I was a shooter and editor on three episodes of Click Boys for World of Wonder Productions.
Los Angeles temporarily eased parking requirements during the pandemic, offering a glimpse of how much a less restrictive zoning code improves urban life.
Police were finally able to catch the serial killer using DNA genealogy databases—violating many innocent people's constitutional right to privacy.
They trade tips and manuals through a decentralized information-sharing network. Biomedical technicians say it's the fastest and easiest way to get life-saving information.
The web-camming site OnlyFans might have caught on during the COVID-19 quarantine, but sex workers started using the site years ago. It's the latest tool they use to ply their trade in safer and more autonomous ways.
After the FBI seized Backpage.com in April 2018, politicians and the Department of Justice (DOJ) hailed the action as a major victory in the fight against child sex trafficking. But in the wake of the website’s shutdown, sex work was pushed back into the dangerous corners of society.
Additionally, new information suggests the DOJ’s case against Backpage.com founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin is much more complicated than they let on in their indictment. Backpage.com was working with law enforcement since the website’s inception to stop child sex trafficking, garnering praise from FBI and vice officers along the way.
Technologists have fought the government in the Crypto Wars for decades in hopes of obtaining privacy for individuals. Today we are living in a time when their ideas are being fully realized.
***2017 Finalist for Southern California Journalism Award***
(Short documentary under 25 mins)
"A good watch." -The A.V. Club
Horror-core rap group Insane Clown Posse lead a march on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in September 2017 after their fans were classified as a "hybrid gang" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2011. Their fans are called Juggalos and they say the label has lead lost jobs, rejection from the military and used against them in child custody disputes.
Eric Lundgren got 15 months in prison for selling pirated Microsoft software that the tech giant gives away for free. His intention was to help people use their personal computers longer.
His case cuts to the heart of a major battle going on in the tech industry today: Companies are trying to preserve aspects of U.S. copyright law that give them enormous power over the products we own.
Peggy Fontenot is a successful Native American artist who can't call her work "Native made" or "Indian made" in Oklahoma because of a recently passed law.
***2013 Winner of Southern California Journalism Award***
(Best Investigative News Piece for Television)
***2013 Finalist for MAGGIE Award from Western Publishing Association***
(Best Long Form Video)
Street photographer Shawn Nee took a picture of a turnstile and ended up having his information submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A confidential police report revealed praise for the deputies involved.
Distiller Bryan Davis says he can give you a bottle of 20 year old booze in just six days thanks to new technology he created.
***2014 Finalist for LA Press Club Award (News Feature)***
Protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, said Michael Brown's death was in line with a pattern of harassment from police in the St. Louis area, ranging from excessive tickets and fines to overly aggressive officers. Many also said that the show of quasi-military force in response to the protest may have damaged the relationship between the people and the police beyond repair.
A law that was promoted by actor Mark Hamill was supposed to crack down on autograph fakers in the Golden State. But, it ended up targeting small bookstore owners, instead.
Hey millennial FOIA nuts: It's time to familiarize yourself with the concept of a paper jam. The FBI has stopped accepting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests via email. The agency wants requesters to use fax, standard mail, or the agency's online portal, FBI eFOIPA.
"Dope documentary" -Insane Clown Posse on Twitter
You may already know Juggalos, the fans of Detroit horrorcore rap group Insane Clown Posse (ICP), from Buzzfeed lists, television shows like Workaholics, or music videos like "Juggalo Island." But, you may not know that Juggalos are one of the best examples of a self reliant (but demonized) community.
You've likely heard about the death of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., a suburb of St. Paul. Castile was shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, July 6, 2016, in the middle of a traffic stop. The aftermath was captured on Facebook Live by Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and the video went on to be viewed more than a million times. What you may not know is that that video represents a new and dynamic shift in power from media and police to citizens.
In 1988, the N.W.A. album Straight Outta Compton popularized gangsta rap music with graphic, scary lyrics about street life in South Los Angeles. One of N.W.A.'s songs, "Fuck the Police," was at the center of a First Amendment battle with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Deandre Mitchell, a.k.a. Laz Tha Boy, is one of many small time rappers who have had their rap lyrics used against them in criminal proceedings. The problem was that was about all the evidence used against him.
The 2011 death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic drifter, is one of the first examples of cell phone footage transfering power from police and the media to the masses.
Jail monitors were some of the first to witness the horrific conditions inside the Los Angeles County Jail. What they revealed contributed to the eventual ousting of Sheriff Lee Baca after a lengthy FBI investigation.