This workshop will explore the discrimination to incarceration pipeline that has impacted the LGBTQ community. We will discuss ongoing litigation against various government actors in the criminal legal system including police departments, the courts, and prisons from a civil litigation perspective. This workshop will discuss constitutional and statutory claims that we have used in our advocacy in addition to other tools such as policy advocacy and community organizing. We will discuss efforts to root out bias in the legal system including juror and judicial bias, jury selection, and banning the use of the LGBTQ panic defense. Panelists will also discuss practical tips on how to represent LGBTQ individuals based on their experiences in civil cases and federal and military criminal cases. Panelists are experts in the field and have led groundbreaking litigation on behalf of LGBTQ people.
The Criminal Legal System and LGBTQ Communities – Litigation and Civil Remedies
Location: Floor M2, Studio D
Speakers: Richard Saenz (Moderator) (Lambda Legal); Josh Blecher-Cohen (ACLU of Illinois); Chinyere Ezie (Center for Constitutional Rights); Mik Kinkead (The Legal Aid Society (NYC));