Mental Illness Did Not Predict Recidivism in a U.S. Prison Sample. That Finding Changes the Conversation.
There is a story the system tells itself every time politicians, prosecutors, and judges want a shortcut. When someone cycles…
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 Court Dates Take Forever—and Who That Delay Actually Hurts
If you’ve ever been pulled into the justice system, one of the first shocks is how slowly everything moves. Weeks…
When the Crisis Never Ends: How the Justice System Freezes Families in Survival Mode
A Crisis That Never Resolves For many families, the COVID-19 pandemic did not end cleanly. And if your family became…
Why “Just Get a Lawyer” Is Really Bad Advice for Most People
Let’s Talk About Cost, Access, Time, and the Structural Barriers No One Likes to Name “Just get a lawyer.” I…
When the State “Files” but the Defendant Never Receives It: A Quiet Due Process Failure in Michigan Appeals
Filing Isn’t the Same as Fairness In Michigan’s appellate system, deadlines matter. So does service. But there seems to be…
Judges Are Human. That’s Why the Courtroom Isn’t Neutral.
We like to believe courtrooms are neutral spaces, that justice is blind. That judges are impartial referees calling balls and…
What Trauma-Informed Judges and Prosecutors Actually Look Like—and Why Rural Courts Lag Behind
This is why structural incentives, not just attitude, determine whether they exist. Trauma-informed justice has become fashionable language in court…
Happy Xmas.
So this is ChristmasAnd what have you done?Another year overAnd a new one just begunAnd so this is ChristmasI hope…
What Does “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” Actually Mean in Practice?
“Innocent until proven guilty” is one of the most repeated phrases in American justice. And I argue that It’s also…
When Faith Meets the Highway: The Rising Crisis of Amish Buggy Accidents
In September 2023, on a straight stretch of Minnesota highway, Samantha Jo Petersen’s vehicle slammed into an Amish buggy. Accident…
You must be logged in to post a comment.