Procedural Fairness.

Brief in Support of Plaintiffs  

5th Circuit Court of Appeals

In this amicus brief, we argue predetermined, scheduled bail schemes infringe on the due process rights of pretrial detainees. These schemes do not account for the government’s interests in pretrial detention or an individual’s ability to pay, in violation of the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment. Judges are also unable to take a defendant’s individual circumstances into account when setting bail if it is predetermined or scheduled. Furthermore, longstanding jurisprudence underscores the general right to pretrial liberty and is incompatible with the bail practices currently in use by Dallas County.  

Filed with Americans For Prosperity Foundation, Cato Institute, Clause 40 Foundation, and Professor Shon Hopwood.

Brief in Support of Certiorari

U.S. Supreme Court

A study by The Heritage Foundation reported that the U.S. Code (listing all statutes enacted by Congress) contained more than 4,450 criminal offenses and many of these federal offenses are either strict liability or contain poorly drafted mens rea requirements. In this amicus brief, we argue regulatory statutes with no scienter requirement and criminal penalties ensnare innocent actors; citizens engaging in otherwise lawful behavior are turned into felons based on their unknowing proximity to a regulatory violation. These laws threaten fundamental due process and other basic constitutional rights while also contributing to overcriminalization.  

Filed with The Buckeye Institute, The Competitive Enterprise, Reason Foundation,  Faith & Freedom Coalition, and The Rutherford Institute.