The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

legal defense In a civil proceeding or criminal prosecution under the common law or under statute, a defendant may raise a defense (or defence) in an effort to avert civil liability or criminal conviction. A defense is put forward by a party to defeat a s ...

organization based in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

.Ann Southworth, 'Lawyers of the right: professionalizing the conservative coalition',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including '' The Chicago Manual of Style' ...

, 2008, p. 3

/ref> The group, founded by attorney Brad W. Dacus, describes itself as focusing on representation relating to "...religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties." PJI was declared an LGBT rights opposition, anti-LGBT hate group in 2014 by the

Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...

due to the group's long history of

anti-LGBT rhetoric Anti-LGBT rhetoric comprises themes, catchphrases, and slogans that have been used against homosexuality or other non-heterosexual sexual orientations in order to demean lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. They range from the ...

through its founder. The group also represents workers opposed to their employers' vaccine mandates.

Structure and Finances

PJI is a tax-exempt non-profit organization with

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of ...

status under the IRS code, meaning contributions are tax deductible.Pacific Justice Institute Homepage
/ref> It is headquartered in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

and has four other office locations in California: Santa Ana,

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

, Riverside, and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

.Pacific Justice Institute Contact Page
/ref> It was founded in 1997Pacific Justice Institute Bio Page
/ref> by its Brad Dacus, a graduate of the

University of Texas School of Law The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the law school of the University of Texas at Austin. Texas Law is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States and is highly selective—registering the 8th lowest ac ...

Positions and Activities

PJI has been involved in legislation, has filed

amicus curiae An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision o ...

briefs in legal cases''Karen Strauss et all, v. Mark B. Horton, as State Registrar of Vital Statistics, etc., et al; Robin Tyler et al., v. State California et al.; City and County of San Francisco et al., v. Mark B. Horton, as State Registrar, etc., et al.'',

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...

br>
/ref> and testified in state and federal legislatures.''Report on the Activities of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives During the One Hundred Tenth Congress'', US Government Printing Office

January 3, 2009''Hearing on HR 1592 – "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007"'', U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime,

Terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and

Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" t ...

, April 17, 2007 PJI supported

Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...

, a 2008 California ballot initiative that defined marriage as one man and one woman. The ballot initiative was overturned by the ''

Hollingsworth v. Perry ''Hollingsworth v. Perry'' was a series of United States federal court cases that re-legalized same-sex marriage in the state of California. The case began in 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which found th ...

'' decision in 2013.''Introduction to 2011 Digest of Legislation'',

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. D ...

2011Valerie Richardson, ''California's Jerry Brown won't defend Prop 8'',

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughou ...

br>
Sept. 3, 2010Southern California Public Radio 89.3 KCC, ''Appeals court won't force state officials to defend Prop 8'', Associated Press

Sept. 2, 2010 PJI opposed the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...

's individual mandate provision. PJI unsuccessfully opposed SB 1172, a 2012 California law that banned

conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and clin ...

for children under 18.Nannette Miranda, ''Lawmakers debate ban on sexual orientation therapy'', ABC Channel 7 New

May 30, 2012Hannah Dreier, ''Gay Teen 'Conversion' Therapy May Be Banned In California'',

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

May 8, 2012''SB 1172 Senate Bill - Bill Analysis'',

California Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. D ...

Rules Committee

May 8, 2012 PJI opposed the

School Success and Opportunity Act The School Success and Opportunity Act (Assembly Bill 1266), is a California state law which extends gender identity and gender expression discrimination protection to transgender and gender-nonconforming K-12 students in public schools. Provisi ...

, a 2013 California law which allows transgender public school students to use restrooms and play on sports teams that fit their gender identity. In 2013,

Media Matters for America Media Matters for America (MMfA) is a politically left-leaning 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization and media watchdog group. MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and political activist David Brock as a counterweight to the conservative Media ...

described the Pacific Justice Institute as the "LGBT Misinformer of The Year", because it had publicized a press release containing false claims against a transgender student that were based only on the complaints of an angry parent, as part of its campaign against the law. Media Matters stated that PJI "came pretty close to conceding" the story was not true. In 2014, PJI filed suit over whether a referendum against the law qualified for the November 2014 ballot. PJI helped a neighborhood group successfully oppose the operating permit for a medical marijuana dispensary, in the only neighborhood in San Francisco without a local dispensary. PJI represented a church that objected to a nightclub with "adult entertainment" locating next door. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PJI challenged public health restrictions on Church gatherings. PJI represented a student who was suspended for distributing religious literature on public school grounds. PJI represented people who had large Bible studies gatherings in a private home without a permit. In 2019, PJI advocated against a California sex education law that required public schools to teach comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education (while allowing parents to opt their children out). In 2020, PJI filed a lawsuit against Washington Gov.

Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee (; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician, lawyer, and economist who has served as the 23rd governor of Washington since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

on behalf of two churches over the reopening process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Inslee relaxed the attendance restrictions after a federal appeals court sided with a church in a lawsuit in Nevada.

Litigation

''Hartman v. Santa Clara County'' – PJI represented a doctor and a radiation therapist who objected to their employer's vaccine mandate. Both plaintiffs have religious objections to taking the shot for COVID-19. ''Snatchko v. Galleria Mall'' – Youth pastor Matthew Snatchko was arrested at the Roseville Galleria Mall in 2007 for striking up a casual conversation with two other shoppers about faith. Although Snatchko had the shoppers' permission to broach the subject, a store employee called mall security guards, who arrested Snatchko. Criminal charges were dropped, but attorneys with PJI filed suit challenging the mall's restrictions on conversations between strangers. The trial court ruled in favor of the mall, but the Court of Appeal reversed, in a unanimous opinion, finding no legitimate basis for suppression of the youth pastor's speech.Bob Egelko, ''Top state court drops mall's free speech challenge'', ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

''

October 21, 2010Diane Macedo, ''Man Sues California Mall After Guard Arrests Him for Having Conversation About God'', ''

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

''

February 10, 2010Lawrence D. Jones, ''Calif. Court of Appeal Mulls Mall's Ban on Religious, Political Talk'', ''

The Christian Post ''The Christian Post'' is an American non-denominational, conservative, evangelical Christian online newspaper. Based in Washington, D.C., it was founded in March 2004. News topics include the Church, ministries, missions, education, Christ ...

''

February 10, 2010 ''Bible Club and R.G., a Minor by and through her Next Friend R.G. v. Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School Dist.'', 573 F.Supp.2d 1291 (2008) – A federal court issued a preliminary injunction against a school district that refused to allow a high school student to start a Christian club at her school. The school only permitted "curriculum-related" groups to form on campus.My-Thuan Tran, ''School must allow Bible club'',

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

,

September 4, 2008 The District settled after the court ruled that the club must be given equal access to meet, use school supplies, have an advisor, and a yearbook listing. ''Guaytay v. San Diego County'' – PJI represented a couple in San Juan Capistrano, California against the city when city officials fined them $300 for holding regular Bible studies at their home, claiming the meetings violated the city's zoning laws. CBS

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, KNX 1070, ''San Juan Capistrano Adopts Changes to Shield Home Bible Studies'

June 21, 2012Christina NG, ''California Family Fined for Bible Study in Home'',

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show '' Good Morning America'', '' ...

Sept. 22, 2011

, ''California Couple Fined $300 for Holding Home Bible Studies'

Sept. 21, 2011

LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

, ''San Juan Capistrano family fined for holding Bible study in home''

Sept. 21, 2011 After PJI filed a lawsuit, the city changed its municipal code to not discriminate against religious gatherings by requiring costly use permits.The Capistrano Dispatch, ''Capistrano Couple Resolves Case Over Bible-Study Citation'

''Codding v. Placer Co. Clerk'' –After the California Supreme Court found the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but before the passage of Proposition 8, the State of California changed the words on the marriage license form from Bride and Groom to Party A and Party B. A man and a woman applied for a license and added the words Bride and Groom next to Party A and Party B. After the couple was married, the officiating minister signed and mailed marriage certificate to the county clerk, who rejected it because of the interlineation. PJI filed a lawsuit on behalf of the couple, and after the case was reported in the press, poll numbers supporting Proposition rose from 38% to 47%. The case was settled after the State of California agreed to change the wording on the license to remove Party A and Party B and allow checkboxes for options including Bride and Groom. ''K.D. v. GUHSD'' – A high school student shared his faith in private conversations with other students, but was warned by a teacher to stop because of the separation of church and state. A teacher also warned him not to take his Bible to school, and confiscated it. The student was suspended for two days. The suspension notice stated: "Student was told to stop preaching at school. Student continued after being warned several times."Nathan Max, ''Student booted in Bible flap suing school district'', ''

U-T San Diego ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

''

March 31, 2011 KGTV, Channel 10 News, ''Student Suspended For Bringing Bible To School Files Suit''

March 30, 2011 The teacher also wrote on the suspension form, "Student will not bring Bible to school." Suit was brought in federal court, in the Southern District of California. The school district settled the case. Murrieta Red-light case – There was an effort to repeal a law in Murrieta, California that mandated that all traffic lights be installed with cameras in order to catch the license plates of people who blew red-lights and the effort to repeal the law came in the form of a private petition in order to put it on the ballot for the next election. However, a lawsuit was levied against the private petition claiming that "residents don't have the authority to change traffic laws, and thus remove the cameras." PJI represented the petitioners in court. A committee funded by companies that provided the traffic cameras filed suit. On April 5, 2013, a Riverside Superior Court judge struck down the voter-approved ban.

References

External links

* {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer, 911823641 Legal advocacy organizations in the United States Conservative organizations in the United States 501(c)(3) organizations Non-profit organizations based in California 1997 establishments in California Organizations that oppose LGBT rights in the United States