As we race through the last of our various 2024 holidays, and toward 2025, WitnessLA has begun to look at what effects the new year may have on the conviction of Mark-Ridley-Thomas. In the meantime, friends and supporters...
Jimmy Carter, 39th President & Nobel Prize Winner leaves us at age 100
Jimmy Carter was complicated, brilliant, a man who, during his time as President of the United...
Opinion: How New Restorative Justice Program Can Bring Safety & Support to Survivors During the Holidays
It’s that time of year again, when people's days filled with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and/or...
Unsuitable: 2024 – LA County Board of Supervisors vote on who to blame because probation’s main youth hall isn’t “suitable” to house young people
Here’s the deal. On Tuesday, December 17, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on...
New Data Source Offers Answers About How Frequently People Are Booked Into Jail and Why
In 2023, 5.6 million individuals were booked into U.S. jails. Because approximately 1.2 million of...
How I Turned from Violence to Healing and Reconciliation
sat in a tiny, crowded cell at the San Francisco County Jail, contemplating how I had ended up...
New Journalism 2025 – another person flees from the LA Times
On December 5, 2024, attorney/journalist Harry Litman explained in his newly launched Substack...
Upcoming Stories and Giving Newsday
Good morning, WitnessLA readers,For much of the world, today is Giving Tuesday.In the world of...
Op-ed: Why school police officers may not be the most effective way to prevent violence
Editor’s Note: An update on LAUSD and school police in LA County The Los Angeles Unified...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 12 – Headed to the 9th
Thursday, November 21, the team of appellate lawyers representing Mark Ridley-Thomas will argue his...
Most Crime Survivors Want Community Support, Not Long Prison Sentences, According to Survey
A newly released national survey of crime survivors suggests that their needs and desires do not...
In honor of our nation’s veterans, with deep gratitude & respect for those who have served
On Veteran's day, it is traditional to express our gratitude and respect for those who have served...
Quick Takes on Elections & Justice
During these post election days, there is so much being written and/or broadcast in the world of...
Waking up on November 6, 2024….after the night of November 5, 2024
For those Americans who had long been fearing the possibility of the re-election of former...
New California Laws Part 1: Governor Signs Bills Focused on Domestic Violence and Support for Victims
In the weeks leading up to a September 30 deadline, California Governor Gavin Newsom made final...
How I Used Restorative Justice to Heal Myself & My Family
By Lisbet Perez As a victim advocate who is also a survivor of domestic violence, I have had the...
Prop. 6 Would Ban Involuntary Servitude in All Forms in California
The California Constitution prohibits slavery — unless it is carried out as a punishment for a...
The Race for District Attorney: Gascón & Hochman Debate
LA District Attorney George Gascón and challenger Nathan Hochman squared off in in an hour-long...
Prison Gang Labels Don’t Belong in Juvenile Facilities
In juvenile facilities across California, youth impacted by gangs are labeled with prison gang...