Commentary
California judges defend their independence and the rule of law
President Trump, Gov. Newsom and other politicians pressured judges. But judges say they can’t bow to political or popular will, only to the law.
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Commentary
Trump made a fact-free case against cashless bail with no authority to scrap it
President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding unless states and local jurisdictions that have taken cash bail off the table reinstate it.
Commentary
It’s not just Trump. Much of deep-blue California stokes crime fears and distorts reality
Stoking crime fear for political gain is commonplace in American politics. In California, Democrats made a show of retail theft hearings in recent years and championed tough-on-crime bills geared more toward pumping turnout than affecting crime rates.
Commentary
LA County repealed its own justice reforms. Restoring them would require a shaky electorate
An unfathomable drafting blunder could wreck years of work to make Los Angeles County government more responsive. Restoring the voter-approved reforms will be difficult.
Commentary
The Trump regime targets California’s sanctuary status at the expense of the American creed
The federal government's actions and comments show they respect no sanctuary, no refuge, no protection in the very things they purport to be guarding: the law, the Constitution, the American people, and their safety, values and sovereignty.
Commentary
In battered Los Angeles, the Fourth of July feels very different this year
The twin assaults — January and June, nature and nativism, fire and fear — nip at L.A.’s soul. It’s hard to shake the feeling that half the nation is, along with Trump, relishing scenes of Los Angeles suffering.
Commentary
Trump’s military deployment in Los Angeles has little to do with the rule of law
The Trump administration has spent months denying basic constitutional protections and due process to people targeted for deportation. He cannot credibly claim that the military deployment in Los Angeles is about defending the rule of law.
Commentary
California lawmakers can do a lot to aid LA fire recovery. Steeper looting penalties aren’t part of that
There were relatively few arrests inside evacuation zones during this year's LA firestorm, yet California legislators have put looting center stage. The bills would mostly enhance already-stiff penalties, raising questions about why Democrats are making such a fuss.
Commentary
Money, location shape California’s criminal defense system to an unconstitutional level
Flat-free contracts for public defense attorneys are barred in many states, yet 15 California counties use this format for representing defendants who can't pay for one. The problem? It creates a disincentive to spend money fighting criminal charges.
Commentary
California wants LA County to close its juvenile hall. Why it can’t is a failure decades in the making
The roots of juvenile probation failures in the nation’s largest county run deep — far deeper than the elimination of California agencies or juvenile justice realignment.