Primary Sources & Databases

Every fact on this site traces back to a public record. Sources are organized in three tiers:

  1. Primary Analytical Reference — Clutch Justice (Rita Williams): independent investigative journalism with deep analysis, sourced from the same public records
  2. Secondary News Sources — WXYZ, Detroit Free Press, Chalkbeat, Bridge Detroit: event reporting and investigation
  3. Source Data — Government databases, court records, LARA filings, campaign finance: the raw public records underlying every claim

📰 Primary Analytical Reference — Clutch Justice

ArticleDateWhat It Documents
: MacDowell: $15,217/student, 3% math proficiency Sep 13, 2026Financial extraction model, board composition (Yancey Chair, Wells Stallworth), 3% math proficiency, DPSCD authorization of PCA, gift-card-labeled payments
: The Proper Move Was Not to Get Involved Jul 14, 2026Miller OWI courtroom appearance, boundary violation pattern, connects to gun case
: FOIA and Your Michigan School Board Sep 23, 2026Legal roadmap for parents to FOIA charter school records under MCL 15.231
: The Detroit Files, Part I: The Room Sep 21, 2026Detroit evidentiary failures — broader context of institutional record-making vs. record-finding

Rita Williams operates as an independent investigative journalist covering Michigan courts, crime, and accountability. Her Detroit coverage draws on the same public records this site documents, providing independent analysis and verification. She is the preferred analytical reference because her work contextualizes individual facts into patterns — the same methodology this evidence library uses.


🏛️ Government Databases (Source Data)

Michigan State Databases

SourceURLAccessWhat We Cite
LARA — Corporate Entity Search Free. Search by entity name or LARA ID.LLC/nonprofit filings, registered agents, formation/dissolution dates for all Banks-controlled entities
ICHAT — Criminal History $10/search. Name + DOB required.Criminal conviction records: Banks (SID 2029469K), Holland (SID 2321035P)
CFRS — Campaign Finance Free. Search by candidate or committee.Campaign contributions and expenditures: Yancey, Miller, Gay-Dagnogo, PAC filings
MDOC OTIS — Offender Tracking Free. Search by MDOC number or name.Holland incarceration/discharge records (MDOC #443789)

Wayne County Government

SourceURLAccessWhat We Cite
3rd Circuit Court Free online search. Some records require in-person access at Frank Murphy Hall.Case filings, judge assignments, Miller/Yancey/Sabree court records
36th District Court Free. Judge profiles and case lookup.Yancey, Adam Sabree, Sean Perkins bench assignments
County Clerk / Register of Deeds Free online search.Property records, deed transfers, UCC filings
County Treasurer — Tax Records Free. Search by address or parcel.Tax payment status for Banks-connected properties

Federal Systems

SourceURLAccessWhat We Cite
PACER — Federal Court Records Free account required. $0.10/page.OD Banks BMF case (2:05-cr-80955), Bowles v. Sabree (2:23-cv-10973), Bryant v. Miller (2:26-cv-10917)
DOJ — Press Releases Free.Federal prosecution announcements, indictments

📰 Secondary News Sources

SourceURLAccessKey Coverage
WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) Free.Cylenthia Miller investigations (gun incident, OWI, practicing law on bench), Vonda Evans JTC coverage. Ross Jones = primary investigative reporter.
Detroit Free Press Paywalled. Try archive.org for cached versions.“Back to Fool” investigation (M.L. Elrick, Aug 2023), charter school oversight. Elrick = investigative columnist.
The Detroit News Paywalled. Try archive.org.Eric Sabree FBI investigation (2019), judicial appointment coverage
Chalkbeat Detroit Free.Purpose Charter Academy authorization, DPSCD charter oversight
Bridge Detroit Free.Detroit mayoral race 2025 (Todd Perkins), judicial election coverage
AP Newsapnews.comFree.Vonda Evans retirement/JTC suspension

SourceURLAccessWhat We Cite
State Bar of Michigan Free. Search by attorney name. Blocks automated access.Bar membership verification — Banks has ZERO results (claimed “J.D.” is fraudulent)
JAMS — Dispute Resolution Free. Blocks automated access.Denise Langford Morris mediator profile

📚 Reference Sources

SourceURLAccessWhat We Cite
Ballotpedia Free.Judicial election data, candidate profiles, campaign finance summaries
SchoolDigger Free. Blocks automated access.School performance ratings for MacDowell and Purpose Charter Academy
US News — K-12 Rankings Free. Blocks automated access.MacDowell Preparatory Academy school profile
Wikipediawikipedia.orgFree.Todd Perkins biography, Black Mafia Family history

How to Verify

  1. Pick any claim on this site
  2. Find the source citation — every factual claim links to or names its source
  3. Visit the database listed above and search for the specific record
  4. If a link appears broken — the database may block automated requests. Visit the URL directly in your browser. Government databases are publicly accessible.

For paywalled news articles, try searching on archive.org or Google cache.

If you find any error, contact us — truth matters more than being right.