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WAYNE COUNTY, MI - Created in 2016, the Fair Michigan Justice Project (FMJP) is a collaboration with FMJP President Alanna Maguire and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, headed by Prosecutor Kym Worthy.* Fair Michigan provides Special Investigator Vicki Yost, Victim's Advocate Julisa Abad, and Special Prosecutor Kam Towns to prosecute serious bias crimes committed against members of the LGBTQ community, including murder, sexual and felonious assault, robbery, and extortion in Wayne County.

Since July 2016, the Justice Project has seen great success, with a 100% conviction rate in over thirty completed cases, including some of Detroit's most brutal cold-case homicides involving LGBTQ victims. FMJP/WCPO stand together during Transgender Awareness Week to celebrate the transgender and gender-nonconforming community and honoring those who have lost their lives to violence.

"Fair Michigan is grateful for Prosecutor Worthy's leadership in addressing bias crimes committed against the LGBTQ community, and especially against transgender individuals," said FMJP President Alanna Maguire. "The trans community remains among the most marginalized and victimized communities in the United States, which makes our work that much more necessary."

"I represent all of the People of Wayne County - regardless of race, ethnicity, party, religion, gender, gender identity, economic status, age, or sexual orientation. This is Transgender Awareness Week and I wanted to take a moment to express my continued support of the trans community. The extreme violent crime against this community continues to rise exponentially and I am committed to aggressively prosecuting those that perpetrate this disgusting violence through our dedicated LGBTQ/Fair Michigan Project that has been in existence since 2016," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

"At least 32 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals have been reported murdered in 2022 in the United States. We know that number is likely higher. It is reported that 81% of those victims were people of color, while 59% of those victims were trans women of color. It's a sad fact that life expectancy for a transgender woman is 35 years old," said FMJP Victim Advocate Julisa Abad. "I'm grateful for Prosecutor Worthy and her advocacy and protection of my community in Wayne County. Our partnership is committed to keeping us safe, but also getting my community justice. I'm so grateful to be a part of the Fair Michigan Justice Project.

*FMJP is now in Ingham, Oakland and Washtenaw County.

Fair Michigan is a non-profit corporation seeking to end discrimination against persons based on sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.

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