Posted inLegal Reform
18 States Now Outlaw Death Penalty
Maryland will become the 18th state to outlaw the death penalty. After the House voted 82-56, Governor O’Malley told reporters that the ban validates a “core belief that we share in…
Posted inExoneration
Faulty Police Work Leads to Innocent Man’s 7 Year Incarcertation
Ronald Ross is finally free seven years after he was wrongfully convicted in an Oakland, California Court. Faulty police work by an Oakland Police Officer, Sgt. Steven Lovell led to…
Posted inExoneration
Ronald Ross Exonerated of Attempted Murder Charge
Originally Published by: Northern California Innocence Project Today is a great day for justice! At a hearing this morning in Oakland, Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP) and Keker & Van…
Posted inNews
Appellate Court Reverses in Artz Case
This story first appeared in the the Davis Vanguard
It was one of the more controversial cases that the Vanguard has covered, where a Yolo County Jury found Michael Artz, a graduate of Davis High School, not guilty of forced oral copulation in a case involving another Davis High Student who was 16 at the time.
However, they did find him guilty of two felonies, oral copulation with a person under 18 and contact and communication with a minor with the intent to have sexual relations. Ultimately, Mr. Artz was ordered to undergo counseling and spent six months in the Yolo County Jail.
Posted inNews
Telling the IRP-6 Story
This is a story about how prosecutorial tunnel vision created a tragic communication failure. The criminal justice system exists to give everyone a chance to tell their story. Juries decide…
Posted inLegal Reform
Reforming Drug Laws
Is the end to federal "mandatory minimum" sentencing for drug offenders finally on the way. Law makers are hoping a bipartisan effort can be made to regulate marijuana the same…
Posted inLegal News
Half of all Inmates Have Mental Illness
A 2006 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the number of inmates with mental health issues has risen four times since 1998. The lack of mental health…
Posted inLegal News
Mental Illness and Prisons
A 2006 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the number of inmates with mental health issues has risen four times since 1998. The lack of mental health…
Posted inMisconduct
Case Law Favors Prosecutor in Misconduct
California State Bar Judge Patricia McElroy decided not to strip the license to practice law from a prosecutor accused of professional misconduct. The Santa Clara County prosecutor claims he didn't…
Posted inLegal News
Prosecutorial Overreach
It was very heartbreaking to read about Aaron Swartz's suicide at the age of 26. Aaron codeveloped RSS feeds and the website Reddit. As I read about the case the…