WHERE WE STAND: Stunned But Undeterred

We are disappointed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s opinion in U.S.A. v. Mark Ridley-Thomas.  As we digest their opinion, we encourage Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT), his family and his legal team to take the time they need to consider all their options.  Options include seeking rehearing before the full Ninth Circuit, and beyond that, to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The Supreme Court, over the last decade, has repeatedly reversed exactly the kinds of overreaching federal corruption convictions at issue in U.S.A. v. Mark Ridley-Thomas, one after another, and almost always unanimously.  Skilling. McDonnell. Kelly. Bridgegate. Ciminelli. Percoco. And in 2024, Snyder. 

Courts have repeatedly cautioned against expansive interpretations of bribery law untethered to traditional concepts of quid pro quo corruption, concerns reinforced by the Supreme Court’s decision in Snyder v. United States. The common thread in all of them is a court that stretched a statute past its core and swept in ordinary conduct, which is precisely what happened in this case.

Whatever one’s view of the verdict, and now the Ninth Circuit’s opinion, the broader legacy of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas must not be reduced to this single case. His life’s work remains deeply intertwined with the advancement of his core constituencies on healthcare access, mental health reform, homelessness services, civic engagement and political empowerment, public transportation advocacy, law enforcement accountability and more broadly, social justice in Los Angeles.

Throughout this ordeal, Dr. Ridley-Thomas has accepted the judgment of the court as a law-abiding citizen while continuing to pursue his legal remedies through the appellate process. The burden of this prosecution has been borne not only by him, but also by his family, colleagues, and the communities he served for decades. Despite the burden of a process nearly five years in the making, he continued to find ways to serve, impact and inspire us.

Viewed without context, the conviction of Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas may suggest conventional public corruption. Viewed in full, however, the case reflects a far more complicated reality—one involving a lawful and publicly disclosed political contribution, substantial acquittals by a federal jury, and a prosecution built upon an unusually expansive interpretation of federal bribery law. 

To critics, the prosecution represented an example of lawfare: the use of criminal prosecution, not simply to address clear corruption, but to criminalize political ambiguity and optics absent unmistakable evidence of personal gain.

This case, therefore, differed substantially from traditional bribery prosecutions involving secret payments, kickbacks, diverted public funds, or direct personal profit. Nevertheless, prosecutors argued that the contribution, combined with subsequent official action, satisfied the elements of federal corruption law.  The Ninth Circuit continued to recycle the “contracts worth millions” narrative despite the fact that those of us in the court room saw no evidence of more than one contract was ever at issue. An Internet search of the County’s publicly available record of proceedings reveals this easily verifiable truth. 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Ridley-Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Relations with a concentration in Government (1976) and a master’s degree in Religious Studies with a concentration in Christian Ethics (1980) from Immaculate Heart College. He later earned a Ph.D. in Social Ethics with a concentration in Social Criticism and Social Change (1989) from the University of Southern California.

He began his record of service and activism not in elected office, but as a community organizer, educator, and faith-driven advocate. As Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, he advanced the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. not merely by quoting his words, but by applying the principles of nonviolence, justice, and human dignity to public policy and community service.

His entry into public office reflected that same through line: service before self. Over the course of three decades, MRT served on the Los Angeles City Council, in the California State Assembly and State Senate, and on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Few public officials in California have held more offices, accumulated more experience, or used those positions more consequentially in service of the public.

His work advanced justice, expanded access to housing, strengthened mental health care, and helped reimagine public safety beyond purely punitive models while continuing to support constitutional law enforcement. He led the effort behind Measure H, generating billions of dollars to combat chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County. He also helped create the County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry, a nationally recognized model focused on reducing incarceration and recidivism through treatment, rehabilitation, and care.

Notably, Dr. Ridley-Thomas played a central role in reviving the Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Campus, transforming a shuttered facility into a dignified anchor for high-quality medical and behavioral health services. In addition, he helped restore residency programs at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, an institution dedicated to preparing medical professionals committed to serving medically underserved communities.

This is not the record of a conventional power-seeker. It is the legacy of a civic builder shaped by conviction, guided by purpose, and rooted in the enduring principles of servant leadership.

We STILL stand by Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas.