Criminal Justice
Invest in Public Defenders
“You have a right to an attorney, and if you can’t afford one, one will be appointed to you by the court of law.” That’s your right. However, public defender are overworked, underpaid, and their office are underfunded. While local and state governments have jurisdiction, the federal government can play a role in changing this. We need to
Attract more public defenders through higher salaries and benefits
Allow public defenders to represent individuals in civil cases, such as eviction cases
Provide more funding and federal grants for public defender's offices
More Funding for Courts
Our courts have full dockets. We don’t have enough judges, and their caseloads are full. On the federal level, we need more federal magistrates. More federal funding for the U.S. District Courts can achieve this.
Decriminalize Marijuana
Elijah Manley supports the decriminalization of Marijuana. Drug use is a public health crisis, not a criminal justice issue. All non-violent drug offenders should be pardoned and released from jails.
Bail Reform
Too many people are sitting in our jails simply because they can’t pay their way out. It’s costing taxpayers a killing. Non-violent offenders and those who don’t pose a threat to the public should not be sitting in jail. For violent offenders who pose a threat to the public, their bail should be denied.