California enacted the landmark Racial Justice Act in 2020 to confront racial bias in the criminal courts and provide remedies when bias is proven. Six years later, the League of Women Voters of California is still standing alongside coalition partners to refine the RJA to ensure the original intent is fulfilled. Help us pass AB 1958.
AB 1958 (Kalra) improves procedures for establishing a disparity claim under the RJA and makes clarifications to existing law to increase efficiency and provide consistent guidance to courts across the state. Specifically, this bill:
- Provides more clarity on how disparity claims are proven
- Ensures data will be shared efficiently
- Restates that the RJA applies to all parts of the criminal legal process.
Racism – whether intentional, implicit, or institutional – is intolerable and undermines true justice. The RJA was a historic step toward confronting racial bias in our courts, but clearer standards and guidelines are needed to reinforce the Legislature’s intent that equal justice prevail. As co-sponsors of both the original RJA, the Racial Justice Act for All, and now, AB 1958, LWVC remains deeply committed to ensuring the law works as intended.
P.S. Read more about AB 1958 by taking a look at the bill’s fact sheet here.
