11/03/2025
The California Racial Justice Act, passed in 2020, was created to make sure people of color are treated fairly in the state’s criminal justice system. For the first time, it allows anyone accused or convicted of a crime to challenge their case if race, ethnicity, or national origin played a role in how they were charged, convicted, or sentenced. The law recognizes that racial bias doesn’t have to be obvious—it can show up in patterns, statistics, or unequal treatment. By passing this act, California took a major step toward confronting systemic racism in the courts and giving minority communities a fairer chance at justice.
