WJCC Coalition for Community Justice

Please use this action alert https://bit.ly/VoteNo32 to ask legislators to reject the Governor's budget amendment language that will reinstate the presumptions against bail that we've worked so hard to get rid of.

An article published recently in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about recent pretrial reforms to the criminal legal system misrepresented the impact of those reforms. Ending automatic pretrial detention and requiring judges to carefully consider each accused person’s case individually helps more people come home, which research shows leads to less crime, not more. We are a proud member of the Virginia Pretrial Justice Coalition, which helped repeal a law that led to many people being jailed before their trial, a practice that had disproportionately impacted Black, Latinx, and low-income Virginians. Read more on the inaccuracies in the recent article and importance of pretrial reforms here:

Letters to the Editor for June 8, 2022: A poor understanding A poor understanding

Sen. McClellan's bill to provide Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA), which we have been working on for two years, passed the Senate Judiciary committee with bi-partisan support! We know that it won't be met with friendly reception in the House, so the decision has been made to ask for a pilot program to be funded in the budget. This will help us demonstrate that CAFA can effectively be provided in small and rural jurisdictions and make a strong case for full passage of the bill in future years.

To help make sure it makes it into the Senate budget, please complete the action alert below.

Support Counsel At First Appearance! None

Woohoo!

The Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee advanced my SB 475 to ensure people have a lawyer at their first court appearance. Everyone has a right to a fair trial and facing a judge for the first time alone increases a person's risk of detention.

Please complete this action alert ASAP

Support Counsel At First Appearance! None

One of our priority bills (HB 493) is in committee tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:30am. This is Mullin's bill making police disciplinary records available by FOIA request. Please submit written comments in favor of the bill here: https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/submit_testimony?meeting_id=11015

Right now, the there is a comment against the bill by the Sheriff's Association, so it would be wonderful to get enough written comments to significantly outnumber that one.

Let's show them how much Williamsburg/JCC cares about police transparency!

House of Delegates Speak

Today both the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys testified in support of denying people their constitutional right to representation because it would be too difficult. When did following the Constitution become optional because it's hard?

Quick action needed: please submit comments in support of HB369 here https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/submit_testimony?meeting_id=11177. This bill will provide legal representation the first time someone goes before a judge, helping individuals navigate the complicated legal system, releasing eligible people on bail sooner so they don't languish in jail (which can cost them their jobs, homes, and more), and will make the system more efficient and just for all. The subcommittee meets this afternoon, so send in your comments now. Thank you!

House of Delegates Speak

The US cages more people than any other country in the history of the world. If overincarceration makes us safer, we should be the safest society in history. We’re not.

Register to learn more from this powerhouse panel: https://gmu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9d0130H4To6Ba0Gv0Pi6xg