PJLC Expands to Include Police Misconduct Project

The Peace and Justice Law Center (PJLC) has expanded its work to include a new Police Misconduct Project, strengthening its ability to address routine police abuses that often go unchallenged in Orange County. The expansion follows the addition of Ameena Qazi as PJLC’s second staff attorney and reflects a strategic investment in police accountability work.

While high-profile cases of police violence sometimes result in lawsuits, most everyday misconduct never reaches a courtroom. Prolonged street detentions, unnecessary use of force that does not cause serious injury, and aggressive home searches that damage property are common experiences for many communities, yet they rarely lead to accountability.

Traditional civil rights litigation is largely driven by cases with high financial damages, since private firms must rely on city payouts to fund their work. As a nonprofit organization, PJLC is able to take a different approach. The Police Misconduct Project will focus on lower-dollar cases that are typically ignored, using charitable support to pursue them strategically.

The goal is not simply to resolve individual cases, but to select matters that can drive broader policy changes affecting thousands of people. By identifying patterns of misconduct and using targeted litigation, public records requests, and advocacy, PJLC aims to create leverage for systemic reform.