714-997-4400Felon Jury Exclusion In California
The news that Californians with a felony criminal record are permanently barred from jury service probably comes as little shock. Many states have restrictions for felons, owning firearms and voting to name two, so it’s not a stretch to think that such people would also lose the right to be a juror. In 31 states […]
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing In America
In the criminal justice system, two forms of sentencing come up in courtrooms. The first and most common is discretionary sentencing, whereby a judge can order a defendant to serve anything from probation up to the maximum allowable sentence. The other, a more controversial form is mandatory minimum sentencing; a person convicted of a crime […]
Orange County DA’s Private DNA Database
DNA is a vital component of criminal justice in the United States. The invisible evidence that people leave behind at the scene of a crime can be a deciding factor in determining a suspect’s guilt or innocence. Genetic identification techniques, as people using services like 23andMe well know, can also tell men and women about […]
Hate Crimes In America
Last weekend, The New York Times Magazine featured a story about White Nationalism and hate crimes in America. The cover photo listed scores of such crimes since June of 2015; including the most recent race or religion-related mass murders, such as the Tree of Life massacre. On November 13, The Washington Post published a complimentary […]
California SB 10 Repeal Effort
2018 is the year of criminal justice reforms in the Golden State; from reducing prison populations and legislation to keep juveniles out of the adult system to end the practice of money bail. Regarding the latter, Governor Jerry Brown penned his signature to Senate Bill 10 with this ending the hotly contested system that keeps […]
California’s Bloated Prisons Budget
Lenore Anderson, a former assistant district attorney in San Francisco and executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, is calling on California lawmakers to address the state’s bloated prisons budget in the wake of several criminal justice reforms. In an op-ed for The Sacramento Bee, Anderson highlights how Governor Jerry Brown has supported legislation […]
Parole Opportunities for Life Sentences
Criminal justice reform in California is of vital importance, evident by the State considering and passing laws to reduce jail and prison populations. To that end, several measures have been adopted and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in recent years. One of the subjects of particular focus is the controversial three-strike law as […]
Countdown to Capture: Newport Beach Murder
In a world of unlimited streaming services, many Americans prefer something that is a little more anachronistic. Podcasts have come a long way in recent years attracting listeners from multiple generations and demographics. Simply put, there is a little something for everyone in the realm of podcasting; from comedy to true-crime, people can give their […]
Two Laws Address Police Transparency In California
Transparency is a good thing, especially when it comes to law enforcement and legal proceedings. Even though California is a progressive state, when it comes to police records, secrecy has long been the mantra. In the wake of controversial shootings and alleged police brutality across the country in recent years, there is a public outcry […]