November 18, 2020 South Bay Man Who Fled to Dominican Republic Sentenced to Life for Child Molestation By Bay City News Apollo Johnsen had been sentenced in absentia for sexually assaulting a young girl after he used a three-month continuance to flee. Read More 3
November 6, 2020 Santa Clara County Superior Court in Dire Straits Due to Covid By Emanuel Lee In June, the state of California cut $176.9 million from trial court funding, leading to a $16 million deficit South Bay local courts. Read More 11
November 3, 2020 Santa Clara County Court Temporarily Enjoins Church From Large Indoor Worship Services By Joe Dworetzky, Bay City News The judge’s latest decision is part of an ongoing battle between Calvary Chapel San Jose and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Read More 1
October 30, 2020 Appeals Court Halts Santa Clara Co. Concealed Gun Permit Trial By Jennifer Wadsworth The stay issued today by California’s 6th District Court of Appeals demands more information about the DA’s ties to one of the defendants. Read More 4
October 6, 2020 DA Declines to File Charges Against Activist Held on Extraordinary $500,000 Bail By Jennifer Wadsworth San Jose police got prosecutor-turned-jurist Paul Bernal to sign off on the warrant on Sept. 28—and then waited five days to serve it. Read More 18
September 21, 2020 Defendants Plead Not Guilty in Santa Clara County CCW Case By Jennifer Wadsworth Capt. James Jensen, attorneys Harpaul Nahal and Christopher Schumb and gun dealer Michael Nichols go to trial on Nov. 2. Read More 11
August 28, 2020 Exclusive: Sheriff Smith, Second-in-Command Take the Fifth By Jennifer Wadsworth Laurie Smith and Rick Sung spent the the whole of their testimony in a CCW bribery case invoking their right against self-incrimination. Read More 19
August 11, 2020 New MyCitation App Lets You Pay, Reduce Traffic Fines Online By Silicon Valley Newsroom MyCitations allows users to look up citations online and request fee reductions or more time to pay fines based on financial need. Read More 1
August 10, 2020 Applicants Sought for 2021 Santa Clara Co. Civil Grand Jury By Silicon Valley Newsroom Grand jury service gives citizens a chance to improve the integrity of local government and hold elected leaders accountable to the public. Read More 1
July 28, 2020 Former 49er Dana Stubblefield Found Guilty of Raping a Woman at His Morgan Hill Home By Michael Moore A jury on Monday found the 48-year-old guilty of rape by force, false imprisonment and forcible oral copulation. Read More 21
July 16, 2020 SCPEA Cries Foul After Abrupt Layoff of 52 Court Employees By Emanuel Lee Superior Court Professional Employees Association (SCPEA) spokesman Tom Saggau expressed outrage over the decision. Read More 4
June 18, 2020 Santa Clara County Superior Court Resumes Jury Trials, Extends $0 Bail Order By Grace Hase Plexiglass dividers have been installed in courtrooms and jury deliberation will occur in spaces with enough room for social distancing. Read More 5
June 12, 2020 SJPD Accused of Unlawfully Jailing Local Author, Activist By Jennifer Wadsworth Dr. Sharat Lin—president of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center—was jailed on what he says should have been a cite-and-release charge. Read More 47
June 3, 2020 Temporary Court Closure in Santa Clara County May Delay Some Cases by Days, if Not Weeks By San Jose Inside Defense lawyers feared that in addition to violating due-process rights, the closure further exposed defendants to COVID-19 as they wait in jail. Read More 4
May 14, 2020 San Jose Leaders Propose Mandatory Face Masks By Grace Hase Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and Councilman Sergio Jimenez want the city to align with neighboring counties that have stricter rules in place. Read More 66
April 24, 2020 Santa Clara County to Clear Thousands of Pot Convictions By Silicon Valley Newsroom The expungements stem from collaborative efforts of the local district attorney, public defender, the county and the courts. Read More 9