Hecker Fink files amicus brief in the National Guard case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

On Monday, September 15, Hecker Fink filed an amicus brief on behalf of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Center for Policing Equity, National Police Accountability Project, and the Policing Project at New York University School of Law in support of the District of Columbia’s suit against the Trump administration that challenges the use of the National Guard to conduct day-to-day law enforcement in the city.

The brief, which can be read here, surveys the historical use of the D.C. National Guard in the District and explains how the military-focused training received by National Guard troops diverges from the law-enforcement training received by police officers.  The brief also describes how deployment of armed National Guard troops to patrol the streets of D.C. inflicts irreparable harm on the District by undermining public trust in law enforcement and harming public safety.  And the brief illustrates the real-world implications of Defendants’ actions—for the public’s trust in law enforcement, for the efficacy of law enforcement, and for public safety writ large.

The Hecker Fink team includes Trisha Anderson, Joshua Matz, Martin Totaro, and Jared Hirschfield.