San Benito County Crime & Justice Articles

More than 4 percent of death penalty convicts have been wrongfully convicted, data shows. But courts including the U.S. Supreme Court have failed to provide protections for the innocent facing death at the hands of the state.

The death penalty remains legal in California, but Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions in 2019. Will capital punishment end in the state? Here’s what’s happening.

The California Supreme Court has kept the state at the forefront of legal issues surrounding abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage, starting in its earliest days in the Gold Rush era.

The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has launched Axon’s engagement platform, My90, as part of an ongoing commitment to serving the public with “modern and compassionate policing,” says a press release from the sheriff’s office. My90 is a tool used …

Fears that violent crime is out of control on the streets of California cities rose after the murder of a well-known tech exec. But what are the facts and do they back up the rising moral panic about crime?

Gilroy will buy its own armored vehicle for the police department after its decade-long access to a shared vehicle was restricted due to a recent state law. The Gilroy City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $360,497 purchase of a …

San Benito County Sheriff’s Commander Tomas Corral recently graduated from the exclusive FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, where he absorbed a wealth of knowledge, skills and resources that he expects will be highly beneficial to his career and his …

Three mass shootings with at least six fatalities have already taken place in California in 2023, resulting in 25 deaths. Statistically however, California has been below average for the United States in rate of mass shooting deaths.

From Bay City News Service Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen is drawing attention to a rash of fentanyl overdoses and exposures at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, he said in a release on Wednesday. Thirteen inmates and two …

The task force members are discussing monetary and nonmonetary reparations ideas to compensate for slavery and racism. Some say they want policies to prevent future harms against Black Californians.

At 3:36 p.m. on Feb. 28, the Hollister Police Department issued an alert about police activity on Tres Pinos Road at Ladd Lane in Hollister. HPD asked that people stay away from the area until further notice. Police scanners said …

The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday heard arguments in a potential landmark case that could roll back Section 230, the 27-year-old law that protects free speech on social media and other online platforms. Which way were the justices leaning?

Google may be forced to sell off its $200 billion online advertising service if a new lawsuit by the federal Department of Justice claiming that Google acts as a monopoly succeeds.

State and local officials are still asking law enforcement to prevent gun violence. Community leaders believe gun violence should be treated as a public health crisis, and incorporate prevention strategies that address the social factors in areas most at risk.

2022 was a year that needed a lot of explaining. And California Local was there. Here are our 10 most important explanatory journalism stories from the year gone by, from immigration to cryptocurrency to wealth inequality and more.

The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band last week announced that it has filed a lawsuit against San Benito County to halt development of a new commercial project on Betabel Road, which sits on property that “holds significant historical, cultural and religious …

A growing number of dead and mutilated animals reportedly found within a few blocks in central Gilroy over the past year have residents fearing there may be a serial abuser in the neighborhood. Gilroy Police say that of the few …

The 49ers PAC spent an unprecedented $3 million on Anthony Becker, Sudhanshu “Suds” Jain, and Kevin Park's campaigns. Now they and two of their peers must respond to lack of transparency and cover-up charges from the Civil Grand Jury, and …

An inmate at the San Benito County jail committed suicide at the detention facility over the weekend, according to authorities. About 8:11am Oct. 2, an inmate who was alone in his cell was discovered by jail staff hanging from a …

California’s goal of zero traffic fatalities remains distant. Here are some common causes of deaths on the road that can be fixed, but haven’t been.