Statement from Judge Travis Reeds, Pending Removal of Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig
Editor’s Note: This article predates Judge Hartig’s dementia diagnosis. Since publication, Judge Hartig received a diagnosis of a neurological disorder,…
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.
The Ethics Gap: Why Michigan Lawyers Face Scrutiny Before the Bar, But Not After
Direct Answer Becoming a licensed attorney in Michigan requires completing law school, passing the bar examination, and surviving a character…
Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission Complaints: A Real-Time Accountability Experiment
Direct Answer The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission receives thousands of complaints annually and dismisses approximately 94 percent of them without…
Prison Labor Is Modern Slavery. And We’re All Complicit.
Direct Answer More than 800,000 incarcerated people work in American prisons, earning wages as low as $0.13 per hour —…
Michigan Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig Deemed “Unsafe to Practice,” Public Complaint Ensues
Editor’s Note (Updated): Since original publication, Judge Hartig has received a diagnosis of a neurological disorder. Clutch Justice covered that…
Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders, Johnson & Johnson, and the Lingering Questions of Corporate Accountability
In 1982, a series of tragic deaths in the Chicago area rocked the nation. Seven individuals, including a 12-year-old girl,…
Arbitrary and Capricious Sentencing in Michigan: What It Is, What Judges Can’t Do, and What You Can Do About It
Editorial Transparency: This article references sentencing patterns in Barry County, Michigan, including cases adjudicated by 5th Circuit Judge Michael Schipper….
Breaking Barriers: What Happens After You’re Honest About Your Record and Still Face Rejection?
Published In Rita Williams examines the systemic barriers that persist in fair chance hiring — including what happens when full…
Policing Pride: How Law Enforcement Has Historically Targeted the LGBTQ+ Community
Direct Answer The relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community has been characterized by targeted enforcement, institutionalized criminalization, and…
Reentry Failure Is a Justice Failure: Why Judges and Prosecutors Share Responsibility
When someone walks out of jail or prison, they are technically free. But reentry often comes without support. And without…
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