Letter: Criminal Defense Work Deserves Your Respect
By Tracie Olson A recent campaign flier released by the incumbent district attorney states that voters should…
Sunday Commentary: Attack Piece Targets Johansson for Being a Public Defender
Does Reisig Not Support the Right to Counsel or Public Defense? The most telling aspect of the…
Pape Press Conference: Mother and Others Speak Out against Criminalization of Mental Illness
Students from UC Davis and Patti Pape, the mother of Eric Pape, who took his own life…
Monday Morning Thoughts: What Went Wrong in the Criminal Prosecution of Eric Pape
Last week the Vanguard broke the tragic news about the death of Eric Pape. The most tragic…
The Yolo County Public Defender’s Office and the Guarantee of Equal Access to Justice
Part Two in Celebration of National Public Defense Week, March 18-24, 2018 By Tracie Olson Holistic defense…
The Guarantee of Equal Access to Justice
Part One in Celebration of National Public Defense Week, March 18-24, 2018 By Tracie Olson National Public…
DA Will Partner with Public Defender to Expedite Relief to Those with Marijuana Convictions Affected by Proposition 64
(From Press Release) – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced plans to partner with the Public…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Why Did DA Punt on High Profile Murder Case?
When the KetMoRee stabbing first occurred in September 2015, it was a stunning moment for the city…
The Promise of Gideon v. Wainwright
By Tracie Olson, Yolo County Public Defender
By Tracie Olson, Yolo County Public DefenderBorn in 1910, Clarence Earl Gideon was a homeless drifter who spent most of his life in and out of trouble. In 1961, a pool room in Florida was burglarized. A single eyewitness testified that he saw the burglar leave the pool room carrying a wine bottle and money, and further testified that the man he saw was Mr. Gideon. No other evidence tied Mr. Gideon to the crime.
In court, Mr. Gideon proclaimed his innocence and asked the judge to appoint him counsel, as he could not afford to hire his own. The judge denied his request, telling Mr. Gideon that the law only allowed the court to appoint counsel to those facing a capital offense. Ultimately, the jury convicted Mr. Gideon and he was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Saylor Pushes for More Equity for Public Defender’s Office
The data coming out of the county showed a large discrepancy in the resources allotted to the…
Crime Stats Down Across the Board in Yolo County, Allaying Fears of Prop 47 Crime Wave
In early April, the Vanguard reported that first quarter 2016 crime stats moved downward in Davis and…
Defense Denied in Vindictive Prosecution Objection to DA’s Charging Mother with Murder
It has been just nine days since police investigators found 20-day-old Justice Rees near Rough Cut Slough…
Californians Deliver Resounding Message Against Mass Incarceration
It was the clearest signal to date that Californians are fed up with the growing costs and…
Eye on the Courts: Is Prop 47 The End of Safe Neighborhoods or Critical Prison Reform?
Under Proposition 47, the state would reduce to misdemeanors offenses for drug possession, petty theft, receiving stolen…
Eye on the Court: Death Penalty Creates Unequal Application Under the Law
Last week, a Federal District Court Judge would invalidate the death penalty in the case of a…
