Sacramento County Crime & Justice Digest

One of the few areas the Supreme Court has agreed on in recent years is free speech. Now, the high court will decide if protections extend to a woman who sued after being cited in 2017 for honking 14 times as she drove by a political protest.

Prison Policy Initiative released a new report that delves into the sheer magnitude of criminalization in the U.S., where reliance on incarceration outpaces most of the globe.

More than 40 states are suing the social media giant. The legal actions allege that Meta has deceived the public about the harms of Facebook and Instagram, which the attorneys general say “exploit and manipulate” children.

The Sacramento Police Department and the city of Sacramento are a step closer to reaching a settlement agreement with the parents of 19-year-old Darell Richards, who was shot and killed by police in 2018.

Gavin Newsom signed the “Ebony Alert” bill to help locate missing Black youth and Black women in the state of California, according to an Oct. 8 statement from his office.

Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are proposing a significant reduction to the use of solitary confinement in the state’s prisons. If approved, the new regulations will go into effect on Nov. 1.

Vibes, the rolling paper brand created by rapper Berner, teamed up with the Last Prisoner Project to launch Release Papers, a campaign to advocate for individuals imprisoned for marijuana-related convictions.

In naming his San Quentin Transformation Advisory Council, Gov. Gavin Newsom chose individuals with years of experience and unique perspectives.

The state grant, aimed at reducing organized retail theft in the area, will fund purchasing nearly 100 license plate reader cameras and other equipment.

Local attorney Carmen-Nicole Cox, serving as ACLU California Action’s director of government affairs, is making a case for restored voting rights for incarcerated individuals. She is pushing for legislation that would remove the part of California’s constitution that disqualifies people serving in a state or federal prison from voting.

Survivors who were sexually assaulted while imprisoned got an audience at the state Capitol, sharing their stories while testifying at a California Legislative Women’s Caucus briefing about abuse by staff at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.

A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.

Attila Colar went to prison for lying to the government. After California gave him another contract as a provider in a rehabilitation program, a federal jury convicted him of fraud for using the personal information of Bay Area parolees and others to collect government COVID funds.

In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo released a report on the July escape of murder suspect Eric James Abril from a Roseville hospital, detailing staffing shortages and policy failures that may have contributed to the incident.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has closed two state prisons and he has plans to shut two more by 2025. A new contract for correctional officers offers new perks to the guards who stay.

The California Legislative Women’s Caucus hosted a briefing focused “on sexual harm perpetuated by Central California Women’s Facility staff,” sponsored by advocates from various organizations.

After more than two years since a Sacramento-area businesswoman was wrongly accused of making racist comments on the Facebook page of Sacramento’s Black Lives Matter chapter, a settlement has been reached in her lawsuit against BLM Sacramento.

Citrus Heights Police presented findings from a study that reviewed the feasibility of placing a police officer on each of the high school campuses within the city, estimating a cost of more than $300,000 annually.

San Francisco isn’t going to take last week’s robotaxi decision by the California Public Utilities Commission lying down. Joined by the city's transit authority board, fire department and board of supervisors, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions on Wednesday to halt the unrestricted expansion of autonomous vehicles for commercial use.

The Sacramento Police Department’s proposed updates to its military equipment policy drew scrutiny in a public hearing, but the law and legislation committee voted to send the policy on to the full council. If the council does not approve it, police will lose the ability to use drones, flashbangs, armored vehicles and other items.

As the California Legislature reconvenes for the final five weeks of its session, the leader of the Assembly Public Safety Committee is under the spotlight. But Reggie Jones-Sawyer isn’t backing down.

The Galt Police Department invites the public to a wreath-laying in honor of Officer Harminder Grewal at noon on Aug. 26.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto is at the center of a move by first-term Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho to bar him from hearing criminal cases from county prosecutors. Here is a look at Acquisto’s history and résumé.

Mayor Tim Schaefer proposed the review to determine whether current funding levels are adequate after resident David Warren raised concerns over police protection during a time of “frightening” division.

Locally elected sheriffs manage California jails and are responsible for the safety of the inmates they hold. Record deaths in San Diego’s jail are shaping a plan for new statewide oversight.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make prisons a friendlier place for inmate families. An updated strip-search policy has some worried that families will face intrusive encounters during their visits.

Two recent reports on sexual harassment complaints filed against Cal State employees conclude inconsistent data collection makes it difficult to determine a reliable number.

The Biden administration’s app rule makes it harder for migrants to assert a right to asylum, advocates say. Lawsuits are sparking debate about immigration control, safety.

About 925 alcohol-involved car wrecks occurred in Sacramento County last year, and about 975 occurred in 2021. About 60 people died in crashes during each of the last two years, up from an average of around 50 the eight years before.

Thousands of Californians died from opioid overdoses in 2021. In response, many communities are making it easier to obtain life-saving overdose reversal drugs while some families are calling for tougher criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers.

California’s experimental new program targets methamphetamine addiction by rewarding patients with gift cards for negative drug tests.