The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) recently endorsed the newly introduced Right to Trial Act, asserting the legislation would safeguard the constitutional right to trial and mitigate the detrimental impact of the “trial penalty.”
The accused argued before Judge Lauren Weis Birnstein that delaying his case would violate his constitutional right to a speedy trial, but the judge set a date of June 2, 2026 for jury trial readiness, citing the need for the investigator to review the footage.
Public defenders across the country wore black on April 23 to protest underfunding and excessive workloads, which they argue are undermining their ability to effectively represent clients and uphold the constitutional right to counsel.
Public defenders across California and the nation protested chronic underfunding, excessive caseloads and the threat to the constitutional right to counsel, with Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson and her office joining the demonstration.
The California Court of Appeal has stayed the enforcement of a $26,000 contempt sanction against San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju, pending further action by the Superior Court.
A San Francisco judge imposed a $26,000 fine on Public Defender Mano Raju for declining a limited number of new cases, escalating a conflict over whether courts can compel representation when public defense offices say they lack the capacity to provide it.
The California Lawyers Association has raised concerns about recent federal immigration enforcement practices, which it says may violate constitutional protections and civil liberties, and has called for courts and oversight institutions to ensure independent review of such actions.
The U.S. Department of Justice has ended federal oversight of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s informant practices, citing reforms implemented under District Attorney Todd Spitzer, despite critics arguing that the reforms remain incomplete.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is seeking to roll back Senate Bill 203, which requires youth to consult with legal counsel before waiving their Miranda rights, a move advocates warn would allow children to be questioned by police without an attorney present.
Ralph Menzies, who is scheduled to be executed by firing squad in September 2025, has submitted a clemency petition to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, citing his irreversible vascular dementia and a crumbling foundation of flawed trial proceedings, false testimony, prosecutorial misconduct, and ineffective legal representation.
BURLINGTON VT– Judge Michael Harris denied a motion to dismiss charges of a man accused of first…
By David M. Greenwald Executive Editor Santa Ana, CA – Orange County Deputy DA Seton Hunt filed…
By Cynthia Hoang-Duong WOODLAND, CA – During a pre-hearing conference here in Yolo County Superior Court last…
By Cres Vellucci The Vanguard Sacramento Bureau Chief ORANGE COUNTY, CA – The U.S. Department of Justice…
By Kanya Bennett and Ezekiel Edwards On May 8, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) elevated the crisis of…
Does Reisig Not Support the Right to Counsel or Public Defense? The most telling aspect of the…