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…
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.
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…
Jelly Roll Got His Clean Slate. 70 Million Americans Are Still Waiting.
Last week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pardoned country star Jelly Roll for robbery and drug convictions from decades ago. The…
What a Motion Is — and What It Isn’t
Why judges, lawyers, and the public often mean very different things when they say “motion” I had an interaction today…
What’s The Difference Between Justice and Procedure?
Outcomes that are “procedurally correct” can still be unjust and how judges think about order vs. equity In courtrooms across…
What Christmas Movies Can Teach Us About Criminal Justice Reform
Every December, we return to the same Christmas movies. Not just for comfort, but because they quietly rehearse our deepest…
How to Handle Court When You Have Complex PTSD
Explainer What the nervous system, memory science, and witness-credibility research actually say about surviving hearings, testimony, and cross-examination when your…
Introducing ClutchCast: A New Way to Experience Clutch Justice Content
Justice isn’t just written — it’s heard, felt, and lived. Today I’m launching ClutchCast, a new audio experience that brings Clutch Justice…
“All My Friends Are Heathens”: How and Why System-Impacted People See the World Differently
It’s literally no surprise at this point that I am a huge Twenty One Pilots fan. So another non-surprise will…
What a Notary Is, Why We Still Use Them, and Why Mobile & Online Notaries Are Taking Over
Notaries are one of those legal artifacts most people only think about when they’re standing at a counter, holding a…
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