Railing Against Prosecutorial Discrimination:
The Blanch Project Against Selective Prosecution (BPASP) advocates for minority groups who have been targeted for prosecution by the government because of their racial, cultural, political or religious background. We interview and advise individuals for whom we will ultimately devote our time, to help fight governmental targeting of ethnic and social minorities.
The Fourteenth Amendment of United States Constitution protects us from government enforcement of laws that deprive us of our liberty without due process. The courts have interpreted this to require the prosecution to justify its investigations and exercise its prosecutorial discretion in a non-discriminatory way. Selective Prosecution defenses do not address the merits of the government’s case. Rather they call into question the government’s motives in bringing the action in the first place.
Very few cases actually warrant a motion to dismiss for selective prosecution. If you think you are a victim of selective prosecution you may contact us to discuss your matter briefly on the phone. At the conclusion of the initial call we might invite you in for a face to face meeting to discuss your case further. Please bring any materials you have that you think might be helpful.
Simply explained, in order to qualify for BPASP consideration your case must satisfy two criteria:
- the government is not prosecuting others who have been engaged in similar conduct,
- the criminal case against you is based on discrimination
- others that are in a similar ethic, religious, cultural or other protected class as you are, or have been, prosecuted for similar conduct.
Interns gain valuable experience working side by side with attorneys to litigate on behalf of their clients. Interns will participate in client meetings and court appearances as well as researching and preparing motions to defend those who have been targeted by the government because of where they come from and who they are rather than what they have done.
Requirements: Interns must show a strong interest in Public Interest Law and a commitment to defending against government overreaching. Strong research and writing skills and interpersonal skills are a must.
