Government Misconduct and Support for Discrimination

It’s election season, and if you live in one of the 39 states that elect judges, you may have seen one of those ‘soft on crime’ TV ads claiming that a judicial candidate “sides with child predators,” “is sympathetic to rapists” or “helped free a terrorist.”

We look to courts for justice, not to reinforce prejudices.

LGBT people in custody are particularly vulnerable and are at heightened risk for sexual assault and physical abuse.

A troubling case made headlines earlier this month when newspapers reported that a New York defense attorney tried to convince a judge in open court that his client, who was convicted of the brutal murder and robbery of a 29-year old transgender woman he met online, should receive a lighter sentence because the victim was a transgender sex worker.