Barry County Sentencing Disparity? Comparing Two Fatal Crash Cases Before Judge Schipper
Same system. Same county. Different outcomes that don’t reconcile. Sentencing is supposed to reflect proportionality, consistency, and reasoned judgment. But…
Rita Williams
Rita Williams is a Michigan-based judicial oversight analyst and founder of Clutch Justice, an investigative platform focused on court system accountability, sentencing integrity, and SCAO policy. Her work examines how courts, policies, and administrative systems operate in practice, with a focus on where process breaks down and harm is created. Drawing on lived experience and systems-level analysis, she writes to make legal structures more readable, expose institutional gaps, and advocate for reforms grounded in both evidence and human impact. Rita’s writing bridges legal analysis, institutional critique, and public education, with a consistent focus on accountability without losing sight of the people most affected by the justice system.
Why Some Veterans Become Justice-Involved—and How We Can Do Better
We trained them for war. Then we punished them for surviving it. Justice-involved veterans sit at the intersection of two…
Federal Judge Declares Trial Penalty Unconstitutional: A Direct Challenge to Plea-Driven Justice
The jury trial has been replaced, almost exclusively, by a system of secret plea-bargaining negotiations behind closed doors. In a…
When Family Court Becomes a Weapon: How Power, Bias, and Control Harm Children in Michigan
Family court is supposed to safeguard children. When power, bias, and manipulation take hold, it can become something else entirely:…
Wisconsin Judge Denies Breastfeeding Mother Her Rights: A Failure of Law, Science, and Humanity
Some rulings are so cold they reveal more than a bad legal call. They expose how quickly a court can…
Judicial Responsibility to Protect Children in Custody Cases
In custody cases, the most dangerous assumption a court can make is that every conflict is just conflict. Sometimes what…
Anger at the Justice System Is Valid—and It’s Fuel for Accountability
Anger. It’s a powerful emotion that can consume you when you feel betrayed by something you’re supposed to trust. For…
Surviving the Financial Strain of Incarceration
Supporting children of incarcerated parents starts with one hard truth: they are carrying a loss the system often refuses to…
How to Support Children of Incarcerated Parents with Compassion and Care
Supporting children of incarcerated parents starts with one hard truth: they are carrying a loss the system often refuses to…
How the Criminal Justice System Causes PTSD—and Why We Keep Ignoring It
For many people across the world, trauma is typically associated with war, natural disasters, or violence. One of the most…
You must be logged in to post a comment.