Closed-Loop Governance: The Lawsuits Waiting to Happen
When the Subject of an Investigation Controls the Evidence In theory, oversight bodies exist to provide independent review. I say…
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.
Attorney Deborah K. Schlussel Suspended for 30 Days Following Misconduct Findings in Compassionate Release Matters
Case Information Attorney: Deborah K. Schlussel (P 56420)Case No.: 23-093-GACounty: OaklandCity: Southfield, MichiganDiscipline: 30-Day SuspensionEffective Date: January 10, 2026 Quick Facts Who is the attorney?Deborah K. Schlussel,…
Administrative Notice, Insurance Risk, and Why Counties Pay Attention After 48 Hours
Publishing a Formal Administrative Notice for Barry County, Michigan The Role of Administrative Notice in Public Oversight Administrative notices exist…
When Mental Health Becomes a Criminal Charge: Why Children With Diagnoses End Up Incarcerated Instead of Treated
Nowhere To Go There is something deeply wrong when a society incarcerates children, separates them from their parents, substitutes human…
When Criminal Charges Become a Weapon: How Broken Records Create Secondary Harm
One of the quiet dangers of a broken criminal process is what happens after charges are filed. Even flawed, bogus charges carry…
When the Record Breaks, Pt II: How an Unlawful Sentence Triggered a Chain Reaction in Barry County
Why go through all of this trouble to hide Barry County court records? Find out in the update. Going Back…
Attorney John F. Calvin Disbarred and Ordered to Pay Restitution After Multiple Client Neglect Findings
Case Information Quick Facts Who is the attorney?John F. Calvin, P 74477, West Bloomfield, Michigan. What discipline was imposed?Disbarment, restitution,…
Michigan’s Whistleblower Law Isn’t Protecting People from Retaliatory Courts
The Law on Paper Michigan’s Whistleblowers’ Protection Act (WPA), enacted in 1980, was designed to protect employees who report violations of…
When the Record Breaks: How Metadata, Remands, and Notice Collide in Barry County, Michigan
For nearly four years, Clutch Justice has methodically unpacked what should have been a series of isolated procedural glitches in Barry…
Off-the-Record Plea Deals: Why They Undermine Due Process
The Weight of What’s Missing I was reviewing case files the way I always do. Not skimming. Not scanning. Reviewing….
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