• Twitter

wla

Criminal Justice Journalism in the Public Interest
  • Columns & Interviews
  • Series
  • Investigations
  • Bill Watch
  • Youth to Power
  • The California Justice Report
  • About Us
  • Support WitnessLA
#JusticeBriefs2025 • Uncategorized

SUPREMES Remove—at least for now—legal restrictions that prevent Trump administration from making immigration stops based on racial profiling

September 8, 2025
#DangerousJails

AG Rob Bonta sues LASD for its “inhumane” Jails

September 8, 2025
#JusticeBriefs

This Week’s Slap Down Ruling by the 9th Sends Government running to SCOTUS

August 7, 2025
#Justice

9th Circuit Slaps Down Government’s Attempt to Avoid Judge’s Temporary Restraining Order

August 5, 2025
#JusticeBriefs2025 • ACLU

Federal Judge demonstrates the power of temporary restraining orders when the U.S. Constitution is violated

July 20, 2025
#JusticeBriefs2025

Three Members of the LA County Sheriff’s Department Killed Friday Described as The Best of the Best.

July 18, 2025
LASD • The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

The Trial of Paul Tanaka Part 6: The Verdict & the Jury

April 7, 2016
147 Comments

THE VERDICT It was around 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday, when U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson got...

LASD

The Trial of Paul Tanaka: GUILTY!!!

April 6, 2016
50 Comments

There is much to say. The jurors’ comments were most telling. Back soon.

LASD • The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

The Trial of Paul Tanaka – Part 5: The Former Undersheriff and the Vikings

April 5, 2016
32 Comments

THE FATE OF THE V-WORD When the federal trial of former undersheriff Paul Tanaka continued on...

Uncategorized

Inadequacies in Education for CA’s Incarcerated Kids…Alt. Public Defenders for LA’s Juvie Defendants…Missing: Childcare for Foster Families…and a San Diego Reentry Job Center

April 5, 2016
2 Comments

REPORT FINDS DISPARITIES AND FAILURES IN EDUCATION SYSTEMS THAT SERVE KIDS IN PROBATION CAMPS...

LASD • Paul Tanaka • The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

The Trial of Paul Tanaka – Part 4: Tanaka Takes the Stand, and the Prosecution Uses the “V” Word

April 4, 2016
8 Comments

‘UNWAVERING SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG” Midmorning on Friday, after a week and a half of witness...

Jail

Prop. 47 Easing Jail Overcrowding, Peacemakers in South LA, and Patt Morrison Talks with Luis Rodriguez

April 1, 2016
4 Comments

ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF CA’S PROP. 47 ON OVERCROWDED JAILS Jail populations in California...

LA County Board of Supervisors

More on the State of Juvenile Defense in LA County…LA’s Wrongful Convictions Unit…and Presidential Commutations

March 31, 2016
Add Comment

LA COUNTY SUPERVISORS PREVIEW MOTION TO RESEARCH WAYS TO OVERHAUL JUVENILE INDIGENT DEFENSE SYSTEM...

Paul Tanaka • The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

” F— the FBI!” – Trial of Former LASD Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, Part 3

March 30, 2016
39 Comments

The trial of Paul Tanaka, the former second in command of the nation’s largest sheriff’s...

Juvenile Justice

Injustice in LA County’s Indigent Defense System for Kids

March 29, 2016
Add Comment

GAP IN STRENGTH OF REPRESENTATION BETWEEN POOR JUVENILE DEFENDANTS SERVED BY PANEL ATTORNEYS AND...

LASD • Paul Tanaka • The Downfall of Paul Tanaka

The Trial of Paul Tanaka, Part 2: The “Context” and “the Crime”

March 28, 2016
45 Comments

THE CONTEXT AND THE CRIME “Every crime has a context,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox...

DCFS

Missed Deadlines and a Backlog of Searches for Family Leave LA Foster Kids in Painful Limbo

March 28, 2016
1 Comment

Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has been having a terrible time...

LASD

The Trial of Former LA Undersheriff Paul Tanaka Begins With Two Very Different Stories

March 25, 2016
31 Comments

TWO DIFFERENT OPENING STATEMENTS, TWO DIFFERENT STORIES It was just after 4 p.m. on Thursday...

Education

College Behind Bars, the Problem With the CalGang Database, and Traumatized Compton Kids Train Shelter Dogs

March 24, 2016
4 Comments

SEVEN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE PROGRAMS FOR INMATES AND FORMER INMATES GET $6 MILLION A total of $5.9...

Law Enforcement

AG Kamala Harris’ Law Enforcement Transparency Bill…LA County’s New Education Leader…and a Botched Raid

March 23, 2016
8 Comments

FASTER AND EASIER PUBLIC ACCESS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOOTINGS AND OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE NUMBERS...

Trauma

What Research About Children’s Brains & Trauma Tells Us About the Need to Invest Early

March 22, 2016
Add Comment

This essay was adapted from oral remarks given by Wendy Smith during a Congressional roundtable...

Race & Justice

Alex Nieto and Gentrification, Criminal Justice Research Center Moves, and Catholics and the Death Penalty

March 22, 2016
1 Comment

WHY SAN FRANCISCO GENTRIFICATION MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEATH OF ALEX NIETO On March 21...

LASD

The Trial of Former LASD Undersheriff Paul Tanaka to Begin on Wednesday

March 21, 2016
61 Comments

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FED TRIAL OF FORMER LA COUNTY UNDERSHERIFF PAUL TANAKA The federal...

Rehabilitation • Sentencing

The Prop. 47 Funding Debate, $30 Million Gang Injunction Settlement, and Merrick Garland

March 18, 2016
12 Comments

THERE’S A DISPUTE OVER HOW MUCH PROP. 47 IS SAVING CALIFORNIA, LEAVING FUNDS MEANT FOR...

View All
Support WitnessLA

WLA’s NEW California Justice Report

 
READ & SUBSCRIBE!
Sign up for our re-launched California Justice Report newsletter, which will bring you email notifications of WitnessLA’s best stories & recent chapters of investigative series that we promise you won’t want to miss. All for FREE.

Editor’s Selections

  • Criminalizing California’s Foster Kids
  • Los Angeles County’s Youth Probation Camps Have a...

Recent Tweets

Subscribe to the California Justice Report:

  • Home
  • 10 Rules of Commenting
  • Contact
  • Twitter