Yolo County Local News: Crime & Justice

09/26/2023
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.

09/26/2023
The Yolo County Public Defender’s Office and Probation Department are partnering on a snack drive to build non-perishable pantries in their offices to benefit their shared clients.

09/25/2023
Davis Joint Unified School District Superintendent Matt Best sent a letter to families, staff and students on Monday following yet another bomb threat laced with anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric.

09/20/2023
Art Mendoza left big shoes to fill upon his retirement from the Winters Fire Department, but Jesus Marquez has fit into the role like Cinderella into her glass slipper.

09/11/2023
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.

09/05/2023
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.

09/01/2023
In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

08/28/2023
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.

08/27/2023
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office hosted a successful anonymous gun buyback event, allowing residents to dispose of unwanted firearms safely and further prevent gun violence.

08/26/2023
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.

08/23/2023
The San Joaquin County Jail houses about 1,300 people, but has never undergone a single audit, a grand jury noted this year—but now, for the first time, “the jail will be audited under the Prison Rape Elimination Act this October.”

08/21/2023
The Davis library on Aug 21 was evacuated, as well as adjacent facilities at North Davis Elementary, St. James and the Vets Memorial, due to a reported bomb threat to the library. Juan Ceja, Yolo County PIO, told the Vanguard that the threat was received by local TV station Fox 40.

08/17/2023
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.

08/13/2023
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.

08/10/2023
The Winters City Council hosted a first reading on a potential ordinance on safe storage of firearms but ultimately opted to table the ordinance for now and focus on firearms safety education efforts.

08/08/2023
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.

08/07/2023
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.

08/06/2023
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.

08/06/2023
Two recent reports on sexual harassment complaints filed against Cal State employees conclude inconsistent data collection makes it difficult to determine a reliable number.

07/24/2023
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.