WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week, Citizens for Judicial Fairness published an open letter print advertisement from Reverend Al Sharpton in the San Francisco Chronicle and Austin American-Statesman urging Tesla CEO and incoming Twitter CEO Elon Musk to join CJF’s campaign for equity and transparency in the Chancery Court given his upcoming court battle there.
In the letter to Elon Musk, CJF and Sharpton warn that the Chancery Court continues to push nontransparent actions like holding proceedings without juries, prohibiting cameras in the court, resisting randomized wheel spin for case assignments, and even dismissing requests for publicly-accessible financial disclosure by state justices. The same institution that does not have a single justice of color also rules more than half of the country’s Fortune 500 companies.
In the letter to Musk, Reverend Al Sharpton said:
“With the impending retirement of Vice Chancellor Slights from the Chancery Court, the nation’s largest business court whose decisions affect millions of workers in Delaware and across the country, we have joined our voices to demand that Governor Carney nominate a Black justice to replace him, and urge the State Legislature to enact our reform agenda.
“Though we don’t agree on all issues, as someone who appreciates the value of diversity in the technology industry and Twitter community – which though lacking is still head and shoulders above the Chancery Court – I feel your voice on these issues could be substantial. We ask you to join us in this fight and use your influence to urge Governor Carney to diversify the Delaware Chancery Court and enhance judicial fairness in the First State.”
Citizens for Judicial Fairness, formerly known as Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware, has been advocating for transparency, accountability, and diversity in the Chancery Court since the unprecedented forced sale of TransPerfect Global, a profitable translation and language services company, by Chancery Court Chancellor Andre Bouchard. The sale resulted in a disastrous court-appointed custodianship by Skadden Arps’ Robert Pincus, who bilked TransPerfect for tens of millions of dollars without saying why or what for. Sharpton, CJF, and activists have been vocal about their demands for justice systems that work for diverse everyday employees rather than legal and corporate elites.
Said Citizens for Judicial Fairness Campaign Manager Chris Coffey, “Vice Chancellor Slights’ retirement from the Chancery Court is a golden opportunity for Governor Carney to follow through on his alleged commitment to equity and diversity. We call on Elon Musk, a notable influencer in business and culture, to stand with us as we protect citizens from corrupt and non-representative institutions. Reverend Sharpton knows the influence Musk has over the lives of the American people and the economy, and we hope that Mr. Musk heeds his call and joins our fight.”
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Citizens for Judicial Fairness (formerly Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware) is a grassroots advocacy organization fighting for transparency, equity, and accountability in state judiciaries across America. Founded by employees of TransPerfect Global in 2016 to fight the Delaware Chancery Court’s unprecedented forced sale of TransPerfect, the group has since grown to over 5,000 members nationwide. CJF leverages grassroots pressure, strategic partnerships, and political advocacy to campaign for common-sense solutions to increase transparency and equity in court systems across the country. To learn more about CJF, visit CitizensForJudicialFairness.org
