Police Reports Are Hearsay. So Why Does the System Still Run on Them?
Analysis Michigan’s own rules of evidence already treat a patrol officer’s narrative as too unreliable to skip cross-examination. Charging, bond,…
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.
Makoski Told the Assessor He Moved Out of Warren. Warren’s Water Meter Didn’t Get the Memo.
Investigation In June 2022, Eastpointe magistrate Mark Makoski certified under penalty of perjury that he no longer lived in the…
After the Diary, Part One: Kathleen Lombardo, the Case That Started It
Editorial note: After the Diary is an independent journalistic project produced by Clutch Justice. It is not affiliated with, authorized…
Guardrails After the Crash: Why Michigan Built Rules for LEIN and Not for Flock
Surveillance · Oakland County Michigan made LEIN misuse a crime, audits it on a schedule, and makes every user sign…
Lansing Police Saw a Pattern in July. A Daughter Made It Public in September.
Case Tracking · Lansing River Trail Deaths · Part 1 Five men have died along the Lansing River Trail in…
Hemlock Wants $17.75 Million. Who in Leadership Answers a Parent’s Safety Concern?
Hemlock Public Schools’ leadership is asking voters to trust it with up to $17.75 million in new borrowing. Before November…
Foul Trouble: The Coach Who Used a Murder to Hide a Smaller Crime
Foul Trouble · Case No. 02 Patrick Dennehy was murdered by his own teammate. His head coach’s response was to…
Who Controlled the Information? The Oakland County Child Killer Case After 1977
The Machinery · The Oakland County Child Killer Investigation After 1977 Part I: Who Controlled the Information Part II: Who…
Kent ISD Says the Nature Center Deal Was Legally Done. That Is Not an Answer.
Update · Howard Christensen Nature Center Kent ISD brought its attorney to a meeting with Tyrone Township this week and…
Blanket Mystery Week 10: Case File Crochet Square Pattern
Halfway. The file that started all of this finally sits on June’s desk, and the receipt that let it leave…
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