Exonerees in 2018 Lost a Record Number of Years to Wrongful Imprisonment
Conviction Integrity Units in prosecutors’ offices have tripled since 2013 (From Press Release) – In 2018, the…
Reaction Pours Out to Gavin Newsom’s Moratorium on the Death Penalty
In his announcement on the moratorium, Governor Gavin Newsom framed the issue as a personal journey rooted…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Critics Are Right, Kamala Harris Not a Reformer
Ironically, a few moments ago the news came out – that Kamala Harris, California Senator and the…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Conservative Approaches to Criminal Justice Reform
Since July, the American Conservative has an ongoing series of currently 12 articles in collaboration with the…
Long Sentences Handed Out in Robbery Case
Last week, a Yolo County judge sentenced Ricky Hernandez to 43 years and Josh Cadenaz-Lopez to 56…
How Our Local Legislators Fared on Police and Criminal Justice Reform Issues
It was a banner year on police and criminal justice reform issues before the state legislature. The…
Governor Brown Signs New Law to Help the Wrongfully Convicted
(From Press Release) – On Sunday evening Senate Bill 1050, authored by State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell…
Governor Brown Signs Post-Conviction Discovery Bill
New Law Provides Innocent People Access to Materials Available at Trial (From Press Release)— Governor Jerry Brown…
California Legislature Approves Historic Bill to Prevent Wrongful Convictions
(From Press Release) – On Friday, the California Assembly approved legislation that will help prevent wrongful convictions….
Monday Morning Thoughts: Trump Doesn’t Really Care that Flipping Corrupts Justice
One of the biggest challenges in the criminal justice system and a leading cause of wrongful convictions…
Commentary: A Way Forward for Criminal Justice Reform If the DA Wants It
This week, the Vanguard column, supported by information from across the country, created a bit of a…
Monday Morning Thoughts: The Death Penalty is Almost Gone…
I have to admit that I was surprised, both in 2012 and 2016, that the death penalty…
Sunday Commentary: System Incapable of Extricating Itself from a Potential Wrongful Conviction
The question has been asked so many times and in so many different ways – how can…
Police Misconduct and Wrongful Conviction Bills Advance
California Senate Advances “Right to Know” Police Transparency Legislation with Bipartisan Support SB 1421 will open California…
Commentary: How Prosecutors Can Serve on the Front Lines in the War against Wrongful Convictions
Yesterday I read an op-ed in the Cleveland newspaper where the head of the Innocence Project of…
Commentary: Innocent Until Proven Guilty?
One of the hallmarks of our legal system is the presumption of innocence that supposedly underlies it. …
Sunday Commentary: This Is What a Wrongful Conviction Looks Like
In the summer of 2009, the Vanguard still only a few years old, I got a call…
My First Night on Death Row as an Innocent Man
By Anthony Graves Anthony Graves was convicted in 1994 for killing six people in 1992. He was…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Yolo County’s Conviction Integrity Unit Has Little to Show for Itself
There was an interesting article in The Nation Magazine last week entitled: “Why Does Our Justice System…
For Exonerees, Getting Released Is Only the First Struggle
Exonerated Inmates Receive No Services and Often Face Health, Mental, Educational, and Financial Hardships Upon Release It…