Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job security and due process protections for appointed public defenders in California, citing that decisions about hiring and removal of department heads should be made locally.
Alameda County is facing a crisis in its criminal courts due to a shortage of court-appointed attorneys, leaving dozens of people waiting weeks for legal representation and raising civil rights concerns.
The Vanguard has documented the everyday injustices that occur in America’s courtrooms, such as overcharging, racial disparities, excessive bail, and prosecutorial misconduct, which often go unnoticed by the mainstream media due to lack of coverage and oversight.
The Defender Association of Philadelphia is condemning the city’s police sweeps in Kensington, calling them ineffective and harmful, and is calling for a shift in strategy to focus on stable housing, harm reduction, mental health care, and legal advocacy.
A jury awarded $3 million in damages to former Orange County Senior Assistant District Attorney Tracy Miller, along with $25,000 in punitive damages personally against Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, after she stood up for female colleagues who had reported sexual harassment and political corruption inside the DA’s office.
LOS ANGELES – A growing rift between Los Angeles County’s public defenders and the District Attorney’s Office…
By Ricardo Garcia Editor’s note: the following are the comments delivered by Ricardo Garcia at the ARC…
SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Increasing the funding for public defenders offices across the country would provide needed resources…
By David M. Greenwald Executive Editor Los Angeles, CA – While most counties have ended zero bail…
Four out of five criminal defendants can’t afford a lawyer, but in many places, the system promised…
By Diana Becton, John Creuzot and Miriam Aroni Krinsky Most Americans rightly focus on important decisions made…
By Hannah Blome CALIFORNIA – California community members and judicial laborers led a virtual discussion last Friday…
In February of 2019, longtime legendary public defender Jeff Adachi died. Taking over the position as the…
by Rory Fleming There has been a spate, in recent years, of public defenders speaking out against…
Montgomery County Chief Public Defender Dean Beer and Deputy Chief Keisha Hudson were fired last month for…
By Kamala Harris As a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, I saw our legal system…