Posts tagged politics
Demand Letter: Fix the Failure to Pay Program

On Thursday, April 4, 2019, Equal Justice Under Law sent a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton and other state officials regarding the Texas Failure to Appear/Failure to Pay Program, otherwise known as the OmniBase Services, promising civil litigation if changes are not made to the program that would make it more equitable.

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Cheating at Admissions; Cheating at Justice

The college admissions scandal -- while shocking in some ways -- has revealed what most Americans have always known: the rich have many advantages when it comes to higher education. As bad (and as illegal) as it is to bribe admissions officers, SAT proctors, and athletics coaches to get one’s own child admitted to a prestigious university, it is only the newest way we’ve learned that some wealthy parents have of manipulating the admissions system to their advantage.

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Driven Deeper Into Poverty: Missouri Suspends Parents’ Driver’s Licenses

In 2014 Missouri adopted legislation that authorized its courts and agencies to suspend an individual’s driver’s license if they owe $2,500 in past-due child support, or three months of payments, whichever is less.

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Legislation Introduce in Montana to Repeal the Driver’s License Suspension Program

Good hard working people are being forced into a modern-day debtors’ prison through the suspension of their driver’s license and the vicious cycle that revolves between ever-increasing fines and the inability to get to work to pay them off.

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Oh, There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Since 2015, the most vulnerable residents of Newark, Arkansas have fallen prey to a ruthless scheme that is evicting them from their homes. During a time where these families deserve a warm sanctuary in which to gather, many are facing eviction and mounting debt.

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The Fast and the Flat Broke: Texas’ Extortion of the Poor

As of January 2018, over 1.4 million Texans had suspended licenses for failure to pay additional surcharges on a ticket for a driving infraction. Equal Justice Under Law has filed a lawsuit against Governor Greg Abbot and Texas’ Department of Public Safety to end this program once and for all and help affected Texans escape a cycle of poverty.

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Victory Against the “War on Drugs”: Pennsylvania Repeals Punitive License Suspensions in Wake of EJUL Suit

Between 2011 and 2016, Pennsylvania suspended the licenses of over 149,000 individuals as an additional punishment for non-driving-related drug convictions. Now, nine months after EJUL filed a class action lawsuit against the counterproductive practice, Pennsylvania has abolished it.

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The Problem of “Secret Bail” In Texas

Criminal hearings are supposed to be free and public, but in Dallas, Texas — where thousands of individuals remain locked up because they cannot afford bail — bail hearings are held in secrecy behind closed doors.

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Update on Fowler v. Johnson Case: Michigan’s Driver's License Suspension Scheme

On October 3, 2018, Executive Director Phil Telfeyan appeared before a panel of judges from the Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals to argue that the district court properly enjoined Michigan’s Secretary of State from automatically suspending the licenses of Michigan residents who cannot afford to pay their court fines and fees.

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