Justice for All

As of June 4, 2020, I have represented dozens and dozens of peaceful protestors who were detained, arrested and subjected to horrific conditions by law enforcement after curfews were imposed between May 30 and June 3 in cities across Southern California. The curfews were illegal and a direct violation of these protestors’ first amendment right to assembly and to free speech. Taking to the streets following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers – and as part of the Black Lives Matter movement- these protestors are warriors seeking systemic change, a cornerstone of which is criminal justice reform. Nonetheless, multiple California cities criminalized and enforced broad unfettered curfews as against thousands of individuals. It was wrong and it was unconstitutional.

On some nights, the curfews were advanced with last minute notice when these protestors were out on the streets and blocked in by law enforcement. Initially, thousands of these protestors were arrested and charged with misdemeanor crimes, namely failure to obey the curfew and failure to disperse. While I commend and thank the cities and counties that have agreed to decline prosecution of these charges, their decision does not address the core issue: that these protestors have suffered arrest records and multiple wrongs. It does not absolve the illegality of the curfew and the violation of these individuals’ first amendment rights. Nor does it address their grievances.