Hillsborough County Sued for Punishing People Who Ask Drivers for Help
The Florida Justice Institute has filed a lawsuit against Hillsborough County against an ordinance that criminalizes panhandling.
News Releases
FJI Lawsuit Says Miami’s Ban on Panhandling Hurts Free Speech
The Florida Justice Institute (FJI) and Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP have filed a lawsuit against the City of Miami, challenging an ordinance that criminalizes panhandling. This law raises First Amendment concerns by targeting specific speech forms. With nearly 400 arrests made, the plaintiffs—Miami residents experiencing homelessness—argue that it fails to address poverty’s root causes. Discover how this case seeks to protect the rights of vulnerable communities and challenge poverty criminalization in Florida.
Florida Prison Rule Would Block People From Reaching Their Lawyers
May 7, 2025 MIAMI— Florida Justice Institute, together with other civil rights groups, have objected for a second time to
Florida Prison System Seizes Beating Victim’s Settlement, FJI and SPLC Sue
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Florida Justice Institute (FJI) have filed federal and state suits challenging the Florida Department of
FJI Pushes Cities Toward Housing, Not Arrests
April 8, 2025 Today, Southern Legal Counsel, the National Homelessness Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law center, and the Florida Justice Institute
FJI Joins Legal Community Urging AG to Defend Equal Justice
March 28, 2025 FJI has signed on to the below letter, which represents a broad coalition of lawyers, legal organizations,
FJI Urges Passage of the Tristin Murphy Act
March 6, 2025 March 6, 2025; MIAMI/TALLAHASSEE, FL. The Florida Justice Institute (FJI), a nonprofit civil rights organization, expresses its
FJI Files Lawsuit Over Sweltering Heat at South Florida Prison
Florida Justice Institute (FJI) filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) on behalf of those incarcerated at Dade Correctional Institution (Dade CI), seeking relief from the sweltering and oppressive heat that all incarcerated people must suffer through each summer.
FJI Settles with Columbia County over Solicitation and Loitering Law
September 9, 2024 FJI has reached a settlement with Columbia County, resolving its lawsuit against the ordinance which prohibited solicitation