A jury convicted Sarah Gonzales-McLinn of first-degree murder in 2015 without knowing about the months of abuse that preceded her grisly crime. Now, her advocates hope to get her out of prison by convincing the governor to grant her clemency — a longshot attempt to correct what they view as injustice.
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister is “Giglio-impaired” because he mishandled evidence, according to the district attorney’s office. The sheriff disputes the characterization.
Conflict has been worsening between the Douglas County sheriff and district attorney amid an ongoing dispute over what information the sheriff’s office must share with prosecutors regarding employee misconduct.
Mackenzie Clark / The Lawrence Times
Rontarus Washington Jr., who spent several years behind bars charged with murder in a case that was eventually dismissed, has taken the first step toward filing a $3 million wrongful incarceration lawsuit against Douglas County.
Nothing has changed in Kansas, and those who need access to an abortion can still get one. But that could change on Aug. 2.
Douglas County’s top prosecutor says her office has not yet issued any notices for violating laws regulating the sale of certain forms of THC products, and Lawrence business owners would like to keep it that way.
But some proprietors fear that “One or two of these people are going to ruin it for everyone else.”
The Lawrence Community Police Review Board tonight advanced a charter creating a new task force. Members did not raise questions about officer truthfulness policies that have spurred conflict between area law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.
Contributed photo
The Douglas County DA’s office has dropped an estimated 50 cases because of officer integrity issues — including one homicide case. And dueling policies about officer truthfulness and bias are straining the relationship between police and prosecutors.
Contributed images
The Douglas County DA’s office is seeking to expand its alternatives to incarceration by establishing a restorative justice program intended to give a voice to victims and reduce recidivism.
Lawrence Times file photo
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez has launched an online survey to gauge how the public feels about in-person court hearings and jury trials amid record numbers of COVID-19 cases.
