News / FJP Releases

December 12, 2024

FJP Applauds President Biden for Granting Clemency to Nearly 1,500 Americans, Renews Call for Commuting Federal Death Row

Fair and Just Prosecution Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s historic decision commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals who have demonstrated successful rehabilitation and community reintegration after serving their sentences under home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history. President Biden also issued pardons to 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes.

“Today, President Biden has taken a historic step toward justice and second chances, further advancing his commitment to fairness, equity, and second chances within the criminal legal system. Now is the time to build on this progress by commuting the sentences of every individual on federal death row to sentences of life imprisonment.”

December 9, 2024

38 Prosecutors and Justice Leaders Submit Letter Urging President Biden to Commute Federal Death Sentences

A coalition of District Attorneys, Attorneys General, law enforcement officials, former judges, U.S. Attorneys and other criminal justice leaders, submitted a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to commute the sentences of all individuals currently on federal death row. By commuting all pending death sentences to sentences of life imprisonment, President Biden can use his last few months in power to spare the lives of dozens of people, showing leadership, commitment to his values, without jeopardizing public safety or accountability. 

“The death penalty is riddled with error, bias, and injustice. It targets the poorest and most vulnerable among us while failing to provide any meaningful public safety benefits,” said Amy Fettig, acting co-executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution. “During President Trump’s first term, his administration carried out 13 executions in just six months, ending a 17-year hiatus in federal executions. President Biden is a man of conscience, and he has a moral and urgent responsibility to use his executive authority to ensure another killing spree does not occur in the months ahead. Commuting these sentences is not just an act of mercy—it is a decisive step toward justice and human dignity.”

November 22, 2024

Fair and Just Prosecution Condemns House for Passing Dangerous Legislation That Hands Treasury Unchecked Power to Target Nonprofits

Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives’ shocking approval of H.R. 9495, a bill that grants the Treasury Department unprecedented authority to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status under the pretense of combating terrorism:

“This disgraceful legislation marks a new low in the assault on democracy. H.R. 9495 is not about countering terrorism – it’s about empowering political leaders to weaponize the government against dissent, crush civil society, and silence critics. With this bill, Congress is attempting to equip any future administration with an authoritarian tool to punish opponents and dismantle organizations vital to the democratic process.

November 15, 2024

39 Prosecutors and Justice Leaders File Amicus Brief Opposing Criminalization of Charitable Bail Work in Georgia

Today, 39 prosecutors and justice leaders filed an amicus brief in Barred Business v. Kemp, opposing Georgia’s Senate Bill 63 (S.B. 63), a law that imposes arbitrary restrictions on bail payments and criminalizes charitable bail efforts. This case, now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, challenges the constitutionality of the law, which threatens pretrial justice and public safety.

“S.B. 63 is a direct assault on the critical work of charitable organizations that post bail for those who cannot afford it,” said Amy Fettig, acting Co-Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution. “This unconstitutional law exacerbates wealth-based detention and will lead to unnecessary pretrial incarceration of people who pose no public safety risk, with devastating consequences for individuals and communities.”

November 13, 2024

FJP Applauds Defeat of U.S. House Bill Aimed at Dismantling Civil Society

Fair and Just Prosecution Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives blocking the passage of H.R. 9495, which would have given the Secretary of Treasury sweeping powers to investigate and potentially dismantle tax-exempt organizations, including media outlets, universities, and community groups, by removing their tax-exempt status based on an unverified claim of misconduct.