A federal Judge sentenced Norman Wielsch, the former Commander of the Contra Costa County drug task force, to 14 years in federal prison for his part in drug-and-corruption related charges. In addition to admitting guilt to drug-related charges, including possession,...
“California leads America in many things. One of them is a mania for locking people up.” Prisoner Overcrowding: The Magic Number, The Economist In 2011, Governor Brown signed AB 109 and AB 117, together commonly referred to as Realignment. Realignment...
In a much anticipated ruling, the California Supreme Court ruled that cities and counties may ban medical marijuana dispensaries. (City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center, Inc., et al.) In a 7-0 decision, the Court held that local...
The fiftieth anniversary of Gideon v. Wainright has brought much needed attention to the now half-century old case granting indigent defendants charged with a felony the right to an attorney. In a recent NY Times editorial, The Right to Counsel: Badly Battered at 50,... 