Ron Matthias – California Globe

Santa Clara County Judges Line Up with DA on Death Sentence Reversal

November 25, 2024 3:05 pmNovember 25, 2024 3:05 pm

By Ron Matthias and Dolores Carr Since August, local judges have been nullifying murderers’ death sentences one by one. But there’s a problem: The law the judges have been relying on to reduce those death sentences doesn’t apply to death...

Rosen’s Lawless War Against The Death Penalty, Part II

July 25, 2024 10:47 amJuly 25, 2024 3:59 pm

Three months ago, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen unveiled his controversial scheme to have the death sentences of 14 South Bay murderers reduced to prison terms. Although his plan faltered out of the gate because he failed to coordinate scheduling with the courts, the misstep bought him valuable time that he could have used to correct course. He blew the chance. If Rosen had only taken that opportunity to re-read...

Under the Radar: How Gov. Newsom Uses Clemency to Engineer Parole for Recidivist Felons and Murderers

August 26, 2023 2:45 amAugust 26, 2023 2:50 pm

Gov. Gavin Newsom is big on demanding transparency and accountability from others, such as school officials and social media companies. But from himself, not so much—and especially not when it comes to using his clemency powers to engineer the future...