Robert Greene

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.

By Robert Greene • February 3, 2026

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.

By Robert Greene • September 25, 2025

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.

By Robert Greene • August 15, 2025

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LA County repealed its own justice reforms.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.

By Robert Greene • August 5, 2025

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.

By Robert Greene • July 21, 2025

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. 

By Robert Greene • July 3, 2025

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.

By Robert Greene • June 10, 2025

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.

By Robert Greene • April 21, 2025

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.

By Robert Greene • March 31, 2025

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. 

By Robert Greene • February 27, 2025