The Wren Collective
@wrencollective.bsky.social
The Wren Collective works to transform America’s approach to public safety, expose the weaponization of the legal system, and ensure every person has the chance to participate in civic society.
www.wrencollective.org
www.wrencollective.org
Another exoneration in Texas, this time, in Travis County. Elections matter.
www.kvue.com/article/news...
www.kvue.com/article/news...
Texas appeals court exonerates Travis County woman for conviction in 10-month-old's murder
Carmen Mejia was convicted in Travis County in 2005 and spent 20 years in prison before the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals declared her innocent this week.
www.kvue.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Another exoneration in Texas, this time, in Travis County. Elections matter.
www.kvue.com/article/news...
www.kvue.com/article/news...
Reposted by The Wren Collective
Willie's case is a perfect example of how absurd Ohio sentencing is. As it stands right now, he will serve more time for robbery than other people serve for murder. He will be 81 years old when he gets out of prison.
‘Willie got screwed’ | Prosecutors offered him 3 years. Now, a Cincinnati man is serving 52 years for robbery
‘Willie got screwed’ | Prosecutors offered him 3 years. Now, a Cincinnati man is serving 52 years for robbery
Willie Harris says he didn't commit the crimes he's served more than two decades in prison for. His attorney tells us his story is about more than guilt or innocence. It's about Ohio's justice system.
www.wcpo.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Willie's case is a perfect example of how absurd Ohio sentencing is. As it stands right now, he will serve more time for robbery than other people serve for murder. He will be 81 years old when he gets out of prison.
A family here legally tries to get medical care for their seven-year-old, and ICE wrests them away in front of the ER and sends them to Texas. Media must. stop. reporting. any claims that this is about safety.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
ICE detains family seeking emergency care for child at Portland hospital
The Venezuelan parents and their 7-year-old daughter entered the U.S. legally.
www.oregonlive.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:20 AM
A family here legally tries to get medical care for their seven-year-old, and ICE wrests them away in front of the ER and sends them to Texas. Media must. stop. reporting. any claims that this is about safety.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
What politicians mean when they support DHS's goal to deport 100 million people. Read and subscribe to Texas On Fire.
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:58 PM
What politicians mean when they support DHS's goal to deport 100 million people. Read and subscribe to Texas On Fire.
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
The DA and County Commissioners' work won't undo this wrongful execution, but it mattered to the family and is critical to helping us understand how fallible our criminal justice system is. Hat's off to Dallas and the lawyers at @innocenceproject.bsky.social
innocenceproject.org/news/tommy-l...
innocenceproject.org/news/tommy-l...
Tommy Lee Walker Declared Innocent 70 Years After His Execution
Dallas County Commissioners Court posthumously proclaimed Mr. Walker’s innocence in the 1954 racially-fueled capital murder case.
innocenceproject.org
January 22, 2026 at 4:58 AM
The DA and County Commissioners' work won't undo this wrongful execution, but it mattered to the family and is critical to helping us understand how fallible our criminal justice system is. Hat's off to Dallas and the lawyers at @innocenceproject.bsky.social
innocenceproject.org/news/tommy-l...
innocenceproject.org/news/tommy-l...
Reposted by The Wren Collective
UPDATE from @stevenzetti.bsky.social: Last week, the Texas Observer revealed that James Rodden, the ICE lawyer with a white supremacist X account, was back trying cases in a Dallas courtroom.
Now, a member of Congress wants Rodden to finally face consequences.
Now, a member of Congress wants Rodden to finally face consequences.
Congressman Tries to Cut Pay of ICE Prosecutor with Racist X Account to $1
Last week, the prosecutor James Rodden returned to Dallas immigration court a year after the Observer's original investigation into his social media.
www.texasobserver.org
January 21, 2026 at 9:17 PM
UPDATE from @stevenzetti.bsky.social: Last week, the Texas Observer revealed that James Rodden, the ICE lawyer with a white supremacist X account, was back trying cases in a Dallas courtroom.
Now, a member of Congress wants Rodden to finally face consequences.
Now, a member of Congress wants Rodden to finally face consequences.
Reposted by The Wren Collective
My latest investigation: Far from the border, a father and son met Border Patrol tactics. They haven’t seen each other since. www.ms.now/news/border-... Our full @ms.now documentary comes out tonight
A car ramming, a violent arrest and an emboldened immigration agency
Far from the border, a father and son met Border Patrol tactics. They haven’t seen each other since.
www.ms.now
January 20, 2026 at 11:03 PM
My latest investigation: Far from the border, a father and son met Border Patrol tactics. They haven’t seen each other since. www.ms.now/news/border-... Our full @ms.now documentary comes out tonight
In Minneapolis, attorneys report they have been denied access to clients detained at the Whipple Federal Building. The right to counsel is enshrined in the United States Constitution, but we now regularly see elected officials treat constitutional rights as gravel.
abcnews.go.com/US/lawyers-a...
abcnews.go.com/US/lawyers-a...
Lawyers allege Dept. of Homeland Security is denying legal counsel to Minnesota detainees
Four attorneys told ABC News they have been denied access to their clients at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, where they are being held.
abcnews.go.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:54 PM
In Minneapolis, attorneys report they have been denied access to clients detained at the Whipple Federal Building. The right to counsel is enshrined in the United States Constitution, but we now regularly see elected officials treat constitutional rights as gravel.
abcnews.go.com/US/lawyers-a...
abcnews.go.com/US/lawyers-a...
Reposted by The Wren Collective
This is a transparent attempt to create a pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act.
One provision applies when a group of people "opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws." And when it's (allegedly) the state itself...
One provision applies when a group of people "opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws." And when it's (allegedly) the state itself...
Trump escalates his attack on Minnesota Democrats as Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Gov Walz and Mayor Frey apparently on the theory that their objections to ICE amount to illegal interference, sources tell @perrystein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Justice Dept. launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation into impeding law enforcement.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:33 PM
This is a transparent attempt to create a pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act.
One provision applies when a group of people "opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws." And when it's (allegedly) the state itself...
One provision applies when a group of people "opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws." And when it's (allegedly) the state itself...
Last night, Wren's founder @jrbrand07.bsky.social spoke to @jesspish.bsky.social about Minneapolis, the Insurrection Act, and why using it now would be totally unprecedented (and why this was always the plan).
defendingwhatmattersmost.substack.com/p/a-wren-con...
defendingwhatmattersmost.substack.com/p/a-wren-con...
A Wren Conversation with Jess Pishko on the Insurrection Act
Wren Founder Jessica Brand talks with author Jess Pishko about Trump's threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis
defendingwhatmattersmost.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Last night, Wren's founder @jrbrand07.bsky.social spoke to @jesspish.bsky.social about Minneapolis, the Insurrection Act, and why using it now would be totally unprecedented (and why this was always the plan).
defendingwhatmattersmost.substack.com/p/a-wren-con...
defendingwhatmattersmost.substack.com/p/a-wren-con...
We are told Texas is a "freedom state," but every day we see officials trying to regulate what we read, what we believe, who we love, and how we use our bodies.
Today, the Wren Action Group is launching a new Substack to fight back: Texas is on Fire. 🔥 🧵
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
Today, the Wren Action Group is launching a new Substack to fight back: Texas is on Fire. 🔥 🧵
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
Texas on Fire | Wren Action Group | Substack
Gathering the good, the bad, and the outrageous about Texas that may not have hit your newsfeed. Click to read Texas on Fire, by Wren Action Group, a Substack publication. Launched 23 minutes ago.
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:27 PM
We are told Texas is a "freedom state," but every day we see officials trying to regulate what we read, what we believe, who we love, and how we use our bodies.
Today, the Wren Action Group is launching a new Substack to fight back: Texas is on Fire. 🔥 🧵
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
Today, the Wren Action Group is launching a new Substack to fight back: Texas is on Fire. 🔥 🧵
wrenactiongroup.substack.com
CA spends 19x more on incarceration than public defense. It’s a bad investment: if a fraction of those resources were devoted to public defense on the front end, CA could save money and improve public safety on the back end. Tune in as Wren’s Josh Schwartz & Leon Parker chat w/ David Greenwald:
January 13, 2026 at 8:27 PM
CA spends 19x more on incarceration than public defense. It’s a bad investment: if a fraction of those resources were devoted to public defense on the front end, CA could save money and improve public safety on the back end. Tune in as Wren’s Josh Schwartz & Leon Parker chat w/ David Greenwald:
Reposted by The Wren Collective
"The idea of extra-judicial, extra-violent, unaccountable beat-down units is not a novel one. Arguably, these special tactical groups are the purest form of American policing."
sheriffs.substack.com/p/the-killer...
sheriffs.substack.com/p/the-killer...
The Killer Walkers Among Us
January 31, 2023
sheriffs.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:29 PM
"The idea of extra-judicial, extra-violent, unaccountable beat-down units is not a novel one. Arguably, these special tactical groups are the purest form of American policing."
sheriffs.substack.com/p/the-killer...
sheriffs.substack.com/p/the-killer...
This weekend, NYTimes columnist Ross Douthat claimed that homicides started spiking in 2020 because of the George Floyd protests. John Roman thoroughly debunks this myth in his substack and it's an important read.
open.substack.com/pub/johnkrom...
open.substack.com/pub/johnkrom...
The 2020 Homicide Spike was not Primarily Caused by Protests
Revisiting the case against local protests as the cause of national trends
open.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 11:44 PM
This weekend, NYTimes columnist Ross Douthat claimed that homicides started spiking in 2020 because of the George Floyd protests. John Roman thoroughly debunks this myth in his substack and it's an important read.
open.substack.com/pub/johnkrom...
open.substack.com/pub/johnkrom...
Violence prevention groups have helped dramatically reduce serious crime, especially in places like Philadelphia. The @PhillyInquirer documents how the DOJ is doing everything it can to make Philly less safe.
www.inquirer.com/crime/philad...
www.inquirer.com/crime/philad...
Philly violence prevention groups say they were flourishing. Then the Trump DOJ cut their funding.
One group lauding the cuts is the National Rifle Association, which commended the Trump administration in November for cutting off the “spigot” to anti-violence groups.
www.inquirer.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Violence prevention groups have helped dramatically reduce serious crime, especially in places like Philadelphia. The @PhillyInquirer documents how the DOJ is doing everything it can to make Philly less safe.
www.inquirer.com/crime/philad...
www.inquirer.com/crime/philad...
Grateful to @vera.org and their partners for this campaign for legal representation in the immigration system. As former public defenders and champions of the right to counsel, we at the Wren Collective know how vital it is for ppl in the immigration system to have lawyers by their sides.
Today, the Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families urged immediate and decisive state action to protect Immigrant New Yorkers from the Trump administration’s cruel and indiscriminate attacks.
www.vera.org/newsroom/as-...
www.vera.org/newsroom/as-...
As Federal Immigration Crackdown Intensifies, Coalition Calls for…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: [email protected] PHOTOS: LINK VIDEO: LINK FROM STREAM NEW YORK — After a Minneapolis resident was horrifically…
www.vera.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Grateful to @vera.org and their partners for this campaign for legal representation in the immigration system. As former public defenders and champions of the right to counsel, we at the Wren Collective know how vital it is for ppl in the immigration system to have lawyers by their sides.
Today, the House Judiciary Comm. will vote on two mass incarceration bills that threaten to impose federal control over local criminal justice systems
January 8, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Today, the House Judiciary Comm. will vote on two mass incarceration bills that threaten to impose federal control over local criminal justice systems
Excellent reporting here about Nanon Williams' fight against his wrongful conviction in Texas, his relationship with Rob and Michele Reiner, and the Harris County DA's office's fight to keep him in prison.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
He was sentenced to death. Rob and Michele Reiner loved him like a son.
Nanon Williams was sent to death row for a murder he says he didn't commit. Decades later, through daily emails and weekly prison calls, the Reiners became family.
www.nbcnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Excellent reporting here about Nanon Williams' fight against his wrongful conviction in Texas, his relationship with Rob and Michele Reiner, and the Harris County DA's office's fight to keep him in prison.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
From all of us at The Wren Collective, we wish you a happy New Year. May 2026 bring a little more kindness, empathy, and support for one another.
December 31, 2025 at 10:38 PM
From all of us at The Wren Collective, we wish you a happy New Year. May 2026 bring a little more kindness, empathy, and support for one another.
Reposted by The Wren Collective
Today I went to the museum where the Gestapo HQ was and realized some of these guys literally got less time for helping do the holocaust than we now routinely give to nonviolent drug offenders
December 31, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Today I went to the museum where the Gestapo HQ was and realized some of these guys literally got less time for helping do the holocaust than we now routinely give to nonviolent drug offenders
As we close out 2025, our last newsletter looks back on what has happened to democracy in this country, while celebrating the heroes who have stood up for it. Check it out here: bit.ly/4b6wq7a
December 30, 2025 at 2:51 AM
As we close out 2025, our last newsletter looks back on what has happened to democracy in this country, while celebrating the heroes who have stood up for it. Check it out here: bit.ly/4b6wq7a
Just a devastating investigation by Anat Rubin @calmatters.org
on the impact of flat-fee defense contracts, as told through the lens of one firm in the state. One stat: of 2,000 cases resolved, they investigated just 9.
calmatters.org/investigatio...
on the impact of flat-fee defense contracts, as told through the lens of one firm in the state. One stat: of 2,000 cases resolved, they investigated just 9.
calmatters.org/investigatio...
The WalMart of public defense: How justice goes to the lowest bidder in rural California
The Ciummo firm has become the face of the privatization of California’s public defense. Even their courtroom adversaries wish they’d put up more of a fight.
calmatters.org
December 17, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Just a devastating investigation by Anat Rubin @calmatters.org
on the impact of flat-fee defense contracts, as told through the lens of one firm in the state. One stat: of 2,000 cases resolved, they investigated just 9.
calmatters.org/investigatio...
on the impact of flat-fee defense contracts, as told through the lens of one firm in the state. One stat: of 2,000 cases resolved, they investigated just 9.
calmatters.org/investigatio...
The right to a fair trial is at the heart of our legal system. But in CA, the reality is far from fair: prosecutors have almost triple the support staff of public defenders, who fight back to defend people. It’s time for equal investment in public defense. #PublicDefense #California #EqualJustice
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM
The right to a fair trial is at the heart of our legal system. But in CA, the reality is far from fair: prosecutors have almost triple the support staff of public defenders, who fight back to defend people. It’s time for equal investment in public defense. #PublicDefense #California #EqualJustice
“I think it’s really important for visions of safety, visions of justice, to be crafted by the people who live in those communities and care about those communities, I don’t think it should be based on partisan agendas." Candace Mitchell on Congress's attack on DC
washingtonian.com/2025/11/21/w...
washingtonian.com/2025/11/21/w...
What Congress’s New Crime Bills Would Mean for DC - Washingtonian
From imposing cash bail to decreasing police oversight, Congress is weighing changes that could remake DC’s justice system and revive long-running fights over who controls public safety in the Distric...
washingtonian.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM
“I think it’s really important for visions of safety, visions of justice, to be crafted by the people who live in those communities and care about those communities, I don’t think it should be based on partisan agendas." Candace Mitchell on Congress's attack on DC
washingtonian.com/2025/11/21/w...
washingtonian.com/2025/11/21/w...
Modern criminal cases involve tons of digital evidence. Far too many defense attorneys just don’t have the resources to keep up with it all.
CA needs to invest in public defense so that these attorneys have the investigative staff they need and their clients get the defense that they deserve.
CA needs to invest in public defense so that these attorneys have the investigative staff they need and their clients get the defense that they deserve.
November 18, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Modern criminal cases involve tons of digital evidence. Far too many defense attorneys just don’t have the resources to keep up with it all.
CA needs to invest in public defense so that these attorneys have the investigative staff they need and their clients get the defense that they deserve.
CA needs to invest in public defense so that these attorneys have the investigative staff they need and their clients get the defense that they deserve.