State v. Jimenez

Justice System Reform
Floral Motif with Blue Background
STATUE REMOVAL  |  VICTORY

Case Summary

Filed 08/14/2017
Updated 06/05/2024

SCSJ attorneys helped successfully defend a dozen Durham-based activists charged with felony incitement to riot and misdemeanor property destruction in connection with the toppling of a Confederate monument at the Old Durham Courthouse. The monument was brought down in the wake of demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one anti-racist organizer dead in one of the largest rallies of white supremacists in modern United States history.

Why it's Important

The statue that was torn down was a symbol of white supremacy that has no place in front of the public buildings that represent our community. It’s time for us to recognize that these symbols of hate create division within our communities. Monuments to the ill-conceived project of white supremacy should be a thing of the past.

Other Related Cases

State v. James Richardson

James Richardson is an innocent man serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit. In 2011, James Richardson was arrested and capitally charged with the murders of Landon Blackley and Andrew Kirby in Pitt County, NC. Following a hotly contested trial, James was convicted and given two life sentences.

Learn More

Karon Joye

SCSJ is submitting a clemency petition to the Juvenile Sentencing Review Board (JSRB) on behalf of Karon Joye. Karon was sentenced to over 34 years in prison for a crime he committed when he was 14 years old.

Learn More

State v. Joseph Jones

SCSJ is seeking relief for Joseph Jones, who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in 2000. Joseph was 13 years old when he was arrested with his 16-year-old uncle and his uncle’s 17-year-old girlfriend for the murder and rape of a 10-year-old girl.

Learn More