Justice

A federal judge in April ordered Alameda County to review more than 30 of its death penalty convictions after evidence emerged suggesting the District Attorney’s Office blocked Black and Jewish people from serving on juries. This week, the California Supreme Court upheld a capital sentence from a trial that had no Black jurors.

Judges at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals distinguished between gun sellers' Constitutional rights and the government’s authority to decide what kind of commerce takes place on public property.

Since Gov. Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment one year ago, there has been far more progress on online petitions than in other state legislatures. His team says the effort will pick up speed in 2025.

A bill that would increase penalties for those who assault hospital emergency department workers is facing the same pushback that other recent tough-on-crime legislation has from progressive Democrats leery of increasing incarceration rates.

California has conflicting laws and court decisions on what judges should prioritize when setting bail. A case involving a homeless man with a long criminal record could resolve some uncertainty.

A CalMatters review documented at least 25 instances in which officers appeared to aim their weapons at the eye-level of pro-Palestinian protesters or fired them into crowds.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is recommending small cuts to the state prison system, avoiding the closures of additional facilities.

“Jail suicides are extraordinarily difficult to protect against,” a retired California sheriff said. One jail in the San Joaquin Valley is changing routines to keep inmates from harming themselves.

A state senator says there’s a “hidden homicide” epidemic of killers making domestic violence murders look like suicides or accidents. Her bill would give families a right to seek an independent review of death investigations.

“Am I going to continue banging my head against the wall here for something I don’t think is going to change?” asked the leader of a civilian law enforcement review board in San Diego County.