COMMUNITY MEETINGS, FORUMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ACLU/SC to Honor Top Lawyers

Attorneys who brought an end to the forced drugging of detainees in federal custody and the dumping of indigent patients on Skid Row streets by a local hospital will be honored at the 14th annual American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California Law Luncheon on June 26, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

This year’s honorees are Jeff Bowen, Stephen M. Kristovich, Bradley S. Phillips, Fadia Rafeedie and Wesley T. Shih of Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP, who are receiving the 2008 Equal Justice Advocacy Award for their work with the ACLU/SC challenging the federal government’s practice of drugging detainees to make them easier to control during deportation.

Michael A. Lawson, Thomas E. Haroldson, Farhad Amid, Kevin Malcolm and Walter Mosley of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, will receive the Racial Justice Advocacy Award for their work as co-counsel with the ACLU/SC on a racial profiling claim against Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, representing 33 black and Latino male and female students at Los Angeles Trade Technical Community College who were illegally detained and searched by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on the basis of their race.

Also being honored is Steven Archer of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, who will receive this year’s Humanitarian Award for his participation with the ACLU/SC in representing a homeless paraplegic who was dumped on a Skid Row street without a wheelchair after his release from Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.

Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the Donald Bren School of Law at University of California, Irvine, the first new public law school in California in 40 years, will deliver this year’s keynote address.

Information: (213) 977-5252.

Sentencing, Parole, Rehabilitation Initiative Certified for Ballot

Secretary of State Debra Bowen has certified a fifth initiative for the Nov. 4 General Election ballot. The measure relates to the sentencing, parole, and rehabilitation of nonviolent offenders.

The official title and summary of the initiative is as follows:

Nonviolent Offenders, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation Statute.

It would require the state to expand and increase funding and oversight for individualized treatment and rehabilitation programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees. It would reduce criminal consequences of nonviolent drug offenses by mandating three-tiered probation with treatment by providing for case dismissal and/or sealing of records after probation. It also would limit courts’ authority to incarcerate offenders who violate probation or parole, shorten parole for most drug offenses, including sales and for nonviolent property crimes, create numerous divisions, boards, commissions, and reporting requirements regarding drug treatment and rehabilitation and change certain marijuana misdemeanors to infractions.

According to the summary of estimate by a legislative analyst, the fiscal impact on state and local governments would increase state costs that could exceed $1 billion annually primarily for expanding drug treatment and rehabilitation programs for offenders in state prisons, on parole and in the community. It also could save the state an excess of $1 billion annually due primarily to reduced prison and parole operating costs. Additionally, net savings on a one-time basis on capital outlay costs for prison facilities could exceed $2.5 billion.

The first four propositions to qualify for the November ballot were a high-speed rail bond, a measure relating to the treatment of farm animals, a children’s hospital bond and a parental notification for abortion measure.

The initiative proponent, Daniel N. Abrahamson, can be reached at (510) 229-5211.

The last day to qualify a measure for the November General Election ballot is June 26.

Public Tribute Set for Imprisoned Black Panther

The Committee to Free (Romaine) Chip Fitzgerald will hold a public tribute for the imprisoned Black Panther Party member on June 28, noon, at filmmaker Ben Caldwell’s Kaos Network, 4343 Leimert Blvd., Los Angeles. Support messages from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) will be read, and Tyrone Freeman, president, Service Employees International Union Local 6434, will speak, along with former Black Panthers Elaine Brown and David Hilliard. Radio personality Dominique DiPrima will host the event.

In September 1969, Fitzgerald was involved in a shootout with Los Angeles police, and sustained a gunshot wound to the head. He survived this attack, and was later arrested and charged with assault on police and the murder of a security guard. He was convicted and sentenced to death, which was commuted to life.

Fitzgerald is the longest held alleged Black Panther Party political prisoner in the United States, now housed at Centinela State Prison, near the California-Mexico border.

A parole hearing has been set for July 2 for Fitzgerald, who has been in prison more than 38 years.

The Committee to Free Chip Fitzgerald was formed to advocate to the Board for his parole. The group hopes to gather 100,000 signatures urging the release.

Information: www.freechip.org.