32nd Annual Empowerment Congress Summit

Pursuing Justice Through Participatory Democracy! Please join us for a Teach-In on the USA v. Mark Ridley-Thomas Case.

LA Focus: MRT Conviction Raises Substantial Questions

November 16, 2023 | LA Focus Op-Ed By Mansfield Collins, Esq. Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT) is free on bail pending appeal of his conviction and sentence to the Ninth Circuit. During his sentencing hearing in August, Judge Dale S. Fischer initially ordered MRT to surrender on his 69th birthday, November 6,

Our Weekly: The MRT Appeal is a Righteous Fight for Justice

OUR WEEKLY LLC | October 25, 2023 | 9:49 AM | 5 min read By Vincent M. Harris USA v. Mark Ridley-Thomas The famed a cappella group “Sweet Honey in the Rock” would often sing, “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” That’s why we believe the decision

LA Focus: Ridley-Thomas Wins Motion to Remain Free on Bail Pending Appeal

October 11, 2023 | lafocus By: Elgin Nelson Former L.A. Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas has successfully obtained a crucial victory to remain on bail pending appeal. A lengthy 37-page motion put forth by Ridley-Thomas’ legal team received approval from U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who had previously overseen Ridley-Thomas’

A One Year Retrospective on the Racist Rant and the Blatant Abuse of Power

Editor's Note: As the holiday observance of Indigenous People’s Day draws to a close, it seems timely to punctuate the need for civility in Los Angeles in contrast to the venomous display of racism leaked in October of last year. It is worth noting that former Council

WHERE WE STAND: Bail Pending Appeal Approved

The decision by US Attorney’s Office to stipulate that Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas should be granted bail pending appeal represents a significant step forward. The agreement between the parties establishes that Dr. Ridley-Thomas’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit will present at least one “substantial question of law or fact”

KBLA 1580: The Tape - 1 Year Later

Please listen to KBLA 1580 on October 9th, from 5-7:00 PM, as they will take a live look back at the racist leaked tapes that shook Los Angeles City Hall. With political insiders and experts, KBLA seeks to address underlying issues, and present the public with all the information

LA Times: Ridley-Thomas was facing prison in a month. Now he’ll remain free while appealing conviction

BY MATT HAMILTON | STAFF WRITER OCT. 5, 2023 | 11:58 PM PT Veteran Los Angeles politician Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was found guilty of fraud and bribery in a corruption scheme with a USC dean, was granted his request Thursday to stay out of prison while he appeals his conviction. Ridley-Thomas

Witness LA: Deconstructing The Conviction Of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 6B – Judge Fischer Agrees To Bail

October 5, 2023 by Celeste Fremon A bit after 6 p.m on Thursday evening, October 5, U.S. District Court Judge Dale S. Fischer granted bail to Mark Ridley-Thomas. This means that the former state senator, former assemblyman, former member of the board of supervisors, and twice-city council member

Vigour Times: Ridley-Thomas Wins Prosecutor Approval for Bail Extension During Appeal – Stay Out of Jail!

October 6, 2023 by Levi Jones Federal prosecutors announced on Thursday that they have no objections to former Los Angeles County elected official Mark Ridley-Thomas’ plea to remain free during his appeal of the conviction on federal corruption charges. However, the final decision rests with the judge. Ridley-Thomas was sentenced

Witness LA: Deconstructing The Conviction Of Mark Ridley-Thomas | Part 6 – Bail & The Landmark Case Known As Batson

October 2, 2023 by Celeste Fremon Late Monday, the defense attorneys for Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a 37-page motion requesting bail for their client so that he won’t be in prison while they appeal his case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It is up to U.S. District

LA Daily News: Ridley-Thomas files motion to remain free while appealing conviction

After he was found guilty of 7 felony counts, Ridley-Thomas was sentenced in August to 3 years and 6 months in federal prison with a surrender date of Nov. 13. By CITY NEWS SERVICE | news@socalnews.com | PUBLISHED: October 2, 2023 at 7:32 p.m. | UPDATED: October 2, 2023

Where We Stand - Bail Pending Appeal Motion

Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT) continues to fight for justice and fairness while waging his best effort to vindicate himself in the case of the USA vs. MRT. Last month, on Monday, September 11th, Mark Ridley-Thomas filed notice with the United States District Court for the Central California Western Division—where

KBLA 1580: Dion Raymond show September 24, 2023

🔊Please click here to listen to the full audio!🔊

LA Times Column: Can nonviolent activism survive America’s outrage machine?

BY JEAN GUERRERO - COLUMNIST SEPT. 22, 2023 9:57 AM PT The American civil rights hero Rev. James Lawson Jr. isn’t as well-known as his friend and colleague Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” But on Friday,

KBLA 1580: The Justice Files, Sunday 9.24.23 at 10am

LA Daily News: Mark Ridley-Thomas has a good chance in appealing his corruption conviction

By SUSAN SHELLEY | opinion@scng.com | Los Angeles Daily News PUBLISHED: September 14, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 14, 2023 at 8:27 a.m. We are witnessing a disturbing trend of federal prosecutors twisting and stretching the law to burn some people and shield others. The

Our Weekly: Ridley-Thomas files notice of appeal with Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal

OUR WEEKLY LLC | September 13, 2023 | 10:55 AM | 2 min read By Michael Bustamante Former Los Angeles County Super visor and L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a Notice of Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday, setting the stage for

LA Daily News: Mark Ridley-Thomas files notice of probable appeal to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

He fights his conviction for backing county contracts that helped USC while he got benefits from USC for his son By CITY NEWS SERVICE | news@socalnews.com |PUBLISHED: September 11, 2023 at 4:54 p.m. | UPDATED: September 11, 2023 at 4:57 p.m. By FRED SHUSTER, City News

Witness LA: Deconstructing The Conviction Of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 5 – Preparing To Appeal To The 9th

September 11, 2023 by Celeste Fremon On Monday, September 11,  Mark Ridley-Thomas filed what is called a Notice of Appeal, an eight-page document in which his attorneys notified U.S. District Court Judge Dale S. Fischer that their client is appealing his conviction and his sentence to the United States

Our Weekly: DR. MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS FILES NOTICE OF APPEAL IN U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT CHALLENGING HIS CONVICTIONS

OUR WEEKLY LLC September 11, 2023 | 12:36 PM | 2 min read Ridley-Thomas Announces New Legal Team To Handle Appeal Today, Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a Notice of Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit challenging his convictions and sentence.  In addition to initiating the

L.A. Focus: Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas Dared to Lead Us

September 9, 2023 | lafocus By Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr – Guest Columnist Since I was four years old, I have witnessed and resisted racism. Now at the age of 95 (in just a few weeks), I have observed many disturbing events, but I am particularly perturbed by the sentencing of

WHERE WE STAND - The Judgment

The Federal judge who presided over Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas’ (MRT) trial sentenced him to a 42-month prison term.  This sentence is excessive.  A sentence of incarceration is far greater than necessary to satisfy the requirements of justice, particularly in this case. The court, government prosecutors and defense counsel all agree:

KBLA Talk 1580: MRT's Remarks to Judge at Sentencing. Read by Ben Guillory.

Click here to listen to the full audio.

LA Times Column: Mark Ridley-Thomas is going to prison. But don’t expect him to lose public support

BY ERIKA D. SMITH | COLUMNIST AUG. 29, 2023 10:44 AM PT What I didn’t expect were the tears. Almost from the start of the sentencing hearing in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, it was clear that U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer wanted to make an example