This petition centers around Alika Arisumi, an individual caught in a difficult and unjust situation that should have notably been a civil case and not a criminal one. The events that transpired did not result in any personal gain, the alleged victim has been compensated, and more importantly, no individual was harmed during the process.

In 2019, after allowing a member of his church to take over car payments on a vehicle he sold to her, Alika was later charged with improper sell of a vehicle and fraud. In 2023, Alika was convicted of the charges and ordered to serve 3 years in prison.

In his direct appeal to the New Mexico Court of Appeals, three panel judges affirmed his convictions stating the substantial questions of law that were raised in the appeal were not preserved or not clear. We “will not review unclear arguments, or guess at what [a party’s] arguments might be.” "Even if the district court erred, the State asserts, Defendant has failed to demonstrate that any such error warrants reversal." And, "Defendant concedes, and the State agrees, that this issue was not preserved."

The negligence and disproportionate application of the law in this case raise crucial questions about our justice system. Should we allow such a circumstance to become a precedent, we risk jeopardizing the very essence of what constitutes a fair and just system. 

By sending Alika back to prison, we are going against the aim of our justice system, which is to rectify and not to unjustly penalize. A harsh prison sentence in this case, where no harm was caused and restitution has been made, would indeed represent a gross miscarriage of justice.

With over 2.3 million people incarcerated in the United States, our attention must be focused on the more severe and harmful criminal activities, instead of entangling those who pose no risk to society in the web of the criminal justice system. We must apply our laws uniformly and proportionately, and sending Alika back to prison in such a situation would go against these principles. (Source: Prison Policy Initiative)

Alika has 3 young boys that he supports and has been a pillar in his community for many years. Join us in our fight to maintain the principles of justice. By doing so, you're not simply helping one person but working toward increasing fairness and equity in our justice system as a whole. Please sign the petition today!