USA v MRT: Acquitted Conduct Key to Understanding Success of Appeal (PART 3)

UNDERSTANDING ACQUITTED CONDUCT Former Los Angeles City Council member Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT) was tried by federal prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) on 19 various counts of illegal corruption in March 2023. Of these, MRT was convicted on seven:  one count of federal bribery, one count

USA v MRT: Snyder, the Distinction Between Bribes and Gratuities, and the Fatal Flaws (PART 2)

Before federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and appellate lawyers for Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas completed the exchange of written briefs in MRT’s appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) handed down a potentially game-changing decision on a case that may have a significant impact on the

USA v MRT: Two Competing Narratives (PART 1)

CD10Voices.com Editor’s Note: In anticipation of Thursday’s oral argument before the three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, we have prepared a three part series that will provide background on the USA v MRT bribery case. The United States of America versus

USA v MRT: Appeals Court Panel Selected, Argument Set for November 21

By OW Staff | 11/13/24 The random selection of the three judge panel that will hear Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’s appeal of his conviction on bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail and wire fraud charges before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has been made public. The

LA Times: No “pattern of corruption” in contracts inked during Ridley-Thomas’ tenure, probe finds

By Rebecca Ellis Staff Writer | Oct. 30, 2024 3 AM PT The bulk of contracts Los Angeles County inked during the 12-year tenure of former Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the formidable politician convicted last year on corruption charges, were untainted by fraud, according to a years-long outside investigation. “We did not

LA Focus: Date Set for Oral Arguments in Ridley-Thomas Appellate Case

By Lisa Collins | October 24, 2024 With the final exchange of briefs between the lawyers in USA v. Mark Ridley-Thomas over the past few weeks, oral argument before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appellate is set for November 21. Following months of filings, a three-judge panel will hear and weigh

KBLA Talk 1580: Tavis Smiley Says It’s Finally Oral Argument Time

MRT NOV. 21 APPEAL EDITORIAL AUDIO 0:00/167.3142861× By: Tavis Smiley "With a KBLA Talk 1580 editorial, I’m Tavis Smiley. October marks the third anniversary of Mark Ridley-Thomas’s indictment and suspension from the Los Angeles City Council. Recently, I authored an Op-ed about various media

LA Focus: Blogger’s Biased Screed Against Ridley-Thomas Lacks Credibility

By: Tavis Smiley | October 11, 2024 As we approach the three-year anniversary of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’s indictment on charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud, media actors continue to abdicate their responsibility to truthfully and accurately cover developments in the case. Consequently, prosecutors have been able to propagate exaggerated claims

OurWeekly: Continued Engagement, Not Cowering, Is What We Need

By: Michael Bustamante Recently, a so-called “journalist” wrote a lengthy blog post in her news space that ostensibly thought out loud about why Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas was engaging in community events rather than cowering in prison like a good boy should as a result of having been found guilty on

WHERE WE STAND - Ready for Oral Argument November 21 at 9:30 AM

With the final exchange of briefs between the lawyers in USA v. Mark Ridley-Thomas over the past few weeks, oral argument before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is set for November 21. Following months of filings, a three judge panel will hear and weigh the arguments of government prosecutors

Snyder Case Supplemental Brief Submitted

Last week, lawyers for Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas submitted a supplemental brief on the impact the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) Snyder decision has on MRT’s case now pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In June, the Court clarified the meaning of the main federal bribery statute

GOVERNMENT REFORM PROPOSALS INTRODUCTION

CD10 Voices Editor’s Note: The suspension of former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas raised profound issues of governance and the need for reform of the City of Los Angeles’ charter. A secret meeting ostensibly convened by then-Council President Nury Martinez to discuss redistricting (that included current Councilmember Kevin DeLeon) highlighted the

LA Times: Ex-L.A. sheriff’s corruption squad targeted Kuehl. Now state has dropped the case

CD10 VOICES EDITOR’S NOTE: The California Department of Justice dropped the investigation into former Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl finding a “lack of evidence of wrongdoing.” First initiated by the Los Angeles Sheriff Department’s controversial “public integrity unit” under the leadership of former Los Angeles Sheriff Alex

Witness LA: Deconstructing The Conviction Of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Chapter 11 – The Supremes

August 8, 2024 by Celeste Fremon The case of Mark Ridley-Thomas is due to be heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in November or December of this year.   In the meantime, there is a new development that could affect the outcome of the appeal. As readers may remember,

WHERE WE STAND - The Government’s Request for Supplemental Briefing Further Demonstrates MRT’s Conviction on Shaky Ground

In yet another sign of the strength of Mark Ridley-Thomas’s appeal, government prosecutors are seeking permission from the Ninth Circuit “to file supplemental briefing regarding Snyder.”  In other words, the USAO wants another bite at the apple. The Snyder decision is the Supreme Court ruling handed down earlier this

LA Focus: MRT Appellate Team Files Timely Letter in Response to Recent US Supreme Court Ruling

By Vincent M. Harris, Contributor In the case of United States v. Mark Ridley-Thomas, MRT’s appellate team demonstrated a swift display of legal competence by filing what’s known as a Notice of Supplemental Authority pursuant to Rule 28(j) re: Snyder v. United States, No. 23-108.  This US

LA Focus: Ridley-Thomas Defense Asserts Prosecutorial Missteps and Jury Bias, Call for Conviction Reversal

Elgin Nelson | June 11, 2024 The legal team defending Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas slammed the U.S. Attorneys’ response to their appellate brief, characterizing their response arguments as convoluted and untethered to federal precedent as they laid the groundwork for the convictions to be reversed. It was on August 28, 2023,

Ubuntu Motion Pictures - A Better Way: James Lawson, Architect of Nonviolence

In the wake of Juneteenth and American Independence Day 2024, CD10 Voices would like to continue to honor and respect the legacy of one of America’s heroes. The Reverend James M. Lawson, Jr. passed away at the age of 95, on June 9, 2024; while his official memorial services

Our Weekly: Amicus Brief in Support of MRT Squarely in Line with Recent US Supreme Court Ruling

By Brett David Louie On January 31, 2024, the law firm of Miller Barondess, LLP filed a friend of the court brief in support of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’s appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The brief was submitted on behalf of Sheila Kuehl and

WHERE WE STAND — U.S. Supreme Court Opens a New Pathway for Mark Ridley-Thomas Appeal

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Snyder v. United States is part of a long line of cases aimed at curtailing prosecutorial overreach and abuse of power. The High Court has ruled, time and again, that federal prosecutors may not use federal anti-corruption laws

OurWeekly: MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS LEGAL TEAM FILES REPLY BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF APPEAL SEEKING REVERSAL

By: Michael Bustamante | 6-12-24 LOS ANGELES – The legal team representing Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas filed its Appellate Reply Brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today, calling the government’s contorted theories untethered to federal precedent and laying the groundwork for Ridley-Thomas’ convictions to be reversed. The brief details how

LA Daily News: Civil rights icon Pastor James Lawson dies at 95

Editor's Note: Civil rights icon, Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr., passed on Sunday afternoon. A contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he had a profound impact on the non-violent resistance stage of the Civil Rights Movement. For those of us who knew him, it is a profound

WHERE WE STAND —Government's Case Against MRT Untethered to Federal Law

Editor's Note: What follows is the Introduction to Mark Ridley-Thomas's Reply Brief filed with The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In a telling about-face, the government has chosen on appeal not to defend the foundational theories of its case. Instead, it seeks

Witness LA: Deconstructing The Conviction Of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 10 – The U.S. Government Changes Its Story

June 8, 2024 by Celeste Fremon On May 30, of this year, the conviction of former President Donald Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney prompted a renewed discussion on the importance of the rule of law in the U.S. A reminder of the complexity of the discussion is reflected

LA Focus: Pay Attention - “Intersectionality Must Matter in Our Society”

June 5, 2024 | lafocus By Emily C. Williams, MPP, and Dion-Cherie Raymond, Esq. Social scientists recognize that different people view issues differently and that these perspectives are determined by their lived experiences. For example, a white male rural farmer will approach the issue of education differently than a Black, single