YLC files lawsuit against Fresno County

YLC and the law firm Baker McKenzie have filed a lawsuit against Fresno County to require that its juvenile justice planning processes comply with open meeting laws. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Center for Leadership, Equity, and Research (CLEAR), a Fresno-based non-profit that supports the participation of community members in local policy. The goal of the case is to obtain a court order requiring Fresno County and its local juvenile justice planning bodies to follow the open and public meeting laws under the Brown Act. Now is a crucial moment for community participation in local juvenile justice policy decisions, as California is closing its state youth prison facilities and “realigning” juvenile justice jurisdiction to the counties. The intent for this realignment process is for counties to implement a public health approach to juvenile justice that promotes positive youth development and reduces reliance on confinement. This process will only succeed if community members, particularly justice-impacted youth and families, have a meaningful seat at the planning table. With this lawsuit, YLC and our client CLEAR hope to ensure that the Fresno community can participate in the county’s juvenile justice planning going forward.

You can read the full press release here.