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Statement Regarding the Court's Dismissal of Emergency Release Petition

logo hi resWe are disappointed in the Court’s dismissal of our petition yesterday. We filed an unprecedented motion because of these unprecedented times. We hoped the Court would recognize the urgency of the situation and release the classes of individuals we identified for them. We are disappointed that they have declined to do so. We appreciate Sheriff Gusman acknowledging these unprecedented times and the District Attorney’s willingness to work with us.

We have identified more than 200 people currently incarcerated at OJC on charges that are not crimes of violence. Far more than a tiny fraction.

We simply can’t wait to do this piecemeal. Waiting any further might be too long to prevent an irreversible outbreak. We intend to refile and identify the individuals who fall into the outlined categories.


On Friday, March 27, we filed a letter with the Criminal District Court to follow up on our emergency release petition urging them act swiftly on the request. They subsequently denied the petition and issued an En Banc order that simply did not go far enough.

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