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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BY: EMILY C. WILLIAMS and DION-CHERIE RAYMOND  POSTED 05.28.2024 OPINION – Social scientists recognize that different people view issues differently and these perspectives are determined by their lived experiences. A white male rural farmer will approach the issue of education differently than a Black, single urban mother. Respect for

CD10 Voices Editor’s Note: Two full years ago South LA Clergy for Public Accountability (representing approximately 50,000 church members) pointedly wrote to then-City Attorney Mike Feuer about the alleged scandal in his office. “We are writing regarding public revelations about improper and illegal actions within the Los Angeles

By James Queally and Dakota Smith May 10, 2024 | 7:00 PM PT CD10Voices Editor’s Note: For many Angelenos, the gravity of the racist diatribe and the damage to multi-racial solidarity, plus the disenfranchisement of CD10 voters can never be buried in legal debates over whether the recording was

A functioning democracy demands that public officials are accessible and responsive to our constituents. For us to effectively perform our duties, we need the ability to interact with the people we represent It must be reversed on appeal. By Rick Tuttle | Our Weekly Guest Contributor OUR WEEKLY LLC | April 8,

Federal prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will file their response by today, Monday, April 8 to Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’s (MRT) appeal of last year’s bribery, conspiracy and honest services fraud conviction and sentence. The appeal compels the USAO to defend a criminal prosecution for

By Norman S. Johnson and William S. Epps We are very pleased that the unjust conviction and sentence of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT) in the case of USA v. MRT is attracting national attention. The United States Attorney’s Office’s (USAO) novel and unique interpretation of “honest services fraud”

Prepared by Vincent M. Harris and Brett D. Louie United States of America vs. Mark Ridley-Thomas is attracting national attention as a result of his appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with the filing of no less than three friends of the court briefs from legal scholars, civil

KBLA 1580 AM Talk Radio Editorial 0:00/169.7959181× The appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of the guilty verdict on seven counts of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud in United States of America v. Mark Ridley-Thomas is receiving national attention. Observers of this case have

February 23, 2024 By Vincent M. Harris In late January, the Mark Ridley-Thomas legal team, led by a team of accomplished lawyers, filed its opening legal briefs, laying out their arguments as to why Ridley-Thomas’s guilty verdict should be overturned, or a new trial established. The briefs were a

By Stephen Bright | February 14, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. EST Stephen Bright, a former director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, teaches at Yale Law School and the Georgetown University Law Center and is the author, with James Kwak, of “The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race,

Last week three amicus curiae (Latin for “friend of the court”) briefs in support of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’s appeal were filed before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. These friend of the court briefs merit our attention. They reflect the growing sentiment among Federal public defenders, bipartisan elected officials,

February 1, 2024 by Celeste Fremon On Thursday, January 25,  the team of five appellate attorneys who are now representing Mark Ridley-Thomas filed their 102-page brief in order to appeal their client’s conviction with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  The arguments made in the

In the strange case of the United States of America versus Mark Ridley-Thomas (USA v MRT) consistent themes continue to emerge.  Abuse of power.  Official overreach.  Exaggerated claims of corruption. Deliberate avoidance of relevant information.  Assumption of impropriety.  Unmistakable implicit bias. Headlong rush to judgment.   Such was the case when

Regarding Politics Column: A legal showdown begins as the longtime politician seeks to overturn his federal conviction JON REGARDIE | 1 HOUR AGO One of the most striking elements in the federal trial of Los Angeles political veteran Mark Ridley-Thomas was the crowd that each day thronged the seventh-floor courtroom of

January 26, 2024 “What should have begun and ended as an internal investigation at USC resulted in a prosecution untethered to federal precedent.” - Attorney Alyssa Bell “Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas is not guilty of either federal-programs bribery or honest services fraud. The government’s prosecution of Dr. Ridley-Thomas involved none