PJLC Wins Data Release in Public Records Act Lawsuit

On October 10th the PJLC, Chicanxs Unidxs, and the ACLU Foundations of Southern California and Northern California were granted the prosecutorial data they sought in a lawsuit against OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer. This development follows the judge’s tentative ruling in favor of the PJLC’s clients. As a result, the District Attorney's office made the last-minute decision to release the information they had previously argued was confidential, averting an inevitable court loss. The data received comprise over 200 Excel sheets with millions of lines of data, documenting over a decade’s worth of charging decisions and cases.

This is a major win for PJLC and their clients following the DA’s claim that the lawsuit “is nothing more than another frivolous lawsuit… that is completely divorced from reality.” Rather, it is now clear that the OCDA hid this data from the public because it did not want the public to see proof that the OCDA’s prosecutions are tainted by racial bias.

In addition to released data, the PJLC continues to represent the ACLU in seeking other records, including training materials and memos that will further prove that the OCDA’s practices routinely violate the Racial Justice Act. As anticipated, The DA’s office is arguing that many of these additional records are privileged and cannot be released to the public. The next step is for the judge to review these documents and decide which he will order released to the public.

https://voiceofoc.org/2022/11/is-orange-countys-da-hiding-evidence-of-racial-bias-in-prosecutions/