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CA Justice Watch exists to expose prosecutorial injustice, overcharging, and abuse of power across all 58 California counties. Every fact is sourced from public records. The truth is damning enough.
California's criminal justice system is broken at every level. Prosecutors overcharge with impunity. Officers kill without consequence. Public defenders carry impossible caseloads. And nobody is watching — until now.
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Open Tools →The worst active injustice cases across California, ranked by severity. Detailed breakdowns with evidence, timelines, and key players.
View CasesEvery California DA graded A-F. Settlement costs, misconduct records, and patterns of abuse documented.
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See JudgesOfficers with documented misconduct from POST decertification, Brady lists, and published investigations.
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See WitnessesEvery California county graded on justice metrics. Find out how your county ranks.
View Counties$661M+ of YOUR money paid for police misconduct and wrongful convictions. Select your county and see what injustice costs you.
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Read FAQInteractive visualization: see how one corrupt informant connects to dozens of wrongful convictions. 5 scandal networks mapped.
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Check NowPaste the DA's offer. See max exposure, comparable-case outcomes, and the hidden costs (immigration, custody, gun rights). Do not plea blind.
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Open TrackerThe most watched active case on CA Justice Watch right now.
DA Stephen Wagstaffe made these statements to the press. Here's what the evidence actually shows.
San Mateo County DA Stephen Wagstaffe has charged James Jacobs, CEO of ASAP Squatter Removal, with 7 felony counts for entering a property at the direction of its legal owner to remove unauthorized occupants. The responding police officer initially classified the incident as a civil property dispute — not a crime. Here's what the DA isn't telling you.
Property at 260 Allen Dr, San Bruno sold by the Manzano Family Trust to Jae Holdings Inc (Jerry Tran) for $1,100,000. Deed recorded with San Mateo County Recorder (Doc. 2025-047718).
Manzano's mother tells him the house is sold and gives him 12 days to move out. She moves out. He refuses to leave.
Dawn Manzano (family member) contacts the new owner and demands $65,000 — later escalated to $100,000 — in an extortion scheme. The DA has never charged her.
The property owner hires ASAP Squatter Removal. An ASAP employee has a lease from the owner. The team enters the property. Police respond. The officer classifies it as a CIVIL property dispute and releases everyone.
Text messages show the officer was actively helping ASAP get a civil standby: "Hoping the quicker I wrap this Rpt up the quicker we can do the Civil Standby and get admin approval."
After viewing ASAP's YouTube marketing videos (not new evidence from the scene), the officer reverses course and makes arrests. No supervisor or DA consultation is documented.
DA Wagstaffe files 7 felony charges including kidnapping. The felony complaint contains a template error — "{{Prompt_Nature_of_Firearm}}" left as placeholder text.
Judge Renee Reyna DISMISSES the kidnapping charges for insufficient evidence. 7 counts remain.
DA Stephen Wagstaffe made multiple demonstrably false statements in the official media release and press interviews:
Silvino Angel Manzano Jr., the DA's star witness, has:
The DA's office is simultaneously prosecuting Manzano on 11 firearms charges AND using him as their star witness against James. Under Brady v. Maryland, any deal or understanding must be disclosed.
| Witness | Arrests | Key Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Silvino Manzano Jr. | 4+ | Burglary, Elder Abuse, Witness Intimidation, 11 Pending Gun Charges |
| Shawna McAlister | 10 | Assault w/ Deadly Weapon (5mo before incident!), Child Abuse, Elder Theft, 5x Parole Violations, Arrested DURING prosecution |
| Patrick Calleja | 5 | First-Degree Residential Robbery, Drug Possession, Vehicle Theft |
| Floyd Cooper | 2+ | Burglary (same charge as James), Vehicle Theft |
| George Georgiou | 5+ | DUI, Drug Possession, Fraudulent Documents |
3 of 5 prosecution witnesses have BURGLARY charges — the same crime they're accusing James of. None had any legal right to be at the property.
Stephen Wagstaffe has been San Mateo County DA since 2010 and has never faced an electoral opponent. His record includes:
Corporal Anthony McKenna, the officer who changed the classification from civil to criminal, has:
California Supreme Court precedent clearly supports the defense:
An ASAP employee had a lease from the property owner. Under these cases, that lease gave a legal right to enter. The responding officer agreed — he classified it as civil.
There is no precedent in California for criminally prosecuting a property owner's agent for removing squatters. The DA is creating new law through prosecution.
Meanwhile, the DA has charged ZERO people for:
The DA protects criminals and prosecutes the people trying to help property owners. If this conviction stands, every property owner in California is at risk.
CA Justice Watch tracks the 100 worst active injustice cases across California. Here's what the data shows.
Only 3% of cases are pre-conviction
97% of the people on our Top 100 list have already been convicted, imprisoned, or killed. For the remaining 3%, including People v. Jacobs, public awareness can still change the outcome.
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Donate NowDA Wagstaffe made false statements to media. Report violations of Rules 3.6 and 3.8 to the California State Bar.
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One-page summary of key facts, charges, and evidence for quick reference.
Download PDFStephen Wagstaffe's documented history of misconduct, racial bias, and zero accountability.
Download PDFThe combined 30+ arrests of the DA's prosecution witnesses, sourced from public records.
Download PDFCalifornia Supreme Court cases that support the defense: Tufunga, Gauze, Salemme, Williams.
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