Jory Fenstermaker, a black man who grew up in Ogden, Utah, has been serving time in prison for the past eight years. In 2015, he was forced to defend himself and ended up taking a life. Despite the clear circumstances of self-defense, the state did not allow him to claim self-defense on the shooting charge but allowed it for an aggravated assault charge in the same case. This is not justice; this is a glaring injustice that needs rectification.

Utah's new Stand Your Ground law allows individuals to use force (including deadly force) without retreating first when they believe it necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm. However, this law is not retroactive and does not apply to cases prior to its enactment.

We are calling on Utah lawmakers to make this law retroactive so that older clear-cut self-defense cases can be retried under these new guidelines. This would ensure fairness and justice for those like Jory who were denied their right of self-defense due to outdated laws.

According to data from The Sentencing Project, as of 2020 there were over 2 million people incarcerated in America with a disproportionate number being black men (source: The Sentencing Project). Many of these individuals may have been defending themselves but were denied their right due to outdated laws.

We understand that crimes warrant punishment; however, we believe in second chances and rehabilitation over retribution.

This isn't just about one man's freedom; it's about reforming a system that too often hands down excessively harsh sentences without considering individual circumstances or potential for change.

Let us correct this injustice by making Utah's Stand Your Ground law retroactive, and to request the state of Utah to grant Clemency to Jory and release him from prison. It’s time we give everyone an equal chance at justice regardless of when their case was tried or what color skin they have. Please sign our petition today and help us bring about change!