A mother says that if she’d had a better understanding of her son’s juvenile justice proceedings, the information would have guided her decisions in court in the spring of 2012 when he was found delinquent for carrying a weapon – a pocket knife – on school grounds.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Supervisors Slated to Delay Plans to Ax OIR Director
The Orange County Board of Supervisors was planning to show Office of Independent Review head Steve Connolly the door by the end of this month. But the board is now scheduled to give him another four months.
An OC Teen Teeters on the Edge of Deportation
Alex had landed in Orange County’s juvenile hall after bringing a pocket knife to school in 2012. Since, he’s lived on a slippery slope toward deportation.
Lost Boys: Undocumented Youth Face Perilous Journey Through Justice System
For years, legal scholars and immigrant youth advocates have clashed with probation departments regarding the disclosure of confidential information about undocumented juveniles to federal immigration authorities without a court order. Part one of a four-part series.
Goldstein: Legalized marijuana benefits, not hurts, society
A veteran law enforcement argues that benefits of legalizing marijuana outweigh opponents’ fears — increased cost, crime and drug use — by being more cost efficient and offering competition for illegal sales.
Santana: OC Supervisors Trash Auditors, Accountability
Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana, Jr. warns taxpayers about a looming accountability crisis in county government with the County’s Performance Auditor fired, the Office of Independent Review battered, the Internal Audit Department transferred and the abrupt retirement of the county’s Human Resources Director in protest.
Controversial Tennis Center Renovation Back in Anaheim Budget
The planned renovation of the tennis center was pulled from the budget in 2013 after it sparked outrage among Latino activists and Mayor Tom Tait. Now it’s back and with a higher price tag.
Johnson: Homelessness in Laguna Beach – Tragedy and Hope
The ACLU Foundation of Southern California sued the City of Laguna Beach over its handling of homeless people recently. Attorney Plaitniffs’ Heather Maria Johnson explains what advocates want and why they think they’ll win.
ACLU Sues Laguna Beach Over Treatment of Homeless People
For the second time in a decade, the organization has sued the city for failing to provide adequate facilities for homeless people with mental and physical disabilities.
Caregivers Face Daunting Tangle of Regulations
In the nearly two decades since California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, consensus has not been reached on how best to run a medical marijuana program, and regulators have been left to experiment.

