Lawsuit Challenges Richton Park's “Crime-Free” Housing Ordinance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2023
CONTACT:
Zindy Marquez
Director of Communications
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
312.202.3657 (office)
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Lawsuit Challenges Richton Park's “Crime-Free” Housing Ordinance
Diamond Jones, mother of three, evicted from her home after seeking police assistance in response to threats and gun violence
RICHTON PARK, IL: Diamond Jones, mother of three and former resident of Richton Park, has filed a lawsuit against the Village of Richton Park, Illinois, challenging the constitutionality of the Village’s “Crime-Free Housing Ordinance” (“CFO”) and seeking redress for the Village’s enforcement action against her. The Village’s enforcement of its CFO not only violated Ms. Jones’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, but also caused her to be evicted from her home, resulting in significant financial and emotional harm. Ms. Jones is being represented in this lawsuit by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Winston & Strawn LLP.
On June 24, 2022, a shooting occurred down the street from Diamond Jones's home while she was at work. Her mother was watching Ms. Jones's young children and reported the incident to the Richton Park Police Department. The following day, in retaliation for their cooperation with the police, the family became the target of online threats. They called the police to report the threats and ask for help.
Two days later, on June 27, 2022, someone fired shots at Ms. Jones's home while her mother and children were inside, causing damage and endangering their lives. The family called the police for help a third time. Two weeks later, Ms. Jones learned these interactions with the police amounted to a violation of the Village’s CFO. This local law empowers the Village to require that a landlord evict a renter for alleged criminal activity or “causing an unreasonably high number of calls for police service.”
The Village did not notify Ms. Jones of the action against her or provide any opportunity to be heard about the circumstances that led to each call. Ms. Jones only learned of her alleged CFO violation when her landlord served her with a ten-day eviction notice.
“I reached out to those who were supposed to protect me and my family, but they let us down,” explained Ms. Jones. “I was ultimately evicted from the home we had lived in for four years as a consequence of these events, I sincerely hope that no one else has to go through what I did. I feel like I lost everything.”
CFOs are prevalent nationally and throughout Illinois and are part of a legacy of local laws that municipalities use to police who can be part of their community. Though the potential consequences of a violation are substantial, CFOs rarely feature due process protections for renters. In practice, CFOs do little to make communities safer and create a municipal system of monitoring renters that is prone to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.
“Because CFO enforcement is triggered by contact with law enforcement and calls for emergency services, these ordinances not only reinforce patterns of local and regional segregation, but also penalize those in need of help—survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, and crime victims, like Ms. Jones.” said Micaela Alvarez, Program Counsel at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
This lawsuit joins a growing national movement against CFOs, which are increasingly recognized as ineffective, discriminatory, and dangerous. Though touted as a public safety tool, CFOs like Richton Park’s make communities less safe. Punishing renters for contacting the police infringes on their freedom of speech and discourages them from seeking help or reporting criminal activity out of fear of losing their homes.
This lawsuit seeks justice for Ms. Jones for the suffering the Village’s actions caused and to ensure that Richton Park’s CFO is declared unconstitutional.
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Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is a non-partisan, non-profit group of civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and we collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights. For more information, visit www.clccrul.org or call (312) 630-9744.