News / FJP Releases

February 4, 2026

FJP, LEAP, and Other Law Enforcement Leaders File Supreme Court Amicus Brief Urging Strong Enforcement of Constitutional Protections Against Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), joined by the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), current and former prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and former judges, filed an amicus brief in Pitchford v. Cain, a case the United States Supreme Court will hear this term addressing racial discrimination in jury selection and the enforcement of Batson v. Kentucky.

The brief urges the Court to correct a failure by Mississippi courts to enforce Batson v. Kentucky, the landmark decision prohibiting racial discrimination in jury selection. The brief explains that courts cannot declare a constitutional claim “waived” if a defendant lacked a fair opportunity to present it. Allowing state courts to insulate discriminatory jury strikes from judicial review represents an extreme malfunction of the criminal justice system that federal courts must step in to correct. 

“Prosecutors carry a unique responsibility to uphold the Constitution and ensure justice is administered fairly,” said FJP Executive Director Aramis Ayala. “Racial discrimination in jury selection violates that duty. It undermines fair trials, excludes citizens from civic participation, and erodes public trust. When communities believe the system is rigged, victims and witnesses disengage, accountability breaks down, and public safety suffers.”

January 28, 2026

Fair and Just Prosecution Applauds Prosecutors Standing Up to Federal Overreach and Defending Public Safety

Today’s launch of the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach is exactly the type of response needed to the urgent threats to public safety we have seen across the country. This national coalition of elected prosecutors committed to investigating and–where warranted–prosecuting federal agents who violate state criminal law represents leadership at its best and a clear affirmation of what public safety, prosecution, and the rule of law truly mean.

No one is above the law, including federal agents. When they exceed their lawful authority, independent local prosecutors have both the responsibility and the obligation to act. By coming together through this coalition, these prosecutors are stepping up to carry out that duty exactly as the system is designed to work.

Statement from Aramis Ayala, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution

“Moments like this define leadership. As federal power expands and accountability is increasingly challenged, prosecutors stepping forward to defend constitutional rights is essential. As a former prosecutor, I know the oath to seek justice demands action, not silence, especially under pressure. This coalition reflects the courage and responsibility that the public expects from its leaders. Fair and Just Prosecution stands firmly with the prosecutors willing to meet this moment and defend the people they serve.”

January 5, 2026

FJP and Law Enforcement Officials Warn That DHS Policy Allowing Immigration Enforcement in Houses of Worship Endangers Community Trust and Undermines Public Safety

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), joined by the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to halt immigration enforcement actions in and around houses of worship. The brief calls on the Court to affirm the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from eliminating longstanding protections for these sensitive spaces.

For over 30 years, administrations of both parties have placed firm limits on civil immigration enforcement in houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and other places long recognized as sensitive locations because of the vital role these places play in the daily lives of families and communities. Houses of worship and other sensitive locations serve as sanctuaries of safety, security, and support, offering essential services ranging from food assistance and childcare to health care, education, counseling, and spiritual guidance. DHS reversed these restrictions in January, empowering individual Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents to carry out arrests in these areas at their own discretion, without regard to the destabilizing effect such enforcement has on community well-being.

“The decision to allow immigration arrests in sensitive locations like houses of worship, schools, and health care facilities is a direct threat to community safety,” said Aramis Ayala, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution. “When people fear that attending religious services, bringing their children to school, or seeking medical care could lead to harassment, detention, or deportation, trust in law enforcement collapses. Victims stay silent, witnesses disappear, and people avoid the very institutions that people turn to in their most vulnerable moments, institutions that help keep communities healthy and stable. Public safety depends on trust and cooperation, and aggressive enforcement actions in spaces meant for care, learning, and worship destroys both.”

December 12, 2025

Fair and Just Prosecution Joins Leading Legal Organizations in Urging Supreme Court to Protect Appellate Review of Unconstitutional Sentences

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), together with the Cato Institute, Civil Rights Corps, American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, and the Rutherford Institute, filed an amicus brief in Munson P. Hunter III v. United States, calling on the United States Supreme Court to ensure that plea agreements do not prevent people from appealing unconstitutional sentences. The brief urges the Court to reverse a Fifth Circuit ruling that enforced an appeal waiver even after the sentencing judge expressly advised the defendant that he had a right to appeal and the government raised no objection.

“No one should ever be left serving an unlawful sentence with no path to appellate review,” said Fair and Just Prosecution Executive Director Aramis Ayala. “Plea agreements are not ordinary contracts. They are negotiated in conditions shaped by coercion, power imbalances, and limited information. When prosecutors use appeal waivers to block review of unconstitutional sentences, they undermine fairness, weaken due process, and erode trust in the justice system. Every community has an interest in a plea bargaining process that is transparent, accountable, and never shields illegal sentences from scrutiny.”

December 11, 2025

Fair and Just Prosecution Releases Issue Brief Highlighting Prosecutors’ Role in Supporting Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs

Fair and Just Prosecution today released a comprehensive issue brief detailing how Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) can reduce community violence and what prosecutors can do to support their success. The new publication explains how these programs improve long-term health and safety outcomes for survivors of violence and offers prosecutors clear guidance on developing policies that protect patients’ rights, limit harmful law enforcement practices in hospitals, and promote a public health approach to violence reduction.

Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs provide trauma-informed, wraparound services to people recovering from violent injury. These programs help victims stabilize, reduce the likelihood of reinjury, and interrupt cycles of retaliation. Yet their effectiveness can be compromised when aggressive or unnecessary police activity in emergency departments disrupts medical care, violates privacy, or erodes trust in healthcare providers.

“Violence intervention programs save lives, strengthen community trust, and offer people a path toward healing,” said FJP Executive Director Aramis Ayala. “Prosecutors have a vital role to play in helping these programs succeed by ensuring that policing inside hospitals respects patients’ rights and supports the trauma-informed services essential to breaking cycles of violence.”