Surveillance debate
Capitol hearing exposes rift between law enforcement lobbies and civil liberty defenders It only took minutes for George Orwell’s1984 to be invoked during an April 3 hearing…
Read MoreArticles by Scott Thomas Anderson
Gripping ghost guns: The death trail of weapons that are untraceable, unrestrictable and so far unstoppable
The house is torn down now. Some papers stapled to a hacked-up stump are the only evidence it ever existed. Before getting ripped to pieces,…
Loaded lyrics: Trial of rapper Lizk centers on soundtrack to area gang war
South city performer faces gun charges—again Deandre Rogers doesn’t deny he’s a gang member. But the idea that he was cruising through Sacramento with high-powered, automatic…
Missed warnings: How Sacramento’s domestic violence victims are failed by the system, some losing their lives
As murder-suicides flared, officials searched for more effective way to gauge lethality On May 18, Jarrod Hill was supposed to walk into a Sacramento County…
Seize and spend: A California Republican is battling the Trump administration over asset forfeiture
Sacramento police looking to spend more than $700,000 of seized assets President Donald Trump may have buyer’s remorse about his attorney general, but he and Jeff…
Blood on the Tracks: how detectives solved the dark riddle of a train-hopper murder
Josh Alpert once wrote a letter about the death of his twin brother. “I can’t glance in the mirror without seeing him,” Josh confessed. “And…
A premiere they remember: Vietnam war vets reflect on new Ken Burns documentary
A group of Sacramento-area Vietnam war veterans gathered last week for an advanced screening of a new documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the bloody conflict…
Shadow of the gun: A vigil, a debate and a new approach drive response to community violence
Ernie Cadena’s little daughter stood in the afternoon heat, wearing a long shirt adorned with a photograph of him smiling at her side. The child…
Requiem for the Delta
A cannon-shaped sea drone plunges through the darkness. On the waves above, Nicky Suard steadies herself in a speed boat as she monitors its video…
The good cop: Daniel Hahn’s hard road home
On a March night in 1992, two Sacramento police officers stood in front of an apartment at 19th and G, guarding the body of a…
The watch: Life and death in one of Sacramento’s most forgotten neighborhoods
Sunlight glares on azaleas circled by a thin, white crown of wire. It marks the spot where Phillip Porraz was shot in the face after…
Pie of the Century: Judge questions Sacramento DA’s handling of Thompson charges
Thirty-two ounces of whipped cream, coconut shavings and sugar crumble were enough to launch a full jury trial last week, as one of Sacramento’s most veteran…
Out of the dark: Death traps, dead animals and gunfights with cartel growers on California’s public lands
John Nores hunched over his partner, who had just been shot through both legs with an assault rifle. A few feet away, a marijuana grower…
Sacramento judge says Bank of America stalked and bullied family into losing home
‘Blockbuster’ ruling hits lending giant with $46 million for Kafkaesque tactics The young boy playing piano inside his house suddenly looked up. A man he’d never…
Prisoner of policy: For-profit corrections company hits the skids
Geo Group Inc. seeks ‘office space’ designation for desired reentry facility One of the nation’s most controversial private prison companies is finding it hard to…
A Death in Syria: What drove a Sacramento activist to enlist in the Kurdish revolution?
The mourners carry banners of his face — long, glossy posters that accentuate his laughing blue eyes and big, mischievous grin. His hand is striking…
Guilt by appropriation: Asset forfeiture law may restrict Sacramento police’s ability to seize and spend
Interim police chief seeking permission to pay $417,000 for helicopter What do the right-leaning Heritage Foundation and progressive ACLU have in common? Both say the practice…