News

WitnessLA14d
Three judges from the 9th Circuit weigh in on the Trump v. Newsom battle over CA’s National Guard
The matter came to the Ninth after District Judge Charles Breyer issued a temporary restraining order requiring the president to return control of approximately 4,000 California National Guard troops ...
Witness LA1mon
The Case of the Vanishing Editor
While Assistant Editor Taylor Walker has been once more looking into the painful and ongoing issue of moving LA County’s young people between various youth lock-ups, each of these environments clearly ...
Witness LA2mon
A controversial prosecution, a series of threats, & the struggle to provide genuine oversight for the nations largest sheriff’s department – Part 2
The case of Diana Teran As described in Part 1 of this series, it was a controversial set of criminal charges filed against a longtime local prosecutor named Diana Teran, that inspired lawyer Sean ...
Witness LA6mon
Unsuitable: 2024 – LA County Board of Supervisors vote on who to blame because probation’s main youth hall isn’t “suitable” to house young people
Here’s the deal. On Tuesday, December 17, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on a last minute motion, 71A, which was introduced by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis. The ...
Witness LA9mon
Don’t shield private foster care agencies from accountability for abuse
The “crisis” facing Foster Family Agencies is an opportunity for real reform Recent developments in California and New York make it clear: Foster care is now known to be so harmful to children—and ...
Witness LA9mon
The WhistleBlower, LASD Sergeant Rosa Gonzalez, Part 2
It’s been almost exactly a month since, on August 15, 2024, LASD Sergeant Rosa Gonzalez, challenged the demotion she received after becoming a whistleblower for the second time during her 25-years ...
Witness LA11mon
Is it time for the feds to investigate wrongdoing in the LA County’s jails—again?
On December 9, 2013, slightly more than a decade from today, the The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, filed five criminal cases for a total of 18 indictments against ...
Witness LA1y
13 people vanish from Probation’s leadership. So will it help?
Late on Friday afternoon, June 28, Los Angeles County Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa caused a great many heads to spin with his announcement that 13 people were no longer going to be working at ...
Witness LA1y
Video of gladiator fight in Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall is shown in court, as same troubled facility is declared “suitable” to house LA’s youth
Thursday, April 11, was not a cheering day for those who care about the young people in the care of Los Angeles County Probation On Thursday morning during a hearing in a Sylmar juvenile courtroom, ...
Witness LA1y
LASD whistleblower takes her case to trial, while Villanueva testifies that deputy gangs don’t exist, & Sheriff Luna says there’s a new deputy gang
In May of 2022, WitnessLA reported in detail about how Walton was retaliated against for her unwillingness to go along with the provably false story that then Sheriff Villanueva told regarding a ...
Witness LA1y
A good California Supreme Court decision curbs the family police
A decision by the California Supreme Court sheds rare light on how family police agencies (a more accurate term than “child welfare” agencies) like the Los Angeles County Department of Children and ...
Witness LA1y
Mental Health Care Is Critical for Survivors of Violence. Access Is Another Story
Anneliese Waters: After fleeing an abusive marriage, Anneliese Waters of Los Angeles said she contacted multiple domestic violence agencies seeking mental health support but never got a call back. Now ...