Article by Irene.
Last updated at Tue, 22 Mar at 8:24am.

Holding back tears, Ana Romero listened intently as Bay Area elected leaders delivered their support for a legislative package to mitigate foreclosure impacts and wondered if there was anything else she could do to save her house. 

Article by Amy Gahran.
Last updated at Thu, 13 Jan at 9:23am.

What information do you store on your cell phone, and what might the police make of that data?

Well, if you get arrested in California for any reason, police can legally search the contents of your cell phone without first getting a warrant.

Article by Rachel Zurer.
Last updated at Tue, 23 Nov at 11:12am.

From a distance, Berkeley lawyer Janelle Orsi thought she saw a lemonade stand.

As she biked closer, “lemonade” turned into “ soup.” A woman sat in front of her house with jars of her home cooking.

Article by Amy Gahran.
Last updated at Thu, 8 Jul at 3:50pm.

Reporting by Thandisizwe Chimurenga, in Los Angeles

 

As of 3:40 pm, the Bay Area is poised to hear the verdict in the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mescherle, which is expected to be announced 4:00 pm PT.

Article by Amy Gahran.
Last updated at Thu, 8 Jul at 3:50pm.

Reporting by Thandisizwe Chimurenga, in Los Angeles

 

As of 3:40 pm, the Bay Area is poised to hear the verdict in the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mescherle, which is expected to be announced 4:00 pm PT.

Article by Amy Gahran.
Last updated at Tue, 25 May at 11:39pm.

This is the index to Oakland Local's complete May 2010 series on youth trafficking, a growing problem in Oakland, Calif.

Article by Barbara Grady.
Last updated at Fri, 14 May at 5:40pm.

by Barabara Grady and Sarah Terry-Cobo

This is Part 5 of an eight-part, four-day Oakland Local investigative series on youth sex trafficking.


In Alameda County, Deputy District Attorney Sharmin Eshraghi Bock
has been on a hard-fought campaign to change California law.

Together with state Assemblyman Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland), Bock has crafted laws that switch the criminalization in prostitution to the pimps and johns and away from girls. They successfully drafted and pushed through law AB 499, which recognizes that youth who are traded are victims in this crime who deserve services. They also drafted, introduced and ushered into law AB 17, which toughened the sentencing of and restitution required from convicted pimps.

However, the biggest challenge is convicting the pimps. It's difficult for police even to have grounds to arrest them...

Article by Barbara Grady.
Last updated at Wed, 12 May at 7:08am.

This is Part 2 of an eight-part, four-day Oakland Local investigative series on youth sex trafficking. Continued from Part 1.


Who is this "commodity" being traded on the street? Statistically she is a 13-year-old girl who has run away from an abusive parent, guardian or foster home. Too young to fend for herself as a runaway, she ends up under the control of a pimp who promises to take care of her. Then the trafficker turns on her and, either by emotional manipulation or physical threat, gets the girl to work the streets to bring in money. 

"These are children who have never known love, so they look for love in all the wrong places," said Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Sharmin Eshraghi Bock, who has directed 148 cases against people alleged to have sold teenagers and children for sex. "All the pimp has to say is, 'Baby I love you and some day I want to have a family with you but today I'm short of cash. Can you help me make the rent?'" Bock continued.