The Violence Policy Center released a report called, “Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2009 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24,” which shows that Monterey and Alameda are the two counties with the highest corresponding youth homicide rate.

The report takes data from the California Department of Justice Supplementary Homicide Report.  In addition to ranking the counties according to these rates, the study reported that handguns are the weapon of choice amongst youth, and that African Americans are over 14 times more likely to be murdered than white youth. 

TOP 10 COUNTIES BY YOUTH HOMICIDE RATE
The top 10 counties with each county's corresponding homicide victimization rate for its population of Californians ages 10 to 24 are:

1) Monterey County, 31.24 per 100,000
2) Alameda County, 20.69 per 100,000
3) Kern County, 19.98 per 100,000
4) Contra Costa County, 19.17 per 100,000
5) Tulare County, 15.31 per 100,000
6) Los Angeles County, 14.61 per 100,000
7) San Joaquin County, 13.86 per 100,000
8) Stanislaus County, 13.49 per 100,000
9) Merced County, 12.87 per 100,000
10) Solano County, 12.59 per 100,000

-State overall rate for 10- to 24-year-olds:  10.48 per 100,000.

LOS ANGELES and OAKLAND-  Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of unarmed BART passenger Oscar Grant. The charge carries a possible sentence of two to four years in prison. Sentencing will take place on August 6th. It's possible that Mehserle could get probation.

Shortly before the verdict was read, Minister Keith Muhammed was praying with Grant's family. They have said they're a "family of nonviolence," and are asking for calm from the community, but said "the court should know how painful this has been for the family."

The family's lawyer John Burris said "I'm not sure that he can get probation. I do say that a victim impact statement means the family can go to the court on the day of the sentencing and give information on how it has impacted the family, destroyed the family. The court is supposed to consider it, and it should be an aggravating factor for the case."

In downtown Oakland, traffic is blocked at 14th and Broadway, where a protest has been called for 6 o'clock. One group organizing is the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, and a post-verdict email from them outlines what they're calling on Oaklanders to demand, including "The maximum sentence for killer cop Johannes Mehserle", jail for Officers Pirone and Domenici, and "massive funding to Oakland for education and jobs for Oakland’s black, Latina/o, Asian, and poor and working-class white youth."

Reginald James, a teacher at the Oakland Freedom School, said of the scene after the verdict, "It's a media circus--they're trying to capitalize off others' pain. See someone crying, go take their photo." He said when the verdict came down, "People were paralyzed. Some people didn't know what to expect, some were surprised, for some people it kinda confirmed what's already been implied in the mainstream press. I cant even get a sandwich downtown right now because people expected acquittal or involuntary manslaughter, which would lead people to revert to property damage or violence."

Youth Radio videographer Haldun Morgan is at Oakland City Center. He said a police line is being set up on 11th street between Clay and Broadway, and there are also fire trucks, police SUVs, and six or seven unmarked police cars. Morgan overheard a conversation between two men, one saying the killing was parallel to a lynching. he says the crowd is about two-thirds 30 years old and under, and people are passing out "Violence is Not Justice" flyers. 

Mayor Ron Dellums emphasized the attention that the case has drawn. "The tragic reality... is that this is not the first young African American male that's lost his life in this kind of tragedy....Many people have died here and around the country, but they end up being... a statistic in a newspaper." He said what's different in this case is that modern technology helped to document and transmit the incident to mass audiences.

We'll bring you more details as we get them.

Click here for more multimedia stories about the Oscar Grant case.

According to the public information office at the LA Superior Court, video equipment was installed in the jury room at 1:15 and deliberations began at 1:40. Youth Radio's King Anyi Howell was inside the courtroom today. Check out his video describing Judge Perry's the instructions to the jury.

Click here for more multimedia stories about the Oscar Grant case.

Amanda Knox, the young American studying in Italy, was convicted of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher on Friday. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison while her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years.

These sentences have caused plenty of speculation about whether Knox is guilty or innocent. Knox’s family has created an online fund called “Amanda Knox Defense Fund.” The website was designed to show who the real Amanda Knox is. It states, “Within this site you will find heartfelt stories from friends, family, teachers and others who are the true friends of Amanda Knox. People who know what kind of a lovely person she truly is and who know she is innocent.”

Knox story has even touched Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington, who released this statement: “I have serious questions about the Italian justice system and whether anti-Americanism tainted this trial. The prosecution did not present enough evidence for an impartial jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Knox was guilty. Italian jurors were not sequestered and were allowed to view highly negative news coverage about Ms. Knox."

Hillary Clinton responded, “I understand that there will be appeals taken, and we will follow that. And of course, I stand ready to meet with anyone who wishes to discuss this case further.” However, in a recent interview with This Week, Secretary of State Clinton said, "I honestly haven't had time to even examine that. I've been immersed in what we're doing in Afghanistan.”

Check out the recent investigative story done by 48 Hours Mystery
 

While studying abroad in Italy in 2007, University of Washington student Amanda Knox was accused of murdering her British roommate. Today, the two-year Italian trial draws to a close. According to the Associated Press, a verdict could come as soon as tomorrow.

Both Knox, 22, and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were charged with the murder of Meredith Kercher while prosecutors say they were under "the fumes of drugs and possibly alcohol." There is no definitive forensic evidence linking Sollecito and Knox to the scene, but, as Timothy Egan points out at the New York Times' Opinionator blog, "there is abundant evidence linking a drifter named Rudy Guede to the scene—blood, DNA, prints and his own admission."

According to CNN, Cleveland law enforcement is using new methods to solve murder cases. This past week, 11 decomposed women’s bodies were found in the home of Anthony Sowell, a former sex offender who served 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted rape and kidnapping. Its one thing to try to identify the background of one body, but with eleven found at the same time, law enforcement was forced to take extra measures. They called the “Bug Guy,” Joe Keiper, the curator of Invertebrate Zoology from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

CHICAGO- Four charges of first-degree murder have been filed by the Cook County prosecutor's office in the beating death of 16-year-old honors student Derrion Albert. Cellphone video of the beating (warning: graphic violence) helped detectives identify individuals who were involved in a street fight that turned deadly outside Christian Fenger Academy High School after a shooting earlier in the day.

Four teenagers Eugene Bailey, 18, Silvonus Shannon, 19, Eugene Riley, 18, and Eric Carson, 16, have been charged and police say they are looking for at least three others involved in the beating.

Rap star Nas has penned an open letter on GlobalGrind.com calling for an end to the cycle of violence that is shaking Chicago to the core, even as President Obama prepares to make the case that the Windy City should host the 2016 Olympic Games.

(via LA Times and MTV News)

According to the San Francisco chronicle, on the evening of July 19th, Eustacio Torres was shot by his ex-girlfriend at a converted garage that Torres was renovating. Torres and his girlfriend, Bernadette Agustin, met about five years ago when Torres was renovating her house. They became partners in that business for a few years. The market started to tumble downhill, and their buildings went into foreclosure causing them to lose money. This caused tension between the couple. After some time, their relationship started to become difficult for both of them. Torres realized that Agustin was dangerous; however he never got a restraining order against her. On the evening on July 19th Agustin went to meet Torres at the garage. Prior to this incident she bought a pistol. She brought shot him with it.
About a year ago Eustacio Torres’ sister, Catalina Torres, a volunteer for a battered women’s group, was shot and killed inside of her Martinez apartment while trying to protect one of her customers in a beauty salon. Read more...

On Tuesday a transit worker and toll collector were shot and killed at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Arrested earlier today was 46 year-old Nathan Burris. Burris was the boyfriend of 51 year-old Debbie Ross—the toll collector killed—also killed was 58 year old Ersie Everett. Burris was arrested in the Sierra Mountains after a statewide bulletin for his capture was issued.

The Oakland Tribune Reports-An unidentified Oakland police officer shot and killed 46 year-old Brownie Polk Saturday Night on 71st and International Blvd. The video surveillance from the liquor store where the incident happened has been taken by OPD. The officer had responded to the store owners, who claimed that Polk was wielding a hatchet and was being a disturbance. Read more...