Texas

The Criminalization of Poverty: Cash Bail for Non-Violent Misdemeanors Perpetuates Unequal Treatment Under the Law

Our nation’s racially-discriminatory cash bail system has left hundreds of non-violent misdemeanor suspects to die in jail while awaiting trial, simply because they are poor. A 2015 study identified more than 800 deaths in local jails and lockups; more than 75% of those in local jails have not been convicted, and 70% of those awaiting trial are detained for non-violent offenses. 

Man Sentenced for Killing UCLA Student

A Fresno man was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2015 murder of a 21-year-old UCLA student whose body was found after a fire at her Westwood apartment, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

2018 National Essay Contest on the Film “DROP” for Youth,  Ages 12-18 years Cash Prizes for Winners!

The DROP Essay Contest is part of the annual 2018 Week of Positive Change, Non-Violence and Opportunities, October 13-21, 2018. In a joint statement, BW4PC National co-chairs Dr. Stephanie Myers and Daun S. Hester stated, “We must convince youth that dropping out of school is a pipeline to prison and violence. They must stay in school and earn their high school diploma or GED to prepare for success.”

Justice Served: McCulloch Out, Bell in as St. Louis County Prosecutor

Just over four years ago, on August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was murdered by police officer Darren Wilson. He was shot six times, and might have survived some of the shots, but was fatally wounded when he was shot in the head. Wilson claimed he shot in self-defense, but Michael Brown was unarmed. St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch took his time convening a grand jury and announced in November 2014, three months after Brown’s murder, that the grand jury voted not to indict Wilson.

Congress Must Stop Family Separation

Families come to this country seeking asylum. They undertake grueling, dangerous journeys in the hope that America will provide safe harbor from the violence that they are fleeing. Some are escaping domestic abuse, others have come to our shores to save their families from gangs. None expect to have their children ripped from their arms when they finally reach safety.

History Behind Juneteenth

In today’s modern world of cell phones, computers and the internet, it is easy to take for granted the sheer ease and expedience at the reach of our fingertips. Information, no matter how obscure, has never been easier to attain and the speed at which said information is attained is immediate. As products of today’s instant gratification society, many of us have become smug and complacent by the very technology that makes our lives so convenient, making it almost too easy to forget a time in which information could not be received nor sent with the rapidity of today’s gizmos

Reps. Roybal-Allard & Jayapal Urge FBI to Thoroughly & Fairly Investigate Border Patrol Killing of Immigrant Claudia Patricia Gómez González

On May 23, 2018, a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed Ms. Gómez, an immigrant from Guatemala.  The Border Patrol also detained three other Guatemalan immigrants at the scene of the shooting.  Subsequently, the Border Patrol changed their statement about the circumstances leading up to this fatal shooting.

Man Convicted of Killing UCLA Student

Medina also was convicted of one count of arson of an inhabited structure, two counts of first-degree burglary and one count of animal cruelty. Sentencing is set for July 20 when Medina faces life in state prison without the possibility of parole.