U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Announces Panelists for Briefing Related to Municipal Policing and Courts: A Search for Justice or a Quest for Revenue

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Mar 11, 2016, 05:32 ET

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WASHINGTON, March 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced today the names of the panelists who will speak before the Commission on March 18^th, 2016. The Commission report titled "Municipal Policing and Courts: A Search for Justice or a Quest for Revenue" will examine the harms to due process and judicial ethics that arise when municipalities depend too heavily on court fees and how such policies disproportionately impact minorities.

In light of the 2015 Department of Justice investigation into policing and municipal court practices in Ferguson, MO, this briefing will examine the national implication of revenue generating tactics in similarly situated jurisdictions across the country and potential solutions.

WHAT: Briefing on Municipal Policing and Courts: A Search for Justice or a Quest for Revenue.

WHEN: March 18, 2016, from 9:00a.m. to 1:20p.m. EDT

Please arrive early as seating is limited or participate via teleconference.

WHERE: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 1150
Washington, DC 20425 (Entrance on F Street NW)

LISTEN IN: To listen to the Commission's Briefing via telephone, please follow the instructions below:

Dial toll-free number 1-888-572-7033; Provide operator conference #6194124.

PANELISTS: Panel 1: National Experts and Legal Scholars

Vikrant Reddy, Charles Koch Institute
Thomas Harvey, Arch City Defenders
Nusrat Choudhury, American Civil Liberties Union
Emily NaPier, Center for Community Alternatives

Panel 2: Community leaders and Advocates

Starsky Wilson, Co-Chairman of the Ferguson Commission
Bennie Small, NAACP Hillsborough County Branch
Kelsey Antle, Brennan Center for Justice
Mitali Nagrecha, Center for Community Alternatives

Panel 3: Scholars and Criminal Justice Experts

Joshua House, Institute for Justice
Janene McCabe, National Association of Public Defense
Alexes Harris, University of Washington
Karin Martin, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

DOCUMENTS: The Commission is going green! Electronic versions of the briefing documents, including the agenda and panelist statements will be accessible on 03/17/2016 via the following link: https://goo.gl/iYULoE. Please consider the environment before printing, we are.

Deaf or hearing-impaired persons who require the services of a sign language interpreter should contact Pam Dunston at (202) 376-8105.

The public may submit written comments on the topic of the briefing to [email protected] within 30 days after the briefing.

Contact: Gerson Gomez
Media Advisor
(202) 376-8371
[email protected]

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SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights