Frémont Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2020
AN ACT to end unfair discrimination in the criminal justice system .
Section I (Title)i. The long title of this act shall be, the “Frémont Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2020”. It may be cited as the “FCJRA”.
Section II (Definitions)i. A protected class is defined as a group of people qualified for special protection from discrimination.
ii. In the context of this act, the following groups are classified as protected classes.
a. Race
b. Self-Identified Gender
c. Sexual Orientation
d. Income
e. Religion
f. National Origin
iii. In the context of this act, an 'institution of justice' is defined as any institution involved in the process of apprehending alleged criminals and administering fines or jail time to them. 'Institutions of justice' include, but are not limited to:
a. the police system
b. the criminal court system
c. the public prison system
iv. In the context of this act, 'administering justice' is defined as any process used by the State to hold citizens responsible for alleged crimes. This includes, but is not limited to:
a. making arrests and issuing warrants
b. jury selection
c. the trial process (including the selection of a public defender, if necessary)
d. the rendering of a verdict and sentencing
e. treatment in prisons
Section III (Protections)i. Any institution of justice in the Commonwealth of Frémont is hereby banned from using status as a member of a protected class as a factor in administering justice.
ii. Failure to abide by this law will result in varying consequences depending on the institution in violation.
iii. Regarding the police system,
a. If a police officer is found to have violated this act once, they will be issued a warning and put on supervised probation. A second violation will result in a six-month suspension without pay and an additional fine not exceeding $10,000. A third violation will result in permanent expulsion from their position as a deputy of the law, and a fine not exceeding $25,000.
b. If a police officer violates this act in a manner that directly results in loss of life, they will be tried for the appropriate level of murder as defined by the Frémont Department of Justice.
c. If a police department collectively violates this act once, they will be issued a stern warning and will be placed under direct monitoring from the Frémont Department of Justice. Any further violations will result in the immediate replacement of the sheriff, as well as mandatory vetting of all remaining officers. An especially egregious violation, as determined by the Frémont Department of Justice, could also result in the department's duties being folded into another local department, resources permitting.
iv. Regarding the criminal courts system,
a. If a justice of the law is found to have violated this act once during the process of verdict rendering and sentencing, they will be issued a warning and their actions will be monitored for six months by the Frémont Department of Justice. A second violation will result in a six-month suspension without pay and an additional fine not exceeding $10,000. A third violation will result in permanent disbarment, and an additional fine not exceeding $25,000.
b. If court officials (including justices, prosecutors and lawyers) are found to have violated this act in the purview of jury selection and/or 'change-of-venue' motions, they will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in §3(iv.a)
v. Regarding the incarceration system,
a. If an employee of a public prison is found to have violated this act once, they will be issued a warning and put on supervised probation. A second violation will result in a six-month suspension without pay and an additional fine not exceeding $10,000. A third violation will result in permanent expulsion from their position as a public employee, and a fine not exceeding $25,000.
b. If an employee of a public position is found to have violated this act in a particularly egregious manner, and/or in a manner that directly results in loss of life, they will be tried for the appropriate level of violation as defined by the Frémont Department of Justice.
vi. Regarding previous unjust convictions,
a. A Frémont Committee on Ending Judicial Discrimination shall be created as a subdepartment of the Frémont Department of Justice.
b. The Frémont Committee on Ending Judicial Discrimination will be responsible for reviewing cases within the statue of limitations whose result may have been affected by the convicted's status as a member of a protected class.
c. If the Frémont Committee on Ending Judicial Discrimination finds that a case was indeed affected by bias, it will consider an appropriate amount of compensation to the victim and/or their families. This may include a reduction in jail time or monetary compensation, among other possibilities.
