JONATHAN W. CUNEO CHILDREN'S RIGHTS LITIGATION FUND
JOIN THE FIGHT TO DEFEND YOUTH RIGHTS
Jon’s life’s work was to advance and defend the rights of those “aggrieved by powerful parties or institutions.” He was consumed with a passion for those who needed a voice. It was this same passion that made him a committed and enthusiastic board member of Juvenile Law Center, the first public interest law firm for children in the United States, founded nearly 50 years ago, to fight for rights, dignity, equity, and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems.
Jon served from 2007- 2015 and chaired the Nominations Committee to ensure the longtime strength of our board. He gave his time, financial support, strategic guidance, and enthusiastic fundraising. He was especially supportive of Juvenile Law Center’s impact litigation and his firm generously facilitated cy pres awards to advance its litigation efforts.
In honor of Jon’s belief in litigation and policy advocacy to drive systemic reform and with the support of his beloved wife Mara and his law firm partners, friends, and fellow board members of Juvenile Law Center, we are establishing the Jonathan W. Cuneo Children's Rights Litigation Fund to support litigation and policy efforts of Juvenile Law Center in its continuing fight for reform and transformation of the child welfare and justice systems in the United States.
To support the fund and learn more about the work of Juvenile Law Center please contact: Susan Mangold, CEO, Juvenile Law Center | [email protected] | (215) 625-0551 x102
OR
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PLEDGE FORM.
CLICK HERE FOR WAYS YOU CAN GIVE NOW.
U.S. SUPREME COURT CASES
Juvenile Law Center was involved in several groundbreaking cases before the United States Supreme Court
which overturned extreme sentencing practices for youth, including the death penalty and life without parole. These cases established a new application of the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment that recognized the critical developmental differences between children and adults. Juvenile Law Center has continued to lead the way — in both state and federal courts as well as research and commentary — in linking behavioral and neuroscientific research to a developmental approach to the treatment of children in the justice system.
CLASS ACTION SUITS
Jon was particularly enthusiastic about our litigation efforts related to the Kids for Cash scandal in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which is believed to be the largest judicial corruption scandal in United States legal history. Two Luzerne County judges accepted
nearly $2.9 million dollars in alleged kickbacks from the developer and co-owner of two private for-profit juvenile facilities to which the judges committed youth, often for offenses that did not warrant confinement. Juvenile Law Center represented over 2,500 children, over half of whom lacked legal representation and nearly 60% of whom had been incarcerated by the juvenile court judge. The litigation led to substantial monetary rewards for the children and their parents, with settlements totaling nearly $24 million. The scandal is the subject of an award-winning documentary and book.
We are still fighting a class action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of youth who suffered at the hands of Glen Mills Schools (PA) leadership and staff.
We’re fighting on behalf of over 100 individuals incarcerated in Florida who were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for crimes committed when they were under the age of 18, but who are destined to die in prison because of the unconstitutional rules, policies, and practices of the Florida parole system.
STATE CONSTITUTIONS
As recent changes at the US Supreme Court have threatened some of these gains of the last twenty years, Juvenile Law Center has shifted its strategic litigation to look more closely at opportunities under state Constitutions, many of which have similar guarantees and protections as the US Constitution but leave room for more expansive interpretation. We are currently involved in cases in Michigan, California, and Washington - all raising claims under state constitutional guarantees.
DEBT FREE JUSTICE: STATE POLICY
More recently, Juvenile Law Center has tackled the burdensome fees and fines imposed on children, whose custody and supervision in the juvenile justice system is routinely prolonged due to their inability to pay these charges. We worked with national and local partners to wage successful campaigns in numerous jurisdictions to eliminate these financial burdens, given youth’s obvious inability to acquire the financial means to meet these obligations.
To date, the impact has been transformative for youth and families:
• $479,446,286 of court debt discharged
• $25,658,374 that families no longer need to
pay each year
• 120,000 families impacted each year