difference for at least three of his jurors who have subsequently spoken out against his execution.”
March 18, 2025
FJP Statement on Tomorrow’s Scheduled Execution of Aaron Gunches
Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) condemns the upcoming execution of Aaron Gunches in Arizona, who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, March 19th at 10 A.M. PST. Arizona’s lethal injection protocols have long been criticized for their injustice, marked by secrecy, botched executions, and a disregard for civil rights.
Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement ahead of Arizona’s planned execution of Aaron Gunches tomorrow:
“Barring last-minute intervention, tomorrow morning the state of Arizona will execute Mr. Gunches by lethal injection. Arizona has a history of botched executions, illegal drug sourcing, and reckless disregard for human rights. No state government should have the power to carry out executions in such a cruel and unconstitutional way, yet under the new Trump Administration, Arizona state officials feel they can do so with impunity. This is not just a failure of justice—it’s a moral outrage.