Crime & Justice Image

Santa Clara County Crime & Justice Articles



San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
San José Mayor and Council Appoint New Independent Police Auditor After Nationwide Search

Eddie Aubrey, currently working with the Richmond Police Department, has been investigating police misconduct since 2016

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Milpitas Police Launch Transparency Website

Milpitas residents can review police data on crimes and other incidents with the launch of a new digital dashboard.
The city's police information dashboard came online Friday. It houses crime data, the department’s annual reports and officer misconduct information. Residents …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Names New Independent Police Auditor

San Jose has appointed a new independent police watchdog after months of scandal and instability plagued the office responsible for investigating officer malfeasance.
Eddie Aubrey, who heads the office of professional accountability for the Richmond Police Department, is taking his …

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County DA Seeks to Resentence Death Row Inmates to Life Without Parole

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen is moving to eliminate the county’s death row, looking to sentence the 15 local men still sitting on it to serve life in prison without the chance of parole instead, according to an …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Pushes to Expand Police Alternative for Mental Health Crises

Weeks before the San Jose City Council sat down to discuss this year's budget, advocates and residents sounded the alarm about gaps in mental health services and asked officials to expand access to a non-police response program.
Councilmembers on Tuesday …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Former Santa Clara County Sheriff Loses Appeal on Corruption Case

Former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has lost her appeal of a court case that barred her from public office in 2022.
Smith argued that by retiring prior to being found guilty of six corruption and willful misconduct charges …

Metro Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Cannabis and Driving High Standards

Blood-alcohol tests often aren’t really conclusive when it comes to determining whether a person is too impaired to drive. Many people who are over the legal limit are probably perfectly fine to drive, even if doing so might get them …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
City Takes Tougher Stance on Stolen Catalytic Converters

The newly approved measure is expected to strengthen laws prohibiting the illegal possession of catalytic converters, marked or unmarked, and will enact stricter fines.

Image caption: A new law seeks to prevent cars from speeding, which causes about one of every three traffic fatalities.
If Drivers Won’t Slow Down, Proposed Law Requires Cars Do It for Them

“Intelligent” speed-limiting technology will be required in all new California cars starting in 2027, if a new law authored by San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener passes.

Image caption: Under a new law, homeless people in San Mateo County can be criminally charged for refusing to move to a shelter.
Should Homelessness be a Crime? New San Mateo County Law Allows Charges

In San Mateo County, a new law allows police to charge homeless people with criminal offenses if they don’t accept shelter. SCOTUS will soon weigh in with a potential landmark decision in an Oregon case.

Image caption: California traffic deaths dropped by 12 percent in the first three months of 2023, but road fatalities remain at crisis levels.
Death on the Roads: Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

As the COVID pandemic eased, so did the epidemic of death on the road. Somewhat. But the ongoing crisis of traffic fatalities remains at high levels with early numbers form 2023 appearing to top 4,000 in California.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
SJ Police Chief Mata Retires to Take Job with DA

The city praised Anthony Mata for his 28 years of service with the city, listing as his accomplishments the department’s first strategic plan, increased diversity through the sworn officer ranks and managing police reform initiatives.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Police Arrest Five Suspects in East San Jose for Illegal Gambling, Prostitution

In December, San Jose Special Operations METRO Unit Officers learned that a commercial property in the 2400 block of Autumnvale Drive housed an illegal gambling establishment that also offered illegal drugs and prostitution.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
2023: California Closes Prisons and Transforms Others

As the state shutters prisons, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to turn San Quentin into a model for rehabilitation. Attorney General Rob Bonta is trying to catch up on police shooting investigations.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Owner of Hotel Property Management Company Sentenced for Embezzlement of Client Funds

Henry Flynn, 57, owner and CEO of Kubo, was sentenced to six months in the Santa Clara County Jail. He pleaded guilty to grand theft in November 2022.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
Access to abortion in California is limited in many areas, though state laws protect a woman’s right to choose.
Abortion Rights in California, Explained
But even in California, access to abortion services in many areas remains limited.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
Gov. Newsom has a new plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Join Us Today!