Civil Rights Corps

Civil Rights Corps
Founded2016
FoundersAlec Karakatsanis
Type501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Tax ID no.81-3422012
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
Websitehttps://civilrightscorps.org/

Civil Rights Corps (CRC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization focused on civil rights work. CRC was founded in 2016 by Alec Karakatsanis. He had previously co-founded Equal Justice Under Law (civil rights organization).[1] In 2017, the organization had ten staff members.[1] At this time, they focused on litigation in two areas: the jailing of people who cannot afford to pay municipal fines and fees and the pre-trial detention of criminal defendants who cannot afford cash bail before trial.[1] CRC has expanded into litigation and advocacy related to police and prosecutorial misconduct, jail conditions, and family separation cases.

Litigation and advocacy

Pretrial detention

California

CRC and the San Francisco Public Defender's Office represented Kenneth Humphrey in his case where they argued that his pretrial detention was unlawful. They argued it was unconstitutional to keep him in jail pretrial just because he could not afford to pay the high bail. Their efforts led to the 2021 California Supreme Court ruling, In re Kenneth Humphrey, that held people cannot be detained solely for inability to pay bail and required courts to consider ability to pay and other options.[2][3] Some legal scholars determined that Humphrey had largely no practical impact on pretrial incarceration.[4]

CRC challenged Los Angeles Superior Court bail schedule in 2022.[5] A superior court judge later found that cash bail was unconstitutional in most instances.[6] In response, changes were made to the pretrial detention system.[7] The executive director of the American Bail Coalition has accused CRC of bringing meritless lawsuits in select venues and damaging the criminal justice system.[8]

In 2024, they litigated the pretrial detention of a man in San Mateo County alleging that it was unconstitutional.[9] At that time, Gerald Kowalczyk alleged that he was unlawfully detained pretrial after being accused of using another person's credit card without authorization to purchase food.[9][10] He had already pleaded no contest and served time in jail. But the Supreme Court of California still issued a ruling on the issue of his pretrial detention.[10] CRC represented Kowalczyk in earlier proceedings and presented arguments to the California Supreme Court. The Court, reaffirming Humphrey, held that most defendants have a right to pretrial release and that judges cannot set bail amounts that are financially impossible to meet.[10]

In 2025, CRC sued Riverside County, California to end cash bail and alleged dangerous conditions in the jails run by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.[11][12] Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco criticized the lawsuit.[11]

Other states

From 2016 to 2018, CRC challenged cash bail practices across Alabama, Illinois, and Texas. In 2016, CRC, working with the Southern Poverty Law Center, challenged the bail practices in municipal courts in Alabama.[13] In response, several cities in Alabama changed their bail practices and reduced the population in the jails.[13] Some other related lawsuits included one in Cullman County, Alabama,[14] and Randolph County, Alabama.[15] CRC filed a lawsuit in Cook County, Illinois alleging that unaffordable cash bail violates the constitution.[16] The chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County changed the policy of the Court's bail practices by requiring courts to consider whether "defendant has the present ability to pay the amount [of bail] necessary."[17] In 2017, United States District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal found parts of Harris County, Texas's bail system to be unconstitutional,[18] in a suit that had been brought by CRC and the law firm Susman Godfrey LLP.[19] At the time, lawyers for Harris County argued they were already making changes to the bail system and their bail system complied with the Constitution and Texas criminal procedure laws.[18] Harris County ultimately appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit who affirmed the unconstitutionality of the bail system, but placed limits on the release of defendants who were jailed at that time.[20] CRC, with the ACLU, also challenged Dallas County, Texas's money bail system in 2018.[21]

In 2019 and to the present, CRC continued its bail and pretrial detention litigation in Oregon, North Carolina, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Maryland. Public defenders worked with CRC to challenge cash bail in Oregon in 2019.[22] Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton commented on the litigation: "Anytime that we tie what we do in the justice system to money, I think that should make people feel a little bit uncomfortable. I don’t think money should play a determining role in how someone is treated in the justice system."[22] Barton further added that addressing everyone's right to release comes down to resources, which are often limited.[22] They also filed a similar challenge in Alamance County, North Carolina.[23] Also, in 2019, CRC challenged the cash bail system in St. Louis. A spokesman for the Court said the criminal courts follow applicable statutes in setting bail and welcomes federal review.[24] In 2020, CRC represented a public defender who was allegedly fired in retaliation for criticizing the pretrial detention system in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.[25] That same year, they challenged the pretrial detention policies and related jail conditions in different parts of Tennessee: Hamblen County, Tennessee,[26] and Nashville.[27] In 2022, CRC, WilmerHale, and Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection sued Prince George's County, Maryland over their pretrial detention policies and procedures.[28] The Washington Post editorial board wrote an editorial about the lawsuit and the underlying issues.[29] U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte denied the plaintiff's request for injunctive relief against PG county.[30] The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed the District Court.[31] Messitte again denied the request for an injunction.[30] In 2023, CRC and the Abolitionist Law Center filed a federal suit alleging that Allegheny County, Pennsylvania's use of probation detainers unconstitutionally jailed people without meaningful judicial review. The suit was before Nicholas Ranjan and he denied the request for an injunction.[32] The case ultimately landed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit where the ACLU filed an Amicus curiae brief.[33] The Third Circuit found, in part, for the plaintiffs.[34]

Court debt and fees

CRC has litigated debt collection and fine and fee practices in several states. In 2015, a lawsuit was filed against New Orleans for their debt collection practices.[35] In response, some debt was waived by the courts.[36] Later, the city of New Orleans' debt collection system was found to be unconstitutional by a federal court in 2018, which impacted the court funding system.[37] The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found the system of collecting fines and fees was unconstitutional.[38] In 2018, the CRC joined with the Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection in a case against sheriffs in Oklahoma and a private debt collection company that worked on behalf of Oklahoma courts and sheriffs.[39] They alleged that the company caused people to be arrested and jailed for unpaid court debt by requesting failure-to-pay warrants without ability-to-pay hearings.[40] Aberdeen Enterprizes responded that they only collect debt owed and play no role in incarceration.[39] CRC filed a class-action lawsuit challenging Maricopa County's marijuana diversion program and alleged that participants who could not afford program fees were kept in the program longer and subjected to additional drug testing.[41] The litigation later resulted in a settlement.[42] In 2024, Ferguson, Missouri, agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a class action for unconstitutionally jailing thousands of people who could not pay fines and court costs. The suit was brought by CRC and St. Louis University School of Law Civil Litigation Clinic.[43]

Jail conditions and privatization

In June 2020, CRC filed a lawsuit on behalf of inmates at the Prince George's County, Maryland jail that alleged unsanitary conditions and inadequate COVID-19 protections and sought the release of vulnerable inmates and to improve public health safety measures.[44] As a part of their advocacy, they created a project called "Gasping for Justice," where celebrities and other people read sworn statements that detailed their experience inside the jail.[45] The lawsuit was settled in 2021.[46] During the COVID pandemic, CRC engaged in similar litigation and advocacy for inmates at the Cook County Jail.[47]

Right to Hug project

The organization has litigated the "Right 2 Hug Project,"[48] challenging the corporations and jail policies that replace in-person family visits at jails with paid phone and video calls.[49][50] CRC's work led some journalists to investigate who profits from jail phone calls in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[51] In March 2024, CRC, Public Justice and the law firm Pitt McGehee, filed lawsuits in Genesee County and St. Clair County, Michigan, where they alleged a violation of the right to associate under the Michigan Constitution.[52] Law enforcement and jail officials have argued that virtual-only visits are efficient use of resources and reduce the security risk of bringing in outsiders to the jail.[52] In January 2025, the ACLU of Michigan led efforts to file Amicus curiae briefs in the St. Clair County case before the Michigan Court of Appeals.[53] In January 2025, CRC filed a similar suit against Adams County, Colorado, that argued children have a right to hug incarcerated parents under the Colorado Constitution.[54]

Police and prosecutorial misconduct

CRC has pursued ethics complaints against prosecutors in several jurisdictions. In 2017, CRC and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro over fake subpoenas allegedly used to coerce victims and witnesses into interrogations. Several people in the lawsuit alleged they were jailed or threatened with jail for failing to cooperate.[55] Cannizzaro responded that nobody was jailed or fined with the subpoenas.[55] In 2020, an issue was pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit over whether the employees for the DA's office had absolute immunity over the use of the fabricated subpoenas.[56] The panel on the Fifth Circuit rejected the DA's appeal, but they left open the possibility for immunity.[57] In New York, CRC joined law professors and community groups to file grievances against prosecutors in Queens, New York who had judicial findings of misconduct but had not been publicly disciplined.[58] This project included the publication of website.[58] Lawyers for the city claimed that the professors had abused New York's grievance procedure.[58] Civil Rights Corps, joining with others, filed a lawsuit in defense of law professors who’ve been threatened for filing the complaints.[58] In 2022, District Judge Victor Marrero ruled that the professors are free publish their complaints online.[59] In 2023, they brought an ethics complaint against Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala alleging political influence in charging decisions.[60] The organization assisted a Nevada County, California public defender in identifying prosecution legal writing errors and filing a complaint with the California Supreme Court in 2025 regarding the alleged use of Generative AI in legal briefs filed by prosecutors that sought pretrial detention.[61] The prosecution in that case acknowledges errors in the briefs, but denied the widespread use of AI.[61]

CRC filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against three Pasadena, Texas police officers for allegedly fabricating evidence to wrongfully arrest and prosecute him for DWI.[62] They represented a man in a federal lawsuit against three Harris County constable deputies after they conducted a warrantless no-knock entry into the wrong home in 2022, woke the couple at gunpoint, and held them despite initially doubting whether they had the correct address.[63][64] The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected the deputies request for qualified immunity on the unlawful entry claim but rejected the excessive force claim.[63]

Family separation

CRC has worked on child welfare issues in several states, including courtroom closures, safe haven laws, and secrecy laws. They have investigated the child welfare system in Durham County since 2023.[65] In 2024, they filed lawsuits against government and judicial officials in Durham County, North Carolina over the closure of courtrooms where family separation may occur.[66] In 2025, CRC co-authored amicus briefs in support of a finding of neglect against a mother who used Maryland's Safe Haven law.[67] CRC provided written testimony to the Maryland Legislature in support of legislation that would require parental notification before an Child protective services investigation begins.[68] In 2026, CRC filed a lawsuit arguing that Mississippi's strict child protective services court secrecy laws are unconstitutional because they prevent lawyers from accessing key records and allege that this results in the unnecessary detention of children and the separation of families.[69]

Notable attorneys

Awards and recognition

References

  1. 1 2 3 Zuckerman, Michael (2017-08-15). "Alec Karakatsanis fights for criminal-justice reform in the U.S. legal system | Harvard Magazine". www.harvardmagazine.com. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  2. ↑ NPR (2021-03-29). "California Does Away With Cash Bail For Those Who Can't Afford It". 90.5 WESA. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  3. ↑ "In re Humphrey". Harvard Law Review. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. ↑ Campos-Bui, Stephanie (June 2024). "Largely Unchanged: The Limits of In re Humphrey's Impact on Pretrial Incarceration in California" (PDF). UCLA L. Sch. Bail Practicum & Berkeley L. Pol'y Advocacy Clinic.
  5. ↑ Levin, Sam (2022-11-15). "'If I could buy freedom, I would': LA residents who can't afford bail sue to change system". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  6. ↑ Guilheim, Matt (May 23, 2023). "Texts and mental health services could replace cash bail in LA". KRCW.
  7. ↑ "Editorial: Goodbye to cash bail. L.A. is moving to a better approach to pretrial justice". Los Angeles Times. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  8. ↑ "Civil Rights Corps Damaging Criminal Justice System with Meritless Lawsuits – California Globe". 2023-01-07. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  9. 1 2 Rusch, Holly (2024-09-30). "San Mateo County courts are violating bail laws, complaint alleges". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  10. 1 2 3 Lartey, Jamiles (2026-05-09). "Did the California Supreme Court Just Remake the State's Bail System?". The Marshall Project. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  11. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Kevin (2026-04-21). "No More Bail: Riverside County Continues to Fight a Superior Court Injunction Banning Pre-Arraignment Incarcerations for Low-Level Offenses". Coachella Valley Independent. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  12. ↑ Queally, James (2025-05-29). "Civil rights groups sue to end cash bail in Riverside County, alleging dangerous jail conditions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  13. 1 2 Harris, Amy Julia (2016-12-08). "Alabama cities agree to stop jailing people too poor to post bond". Reveal. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  14. ↑ Vollers, Anna (2017-10-11). "Too poor to make bail: Alabama forced to reform 'two-tiered' jail system". al. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  15. ↑ Davis, Kelsey. "Civil rights firms sue over felony bond practices". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  16. ↑ Kuang, Jeanne (2016-10-16). "Lawsuit: Cash bail in Cook County violates rights of poor accused of crimes". Injustice Watch. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  17. ↑ Jr, Richard A. Oppel (2017-07-18). "Defendants Can't Be Jailed Solely Because of Inability to Post Bail, Judge Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  18. 1 2 Rosenberg, Eli (2017-04-30). "Judge in Houston Strikes Down Harris County's Bail System". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  19. ↑ "Susman Godfrey, Civil Rights Corps Win Sweeping Bail Reforms in Houston". Lawdragon. 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  20. ↑ McCullough, Jolie (2018-02-14). "Appeals court largely upholds ruling against Harris County bail practices, reins back orders". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
  21. ↑ "Dallas County Violates People's Rights by Keeping Them in Jail for Being Poor | ACLU". American Civil Liberties Union. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  22. 1 2 3 "Portland Area Public Defenders Say The Cash Bail System Is Broken. They're Working To Change It". opb. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  23. ↑ "ACLU brings lawsuit over pre-trial detention in Alamance County • NC Newsline". NC Newsline. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  24. ↑ Lippmann, Rachel (2019-01-28). "St. Louis' Cash Bail System Challenged In Court". STLPR. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  25. ↑ Melamed, Samantha (2020-03-18). "Fired public defenders sue, alleging Montgomery County retaliated for bail practice criticism". Inquirer.com. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  26. ↑ Pishko, Jessica (2020-03-12). "Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails". Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  27. ↑ Timms, Mariah. "Nashville bail fund wins federal suit aimed at helping poor people get out of jail". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  28. ↑ "Lawsuit Alleges Prince George's County Officials Illegally Hold People In Jail Before Trial". DCist. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  29. ↑ Board, Editorial (2022-07-24). "Opinion | As inmates languish, Prince George's County judges turn a blind eye". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  30. 1 2 "Maryland County Wins Fight to Let Bureaucrats Make Pretrial Release Decisions | Prison Legal News". www.prisonlegalnews.org. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  31. ↑ Mettler, Katie (2023-11-18). "U.S. judge ordered to rethink ruling on Prince George's pretrial system". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  32. ↑ Rosenfeld, Jordana (2023-04-19). "Lawyers argue Allegheny County unlawfully jails probationers in federal suit". Pittsburgh City Paper | News, Dining, Music, Best Of, Arts, Film. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  33. ↑ "Horton v. Rangos (Amicus Brief)". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  34. ↑ Santoni ·, Matthew. "3rd Circ. Says County Judges Need Notice To Pull Probation - Law360 Pulse". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  35. ↑ Robertson, Campbell (2015-09-18). "Suit Alleges 'Scheme' in Criminal Costs Borne by New Orleans's Poor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  36. ↑ Sledge, Matt (2017-06-25). "Orleans judges say they have waived $1M in court fees in response to 'debtors' prison' lawsuit". The Advocate. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  37. ↑ Sledge, Matt (2018-08-11). "New Orleans judges enter 'uncharted territory,' and budget peril, after federal court decisions". The Advocate. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  38. ↑ Sibilla, Nick. "Federal Court Declares New Orleans Debtor's Prison Unconstitutional". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  39. 1 2 Killman, Curtis (2018-02-02). "Plaintiffs suing every Oklahoma sheriff file injunction to avoid arrests on old court debts". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  40. ↑ Branstetter, Ziva (2018-02-07). "Suit: Oklahoma sheriffs, judges let company extort people over court debts". Reveal. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  41. ↑ Dewan, Shaila (2018-08-25). "Caught With Pot? Get-Out-of-Jail Program Comes With $950 Catch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  42. ↑ Jenkins, Jimmy. "Settlements begin in Maricopa County for those caught in drug diversion program". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  43. ↑ "Ferguson, Missouri, to pay $4.5 million to settle claims it illegally jailed thousands - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  44. ↑ Khan, Saliqa (June 22, 2020). "'Treated like an animal' | Man details COVID-19, conditions at Prince George's County jail ahead of hearing on lawsuit". WUSA.
  45. ↑ Redmond, Helen (2020-07-16). "Gasping for Justice: People Jailed in the Pandemic Refuse to Be Silenced". Filter. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  46. ↑ Mettler, Katie (2021-09-05). "Inmates at Prince George's jail settle lawsuit with county over covid-19 concerns". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  47. ↑ Kasnic, David. "When COVID Came to Cook County Jail". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  48. ↑ "What is the Right to Hug?". Right to Hug. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  49. ↑ Gibbons, Lauren (2025-09-03). "'Right to hug' suits claim Michigan jails blocking family visits for profit". Bridge Michigan. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  50. ↑ Stillman, Sarah (2024-05-13). "Do Children Have a "Right to Hug" Their Parents?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  51. ↑ May, Kristanitie (2025-10-24). "How we found out who profits from jail phone calls in Kalamazoo County". NowKalamazoo. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  52. 1 2 "'Right to hug' suits claim Michigan jails blocking family visits for profit". WILX. 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  53. ↑ "Protecting the Rights of Incarcerated Parents to Hug Their Children". ACLU of Michigan. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  54. ↑ Cruse, Molly (2025-10-30). "Colorado children sue Adams County Sheriff over ban on in-person visits at its jail with parents". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  55. 1 2 Maldonado, Charles (2017-10-17). "Lawsuit: Orleans prosecutors violated people's civil rights with systemic use of fake subpoenas". The Lens. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  56. ↑ Willis, Jay (2020-02-05). "Should a Prosecutor's Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses?". Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  57. ↑ Maldonado, Charles (2020-04-21). "Federal appeals court affirms denial of immunity for prosecutors who used fake subpoenas". The Lens. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  58. 1 2 3 4 Bromwich, Jonah E. (2021-11-10). "They Publicized Prosecutors' Misconduct. The Blowback Was Swift". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  59. ↑ "Law profs prevail over backlash to publishing prosecutor misconduct cases". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  60. ↑ Rosenfeld, Jordana (2023-05-11). "Civil rights group files ethics complaint against Allegheny Co. DA Stephen Zappala • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  61. 1 2 Dewan, Shaila (2025-11-25). "Prosecutor Used Flawed A.I. to Try to Keep a Man in Jail, His Lawyers Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  62. ↑ Banks, Gabrielle (2022-02-09). "Pasadena police said he could go home. Then they arrested him and booked him at the jail". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  63. 1 2 Grunau, Sarah (2026-05-07). "Appeals court dismisses qualified immunity claim in case where Harris County deputies' searched wrong home". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  64. ↑ Limehouse, Jonathan (2024-02-14). "Harris County deputies sued for holding family at gunpoint during no-knock search at wrong home". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  65. ↑ Billman, Jeffrey (2025-11-14). "Inside Durham's Dependency Court". The Assembly NC. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  66. ↑ Geller, Lena (2024-11-14). "Civil Rights Nonprofit Sues Durham Sheriff, Judge Over Closed Parental Rights Proceedings". The INDY. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  67. ↑ "In Re: B.CD & B.CB (Maryland's Safe Haven)". Center for Constitutional Rights. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  68. ↑ "SUPPORT— SB650 "Know Before They Knock" Family Right to Notice Act" (PDF). February 26, 2026.
  69. ↑ "State court office will follow judge orders on youth court access - Mississippi Today". mississippitoday.org. 2026-06-30. Retrieved 2026-07-01.
  70. ↑ Perez, Suzanne (2025-01-31). "'A brave and beautiful soul': Civil rights attorney, East High grad among plane crash victims". KMUW. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  71. ↑ "'Kiah was all light'". Harvard Law School. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  72. ↑ "Civil Rights Corps and the San Francisco Public Defender's Office Receive Champion of Public Defense Award from Nation's Criminal Defense Bar". NACDL - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. January 15, 2019. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
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