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Commissioner Rodney Ellis to vote against DA’s budget increase to hire 102 prosecutors

DEFENDER NEWS NETWORK — Rodney Ellis said he plans to vote against District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request for a massive 31.7 percent budget increase.

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By Defender News Services

Citing the need for a criminal justice system that advances equal justice and protects our communities, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he plans to vote against District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request for a massive 31.7 percent budget increase that, if approved, will fund an additional 102 prosecutors.

“This is a significant expansion of the District Attorney’s Office, and it signals a commitment to doubling down on our system’s over reliance on arrest, prosecution and incarceration for low-level, nonviolent offenses related to poverty, homelessness, mental health, prostitution and substance use,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Given the county’s finite resources, we should be investing in reforms like pre-arrest/pre-charge diversion programs that, unlike pre-trial diversion programs, will divert the person before they enter or re-enter the criminal justice system to services and treatments that can better address the root causes of these types of cases.”

Commissioners Court on Tuesday will consider the request—which is more than four times the increase recommended by the county’s Budget Management Department— during public hearings to approve the county’s 2019-20 budgets. The District Attorney’s Office budget calls for a substantial increase of over $25 million per year. So far, the District Attorney’s Office has not provided Commissioner Ellis with requested information regarding caseload backlog, its causes and what reform-minded solutions such a budget increase would provide.

“Without clear and convincing evidence of the underlying causes of the caseload backlog, there is no way to know whether this drastic budget increase will provide the most effective and fair solutions. Since we don’t know what the problems are or how to best solve them, it would be irresponsible to spend an additional $25 million a year in tax dollars without conducting a caseload study,” Commissioner Ellis said. “At this point, I cannot commit to approving any budget increase above the 7 percent recommended by the county’s Budget Management Department.”

Commissioner Ellis believes the county must invest tax dollars in reforms that will make our communities safer and our justice system more fair, efficient and effective for all people. Also, the county must invest in smart-on-crime reforms that promote the safety and well-being of all communities and divert people away from the criminal justice system.

“Arresting, prosecuting and locking more people up aren’t the way to do that. For too long, we’ve used our limited public resources to ‘get tough on crime’ when we should have been smart and fair,” he said.

“In Harris County, we are at a transformative crossroads for our justice system. We are finally taking steps in the right direction to end mass incarceration, help communities recover from the devastating effects of these failed tough-on-crime polices and finally bring balance to an unequal justice system. This budget increase would be a huge step back.”

This article originally appeared in the Defender News Network

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Community

Gov. Newsom Signs Law Shielding Immigration Aid Workers From Doxing Threats

“AB 2624 is fundamentally about freedom — the freedom from fear that lets our immigrant service providers do their jobs, and the freedom of the press to do their jobs without ever being conflated with the doxing this bill actually targets,” Bonta stated. “Those two freedoms were never in tension. Right now, our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve.”

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Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Oakland)

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Aug. 22 designed to protect immigration service providers and humanitarian volunteers from targeted harassment, doxing and violence.

Authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), Assembly Bill (AB) 2624, the Privacy for Immigration Support Services Providers Act, establishes an address confidentiality program modeled after California’s Safe at Home program.

“AB 2624 is fundamentally about freedom — the freedom from fear that lets our immigrant service providers do their jobs, and the freedom of the press to do their jobs without ever being conflated with the doxing this bill actually targets,” Bonta stated. “Those two freedoms were never in tension. Right now, our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve.”

Bonta and other proponents of the law say an increase in death threats, online abuse and anti-immigrant vigilante activity has made address confidentiality essential to protecting aid workers.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2027, eligible immigration service providers, employees and volunteers who face documented threats will be able to apply through Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber’s office to use a substitute address.

 Doxing has also affected state lawmakers. In August 2024, Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, had private information published online without her permission.

“I’m proud that with the signing of this bill, California is rejecting that, even when people try to make us feel that the political cost of supporting immigrant communities is too high,” Bonta stated.

Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) opposed the legislation, calling it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.” Strickland said he is concerned the law violates the First Amendment and could chill free speech, investigative reporting and public accountability.

Shirley is a conservative YouTube content creator, social media influencer and self-described independent journalist. He gained national political attention in late 2025 and 2026 after publishing viral videos alleging widespread fraud in government-funded programs.

After Newsom signed the measure, Strickland argued that it threatens citizens and independent journalists seeking to expose government waste and fraud.

“I spoke out against it earlier this week. I’m concerned it could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism and protected speech. The law allows at least $4,000 in damages for certain violations,” Strickland posted on X the day Newsom signed the bill.

Established in 1998, California’s Safe at Home program protects survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, child abduction and elder or dependent adult abuse. It has since been expanded to cover reproductive health care and gender-affirming care providers.

Bonta said AB 2624 extends a similar framework to another group of Californians facing comparable threats.

Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, testified before the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee about her experience being doxed.

“It happened to me and happened to a family member. They were looking for me and ended up in my mother’s home,” Salas said. “There are so many of my colleagues where individuals have shown up to their homes, who have been threatened, and this is not just our organization, but many others.”

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Commentary

Standoff for Justice: Our Homes Are Worth Fighting For

Jendayi refused to leave her home on Tuesday as approximately 15 to 19 deputies arrived to enforce a court order removing her from the property. The order followed a decision by Judge Sandra Bean of the Alameda County Probate Court, a ruling Jendayi has repeatedly described as unjust and based on what she alleges are serious errors in the court record.

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Sheriff Covers Lens of Resident’s Security Camera as Alameda County Deputies Enter House with Guns Drawn

What began as a long-running legal battle over the home she has lived in for 13 years escalated Tuesday into a dramatic confrontation between Zakiya Jendayi and Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies—one that has raised urgent questions about probate court decisions, due process, and whether a pending bankruptcy filing should have halted the removal.

Jendayi refused to leave her home Tuesday as approximately 15 to 19 deputies arrived to enforce a court order removing her from the property. The order followed a decision by Judge Sandra Bean of the Alameda County Probate Court, a ruling Jendayi has repeatedly described as unjust and based on what she alleges are serious errors in the court record.

Deputies noticed a Ring camera recording their actions and taped over the lens.

Fifteen to 19 Sheriff's deputies placed tape over her security cameras, before breaking the locks and entering her home despite the bankruptcy filing taped to the door. Courtesy photo.

Fifteen to 19 Sheriff’s deputies placed tape over her security cameras, before breaking the locks and entering her home despite the bankruptcy filing taped to the door. Courtesy photo.

Adding to the controversy, Jendayi and her supporters state that opposing counsel, attorney Phillip Campbell, had the property placed in his name in October 2025 without notice to Jendayi. Campbell’s attorney, Alana Grice Conner, filed an opposition in connection with Jendayi’s bankruptcy case. Hours later, sheriff’s deputies arrived at Jendayi’s door.

The confrontation was not simply about one woman refusing to leave her home. For Jendayi and her supporters, it represented the culmination of years of litigation and a larger fight over whether courts have the power to overturn the expressed wishes contained in a person’s will or trust.

Last November, The Post published portions of court transcripts that Jendayi says demonstrate a pattern of false and erroneous rulings. Jendayi states that Bean made 45 rulings in the case, 35 of which she characterizes as false, while she contends that others were legally erroneous.

Bean’s judgment in Jendayi’s case, Hamlin v.

Approximately 25 to 30 of Jendayi’s neighbors came out in massive support on Tuesday observing, streaming and challenging the deputies’ actions on Tuesday. Regarding their show of support, on Wednesday, NBC Bay Area interviewed (left to right) Irene Sip, Elaine Chuck, Irene Yamasato, Joan Rosenberg, Joan Rosenberg, Jade Le, Arianna Angel, and David De Hart.  Courtesy photo.

Approximately 25 to 30 of Jendayi’s neighbors came out in massive support on Tuesday observing, streaming and challenging the deputies’ actions on Tuesday. Regarding their show of support, on Wednesday, NBC Bay Area interviewed (left to right) Irene Sip, Elaine Chuck, Irene Yamasato, Joan Rosenberg, Joan Rosenberg, Jade Le, Arianna Angel, and David De Hart. Courtesy photo.

Jendayi, was later upheld on appeal, a development that Jendayi and her supporters say only deepened their concerns about whether the underlying record received meaningful review.

Tuesday’s events brought those concerns from the courtroom to her doorstep.

After covering the lens of Jendayi’s security camera, deputies broke the lock on the front door and entered the residence after she did not respond. Fearing for her safety, Jendayi had retreated to her bedroom. She later emerged nude with her hands raised as an officer entered the home with his gun drawn while other deputies remained outside and on the porch.

Officers reportedly stated that their legal department had determined that the bankruptcy filing did not protect Jendayi from eviction. Deputy Sheriff S. White #2198 of the Court Services/Civil Unit showed a Post reporter what appeared to be incomplete bankruptcy documents that suggested the case had been dismissed. However, when the reporter independently accessed the bankruptcy docket, two additional entries reflected future hearing dates.

The significance and legal effect of those docket entries remain matters for the bankruptcy court and other appropriate legal authorities to determine.

Facing an officer with a gun drawn, Jendayi retreated back into her bedroom, locked the door, and refused to come out, stating that she was suicidal.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., an officer read a warning to Jendayi’s neighbors concerning law enforcement’s duty and response when a person is believed to be threatening to take their own life. The officers then left the premises.

Adding another layer of legal controversy to the confrontation, Jendayi and her supporters contend that the bankruptcy filing made before the attempted removal should have triggered protections against further collection or eviction activity.

Zakia Jendayi was interviewed by NBC Bay Area reporter Velena Jones regarding what led to Tuesday's stand-off with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. Courtesy photo.

Zakia Jendayi was interviewed by NBC Bay Area reporter Velena Jones regarding what led to Tuesday’s stand-off with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. Courtesy photo.

Questions surrounding the legal effect of the filing—and whether the Sheriff’s Office was legally permitted to proceed—are now expected to become central issues in the continuing dispute.

Jendayi remained inside for some time after the officers left.

Outside, neighbors gathered in growing numbers. Angry, alarmed, and deeply engaged, they voiced support for Jendayi and began reaching out to Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley, asking him to intervene while questions about the bankruptcy filing and law enforcement actions are investigated.

Although she remains in possession of her home for now, for Jendayi the events of Tuesday are only the latest chapter in a battle she says has exposed something much larger than the loss of her home.

“The probate court is corrupt. It ignored Dr. Head’s wishes that were written into her will and trust, which made me the sole beneficiary of her home,” Jendayi said, referring to the trust established by Dr. Laura Dean Head upon her death in 2013, that made Jendayi executor of the estate. The trust was challenged by Head’s estranged sisters.

Jendayi says she is not alone in her battle with the probate court. “Over 100 other Black families in Alameda County have lost their homes in probate court over the past decade. This is an injustice. Our homes are worth fighting for.”

For background on the case:

The Post News Group, “The Truth Is in the Transcripts,” Week of November 12–18, 2025.

Post News Group archive: https://postnewsgroup.com/week-of-november-12-18-2025/

Additional information: www.protectyourtrust.org

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Oakland Post: Week of August 26 – September 1, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 26 – September 1, 2026

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