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Santa Clara County Crime & Justice Articles



Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Sheriff investigates fentanyl exposures at jail

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 …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Fentanyl Overdoses at Elmwood Jail Prompt Sheriff to Begin Investigation, Add More Searches

To combat the presence of fentanyl in the correctional facility, Jonsen said he has taken “extraordinary” measures, including conducting multiple facility searches, more frequent welfare checks and numerous K-9 searches.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Neighborhood Surveillance Cams Helped Cops Nab PG&E Bombing Suspect

A three-month investigation ended last week when police arrested Peter Karasev, 36, on suspicion of bombing transformers on Thornwood Drive in December and on Snell Avenue in January.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara Supervisors Want Sheriff to Increase Gun Buyback Program

In the wake of recent gun violence, Santa Clara County leaders voted Tuesday to improve the county's gun buyback and relinquishment program. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is asking the sheriff's office to hold two regularly scheduled gun …

Image caption: The AB 3121 Task Force to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans meets in Oakland on Dec. 14, 2022.
Reparations Task Force Seeks More Than Dollars

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.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
San José Reports No Citations under New Gun Law, and Gun Fees Are Months Away

The city had estimated that the $25 fees would yield $1.3 million, to be collected by a non-profit foundation established to distribute all fee revenue to community-based programs focused on reducing gun violence. That revenue estimate was based on 100% …

Image caption: Can YouTube be held liable for a deadly terrorist attack if its algorithm recommended ISIS videos?
SCOTUS Takes on Section 230, the Online Free Speech Law

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?

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara Man Faces Felony Charge for Actions at Jan. 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol

In the 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 950 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 284 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law …

Image caption: Has Google established a monopoly over online advertising? The feds say yes.
DOJ Lawsuit Seeks To Force Google to Sell Ad Service

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.

Image caption: Memorial dedicated to the victims of the May 2022  mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Gun Violence is a Public Health Crisis

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.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Man Shot in San Jose on New Year’s Day Dies, San Jose’s First Homicide of 2023

A man who was on life support for more than a week after being shot in San Jose on New Year's Day died from his injuries Monday, An arrest was made, but city police declined to identity the suspect or …

Image caption: Explaining California is hard work! But at California Local, we were up for it throughout 2022.
Explaining California in 2022: Our 10 Best Explainers of the Year

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.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Porn, Piracy and Fraud Lurk Inside Google’s Black Box Ad Empire

Google’s ad business hides the identities of all publishers it works with and where billions of ad dollars flow. Propublica uncovered a network containing manga piracy, porn, fraud and disinformation.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Amah Mutsun Tribe Sues to Block Highway 101 Commercial Project

The complaint is the second lawsuit to declare that project in northern San Benito County would harm cultural resources and threaten the environment.

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Gun buyback nets 289 unwanted firearms

Despite drenching rain and strong winds, people weren’t deterred when it came to dropping off unwanted guns Saturday during a gun buyback program staged by Santa Clara County law agencies and the District Attorney’s Office. Spread out in several tents …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
New Grand Jury to be sworn-in Dec. 15

The Santa Clara County Superior Court will discharge the 2022 Civil Grand Jury and impanel 19 new Civil Grand Jury members on Dec. 15, Presiding Judge Theodore C. Zayner said today. The Civil Grand Jury, an arm of the Santa …

Morgan Hill Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Gun buyback is ‘one tool’ to prevent deaths, injuries by firearm

Gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States, and an upcoming firearms buyback event in Morgan Hill aims to address the problem by keeping unwanted weapons out of the wrong hands, according to county law enforcement and …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Biden Names Berkeley Lawyer U.S. Attorney for Northern California

If he is confirmed, Ismail Ramsey will replace acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds, who has served in the role since Feb. 2021, when previous U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California David Anderson announced that he would step down …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
In Unprecedented Law, CA Will Seal Most Criminal Records

The new law makes California the first state that will automatically seal most criminal records for those who complete their sentences.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Dead animals spark Gilroy neighbors’ concerns

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 …

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.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's 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.