Loyola Law School's Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing (JIFS) Clinic secured a major win for long-time client Joel Aguilar when they won a hard-fought felony murder petition on August 23. Aguilar was resentenced when the District Attorney conceded the petition, and thanks to the tireless advocacy of the JIFS team, his life sentence has now been vacated.
Aguilar’s next stop is East Los Angeles Juvenile Court, where he will be re-adjudicated as a minor. The dedicated team of attorneys and law students at JIFS met Aguilar over 12 years ago when he was first incarcerated. In 2015, the JIFS team helped him get resentenced and paroled. Loyola Law School students who worked on his case include Todd Means ’14, Catlin Richards ’15, Anna McDonald ’15, Seth Hancock ’16, Juan Jose Gramajo '22, Jakob Meuser ’24 and many others.
"The JIFS Clinic at Loyola Law School has represented Joel for over 12 years, and we could not be prouder of him. It's an honor to work with Joel. He has made a life serving others, particularly those impacted by our criminal legal system. I wish him even more success in his future life as a free(er) man," said Loyola Law School professor and JIFS clinic director Chris Hawthorne '00.
Joel Aguilar, was only 17 years old at the time of the crime and sentenced to life without parole in 1996. “JIFS was not only instrumental in me coming home, but also in me believing that hope was now tangible. They are the reason why I’m standing here, a big reason,” said Aguilar at the Independent Forensic Gang Expert College graduation in 2024.
Roberto and Darlene Luca (both graduates of the CJLP’s Independent Forensic Gang Expert College who now work to support reentry for formerly incarcerated people) came to court last Friday to support Joel. Everyone in attendance was moved by Judge Sam Ohta’s ’89 closing words: “People often think that leadership is about running for president, but true leadership is about taking charge of your own life and looking inward. That means taking control of your life, and Joel, you have done that. Congratulations on being a light that shows the way.”
Founded in 2012, the JIFS Clinic redresses the injustices of wrongful imprisonment and over-incarceration of children through high-quality, client-centered representation. To learn more about how JIFS is bringing a new vision of holistic defense representation to criminal justice, please visit their website here.
