Investigations
Newsom signs two laws to address weaknesses in California’s public defense
The laws follow CalMatters investigations into failures in the state's public-defense system.
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Investigations
CA’s privatized public defense leads to caseloads 3x the most basic standards, report finds
The report follows a CalMatters investigation highlighting problems with privatized public defense.
Investigations
New commission takes aim at California’s broken public defense system
California is one of just two states that provides no money for the basic defense of poor people accused of crimes.
Investigations
California has a public defender crisis. A new bill seeks to force the state to confront it
Counties would have to report their public defenders' workloads under the proposed legislation.
Investigations
Internal emails show how fringe groups fueled Sheriff Chad Bianco’s ballot seizure
Records reveal the investigation was based on the thinnest of evidence, raising alarms over how the November election could be disrupted.
Investigations
The WalMart of public defense: How justice gets sold to the lowest bidder in rural California
Flat-fee contracts have been banned in other parts of the country. But, as the story of one law firm shows, they have flourished in the Golden State.
Investigations
Taken: What happens after an LA immigration raid
CalMatters spoke with a number of migrants about their arrests and detentions after the first weekend of LA raids. Their accounts raise potential legal questions about the government’s operation.
Investigations
The Man Who Unsolved a Murder
If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee.
Investigations
California is failing to provide a vital safeguard against wrongful convictions
If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee.