2026-06-22T19:17:27-07:00 2025-12-31 990 2025-01-01 861981490 PEACE AND JUSTICE LAW CENTER PEAC 3234902412 600 West Santa Ana Blvd Suite 810 Santa Ana CA 92701 Sean Garcia-Leys Executive Director 3234902412 2026-06-08 2025 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Sean Garcia-Leys 600 W Santa Ana Blvd 810 Santa Ana CA 92701 273975 0 X www.pjlawcenter.org X 2021 CA To advance community safety and constitutional rights. 3 2 0 6 0 0 259351 109366 0 162373 3345 2236 0 0 262696 273975 0 0 0 0 226365 296684 948 0 11324 100598 56651 327911 353335 -65215 -79360 345122 265762 0 0 345122 265762 To advance community safety and constitutional rights, including the causes of equal protection under the law and the advancement of First Amendment rights, exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 0 0 136687 14300 162373 The organization's largest program service by expense is its Human and Civil Rights Defense Program. Through public-interest litigation, legal advocacy, and related pro bono legal assistance, the program protects civil rights, promotes government accountability, combats discrimination, and advances public safety and community well-being. Most clients are indigent individuals or nonprofit organizations and have no financial interest in the outcome of the litigation. Attorney fees are sought only when authorized by applicable fee-shifting statutes and are payable by opposing parties rather than clients. In 2025, the organization concluded Chicanxs Unidxs v. Spitzer, a public-records action brought on behalf of three nonprofit organizations seeking prosecutorial records necessary to enforce the California Racial Justice Act. The litigation advanced public access to government information and efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in the criminal legal system. Attorney fees were awarded pursuant to the fee-shifting provisions of the California Public Records Act. The organization also continued litigation challenging Orange County's longstanding gang-injunction practices in People v. Townsend Street. The litigation seeks injunctive relief to reduce discriminatory enforcement practices, protect constitutional rights, and limit reliance on punitive strategies that destabilize communities and contribute to youth involvement in the criminal legal system. The organization represented multiple indigent defendants without charge. No attorney fees were sought for this work in 2025. The organization also continued litigating ACLU v. Inglewood Police Department, a public-records action seeking disclosure of police-misconduct records. The litigation promotes government transparency, police accountability, and enforcement of civil rights protections. No attorney fees were awarded in 2025. The organization also engaged in non-litigation work. The organization represented the unincorporated association Los Amigos de Orange County in pre-litigation discussions with a third party threatening a defamation lawsuit. The representation supported community advocacy and the exercise of constitutional rights and was provided without charge. The organization also advised the nonprofit organization Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice regarding legal issues arising from its immigration-court observation program. This work was provided without charge and advanced the protection of civil rights and public participation in the justice system. During 2025, the organization concluded one major litigation matter, continued two additional public-interest lawsuits, represented three nonprofit organizations, multiple indigent defendants, one unincorporated association, and one nonprofit organization in advisory matters, all without charge to the clients. Through these litigation and advisory matters, the organization advanced civil rights, promoted government transparency and accountability, and provided legal services without charge to individuals and nonprofit organizations engaged in public-interest activities. 128143 64950 0 The organization's second largest program service by expense is its Education and Public-Interest Information Program. Through community education, professional training, coalition facilitation, policy research, and public-interest communications, the program advances public understanding of civil rights, criminal justice, youth justice, community safety, and government transparency. All activities in this program are conducted without charge. During 2025, the organization continued to lead joint meetings of the Decriminalizing Neighborhoods Network and the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice. These statewide coalitions meet regularly to examine and promote public-health approaches to reducing community violence and state violence, with a particular focus on youth. In 2025, the organization led a two-day webinar for gang intervention workers on how to protect themselves from false accusations of continued gang involvement. Through these coalition and training activities, the organization promoted public education, shared research on community safety, and supported nonpunitive violence-prevention strategies. In 2025, the organization also launched a public educational website that evaluates and tracks developments affecting democratic institutions, civil liberties, government accountability, and the rule of law in the United States. The website provides research, analysis, and educational materials designed to help members of the public better understand emerging threats to constitutional governance and civil rights protections. This work advanced public education and informed civic engagement regarding issues of broad public concern. The organization also worked to educate the public and policymakers about law enforcement gang databases. In 2025, the organization published one policy brief on gang databases for California state legislators, participated in multiple media interviews and news stories on the issue, and published one op-ed. This work advanced public education, government accountability, and efforts to reduce prejudice and discrimination in law enforcement practices. 34170 18866 0 The organization's third largest program service is a violence-reduction legal-services program for individuals transitioning out of gang involvement or affected by gang-suppression enforcement. The program is funded through California's CalVIP initiative and is designed to evaluate whether addressing civil legal barriers can support successful community reintegration and reduce violence. Through direct legal services and coordination with community-based service providers, the program promotes public safety, reduces community deterioration, and helps participants overcome barriers to economic stability and lawful participation in community life. The program addresses legal issues that can impede successful reintegration, including gang injunctions, diversion-program navigation, driver's license holds, wage garnishments, child-support arrears, and immigration-related matters. During 2025, the organization maintained an active caseload of approximately 9 to 14 participants at any given time, with participants receiving services for approximately one year on average. Services included outreach to individuals exiting gangs, comprehensive legal assessments, direct representation in civil and administrative matters, and referrals to partner organizations for non-legal support services. The program also incorporates structured data collection and independent evaluation to assess outcomes, including reductions in arrests, new criminal charges, and probation violations compared with a control group. Findings from the project are intended to inform the development of evidence-based violence-reduction strategies and expand the availability of effective legal-service interventions for communities affected by gang violence. 0 0 0 299000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 CA X Peace and Justice Law Center 3234902412 600 West Santa Ana Blvd Suite 810 Santa Ana CA 92701 Sean Garcia-Leys Executive Director 40 0 X X X X 168961 0 0 Pat Palma Treasurer 2 0 X X 0 0 0 Vanessa Cerda Board Secretary 2 0 X X 0 0 0 168961 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6366 103000 0 109366 162373 162373 0 0 162373 2236 0 0 2236 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 273975 162373 0 2236 0 184029 154214 23650 6165 0 87749 73063 11649 3037 3517 3331 149 37 21389 17901 2763 725 4880 4270 488 122 127 127 149 149 5854 4672 1057 125 15869 14858 475 536 16912 14814 1675 423 709 709 622 122 500 Court and efiling fees 3319 3319 0 0 Staff development 1739 1696 12 31 Telephone and telecommunications 1190 1047 119 24 Books, subscriptions, references 987 987 0 0 4294 3721 474 99 353335 299000 43011 11324 314710 228083 29460 952 24330 13349 345122 265762 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 345122 265762 0 0 345122 265762 345122 265762 -79360 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 0 0 X 196900 92000 583293 257261 109366 1238820 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 162373 162373 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 196900 92000 583293 257261 271739 1401193 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1401193 96 474 1874 3345 2236 8025 0 0 0 0 0 96 474 1874 3345 2236 8025 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 196996 92474 585167 260606 273975 1409218 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Furniture 10936 Lease deposit 2413 13349 X X X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Sean Garcia-Leys Executive Director 110000 0 20000 0 38961 0 0 0 0 0 168961 0 110000 0 Schedule J, Part I, Line 7 The Executive Director received a discretionary bonus during the tax year. The bonus was approved by the Board of Directors following review and deliberation by independent directors. The Executive Director was recused from the discussion and vote concerning the bonus. The bonus is reported as nonfixed compensation for purposes of Schedule J. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b This form was emailed to each board member before filing. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c The organization monitors compliance with its conflict of interest policy through regular review by the Board of Directors. Directors, officers, and key employees are required to disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest, and any disclosed conflicts are discussed and documented in board meeting minutes. Individuals with a conflict of interest are required to recuse themselves from deliberations and votes concerning the matter at issue. During the tax year, for example, the Executive Director recused himself from board deliberations and votes regarding his bonus compensation and retroactive salary adjustment. The Board of Directors reviewed and approved those matters without the participation of the Executive Director. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 Comparison studies were completed in 2021 for the executive director's salary. Salary comparisons were made to executive directors in other legal aid organizations, the legal directors of larger organizations, and comparable government positions within the office of the US Attorney General. The executive director's salary increased in 2025 for the first time since he was hired. The increase was determined by applying a cost-of-living increase to the 2021 salary using the locally adjusted rate of inflation for the intervening years. In addition, the executive director received a one-time bonus consistent with legal firms' practices for awarding bonuses to attorneys who bring in attorney fee awards. Other directors are all volunteers and so no comparison study was needed. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 The organization's governing documents are available to the public through the California Secretary of State's website. All other disclosable documents are available by request. The PJLC received no requests for document in 2025.