Orange County Superior Court Judge Nathan Scott ruled Thursday that a media coalition led by Voice of OC, which includes the LA Times and Southern California Public Radio, has the right to intervene in court against a bid by the county deputy sheriff’s union to quash the public release of select police misconduct records.
Author Archives: Norberto Santana Jr.
Norberto Santana, Jr. is an experienced investigative reporter, serving as founding publisher and editor-in-chief for Voice of OC, overseeing newsroom, engagement and fundraising operations.
He’s also an award-winning columnist, focusing his efforts on First Amendment issues and local government, being recognized multiple years by the Orange County Press Club as the region’s best columnist.
The LA Press Club has named him a Journalist of the Year (2018) and the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has recognized him as a “Distinguished Journalist.” The California Chicano News Media Association has honored him with a lifetime achievement award and the national News Leaders Association has recognized him for his commitment to diverse staffing and coverage.
Santana is a pioneer in the field of nonprofit news having served on the board of directors for the national trade group for nonprofit newsrooms, the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). He also has served on boards of the national nonprofit advocating investigative journalism, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the California First Amendment advocacy group, CalAware.
In addition to journalism, Santana also teaches public affairs and investigative journalism as an adjunct faculty professor at Chapman University.
Before founding Voice of OC in 2009, Santana was a lead investigative reporter for the Orange County Register, focusing on county government. He spent nearly two decades covering local governments across Southern California, previously as a staff writer at the San Diego Union Tribune and San Bernardino County Sun.
Santana began his journalistic career as an apprentice reporter with Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. covering daily floor action in the U.S. Congress and followed that up with a stint covering the territorial Senate for the U.S. Virgin Islands Daily News.
Languages spoken: English and Spanish
Posted inIrvine, On OC
On OC: The Quest for a Veterans Cemetery in Orange County
Nick Berardino – president of Valor, the Veterans Alliance of Orange County and President of Heroes Hall Foundation – talks about the challenges facing what he calls America’s most disrespected minority, veterans, as well as the quest for a veterans cemetery in OC.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: California Publishers Gear Up for Battle Over Public Records Access
Today, Voice of OC leads a media coalition in Orange County appearing before Superior Court Judge Nathan Scott to oppose a deputy sheriff union request to block public access to police misconduct records. While State Attorney General Javier Becerra and local elected officials have largely given way to local police unions fighting against the implementation of SB1421, this week news publishers from across the state attending the California News Publishers Association capital conference in Sacramento reasserted their strong support for the myriad of public records lawsuits being waged across the state as a media coalition.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: County Supervisors Order Stand Down on Public Right to Know
After County Counsel Leon Page takes a public stand on defending the public’s right to know about police records, county supervisors order a stand down. Media representatives such as the LA Times and So Cal Public Radio, led by Voice of OC, head back into court this Thursday to oppose the action.
Posted inOn OC
On OC: The Future of No-Kill Animal Sheltering in Orange County
José Ocaño from the Best Friends Animal Society talks about the future of animal sheltering in the United States in a “no-kill” era for shelter animals as well as the change in culture over at the County of Orange animal shelter with new OC Animal Care Director Mike Kaviani.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Orange County Touts New Community Model for Treating Mental Illness
Orange County leaders this week unveiled a $40 million, 60,000 square foot mental health campus in Orange aimed at radically shifting regional homelessness spending away from local police and more toward mental health treatment.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: The Battle for OC in 2020 Shifts Early Into High Gear
The battle for the 2020 election in Orange County kicked off this month with both Democratic and Republican central committees electing new officers and debating new directions for both parties. Democrats are pondering whether they can sustain the Blue Wave while Republicans debate new get-out-the–vote dynamics such as ballot harvesting as well as public engagement strategies. The first real poll on both parties comes back in March with a heated special election for Third District County Supervisor, with both parties fielding high profile names in the race. Today is the filing deadline for candidates.
Posted inIrvine, On OC
On OC: From The PTA to City Council, Irvine’s Farrah Khan
As one of the first Asian Pacific Islanders and Muslims elected in Southern California, Farrah Khan talks about what it takes to win a local city council campaign as well as offering her take on Irvine’s future.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Sheriff Union Wins in Bid to Shield Deputy Misconduct Records
The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs won their bid on Thursday to shield deputy misconduct records from public release after a state law, SB 1421, was enacted that would allow members of the public to see records about use of force incidents, sexual assaults and lying while on duty. The next hearing, where full arguments on the deputy union’s request to permanently seal records is Feb. 7. Voice of OC leads a media coalition including the Los Angeles Times and Southern California Public Radio that is opposing the union request to seal records.
Posted inOn OC
On OC: Former Irvine Mayor Beth Krom Talks Irvine, Great Park, Third District Election
Former Irvine Mayor Beth Krom talks about how Irvine, the Great Park and Orange County have changed in recent years and tackles prospects for the upcoming election for the Third Supervisor District in March.
