San Benito County Local News: Crime & Justice

The Public Defender Oversight Committee under the approval of the Board of Supervisors has four vacancies available to be filled by community members. The role of the Committee is to provide recommendations to the Board of Supervisors concerning public defense services in the County.

The City of Gilroy has been dismissed from all litigation filed by the families of two young men who died as a result of a 2021 shooting at the home of City Council member Rebeca Armendariz.

Though San Benito County Superior Court Judge Omar Rodriguez was 40 miles southeast of his courthouse, he donned his robe and gathered up his blue code book and gavel. Rodriguez was visiting with Panoche Elementary School students Oct. 10 as part of the Judges in the Classroom program, where he spoke about his career.

In more than 30 states, it’s harder than ever to vote this year. But in California, it’s never been easier.

When Marisol Palomares sets up a room for a restorative justice circle, she begins by making space for conversation. She moves the tables and arranges the chairs in a circle around the room. She opens a box and carefully places a blanket, a potted cactus plant, a Lego minifigure, a bracelet, and a few other items of sentimental value to her on the floor in the middle of the circle. Then she lets the students in.

This reporting is in partnership with the University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Health Journalism as part of a series for the 2024 California Health Equity Fellowship. The names of some of the individuals in this article were changed to protect their privacy.