Primary Sources & Databases
Every fact on this site traces back to a public record. Sources are organized in three tiers:
- Primary Analytical Reference — Clutch Justice (Rita Williams): independent investigative journalism with deep analysis, sourced from the same public records
- Secondary News Sources — WXYZ, Detroit Free Press, Chalkbeat, Bridge Detroit: event reporting and investigation
- Source Data — Government databases, court records, LARA filings, campaign finance: the raw public records underlying every claim
📰 Primary Analytical Reference — Clutch Justice
| Article | Date | What It Documents |
|---|
| 📰 Clutch Justice : MacDowell: $15,217/student, 3% math proficiency | Sep 13, 2026 | Financial extraction model, board composition (Yancey Chair, Wells Stallworth), 3% math proficiency, DPSCD authorization of PCA, gift-card-labeled payments |
| 📰 Clutch Justice : The Proper Move Was Not to Get Involved | Jul 14, 2026 | Miller OWI courtroom appearance, boundary violation pattern, connects to gun case |
| 📰 Clutch Justice : FOIA and Your Michigan School Board | Sep 23, 2026 | Legal roadmap for parents to FOIA charter school records under MCL 15.231 |
| 📰 Clutch Justice : The Detroit Files, Part I: The Room | Sep 21, 2026 | Detroit 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
| Source | URL | Access | What We Cite |
|---|
| LARA — Corporate Entity Search | 🏛️ LARA MiBusiness | Free. Search by entity name or LARA ID. | LLC/nonprofit filings, registered agents, formation/dissolution dates for all Banks-controlled entities |
| ICHAT — Criminal History | 🏛️ ICHAT | $10/search. Name + DOB required. | Criminal conviction records: Banks (SID 2029469K), Holland (SID 2321035P) |
| CFRS — Campaign Finance | 🏛️ MI Campaign Finance | Free. Search by candidate or committee. | Campaign contributions and expenditures: Yancey, Miller, Gay-Dagnogo, PAC filings |
| MDOC OTIS — Offender Tracking | 🏛️ MDOC OTIS | Free. Search by MDOC number or name. | Holland incarceration/discharge records (MDOC #443789) |
Wayne County Government
| Source | URL | Access | What We Cite |
|---|
| 3rd Circuit Court | 🏛️ 3rd Circuit | 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 | 🏛️ 36th District | Free. Judge profiles and case lookup. | Yancey, Adam Sabree, Sean Perkins bench assignments |
| County Clerk / Register of Deeds | 🏛️ Wayne Clerk/ROD | Free online search. | Property records, deed transfers, UCC filings |
| County Treasurer — Tax Records | 🏛️ Wayne Treasurer | Free. Search by address or parcel. | Tax payment status for Banks-connected properties |
Federal Systems
| Source | URL | Access | What We Cite |
|---|
| PACER — Federal Court Records | ⚖️ PACER | 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 | 🏛️ DOJ | Free. | Federal prosecution announcements, indictments |
📰 Secondary News Sources
| Source | URL | Access | Key Coverage |
|---|
| WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) | 📰 WXYZ | Free. | Cylenthia Miller investigations (gun incident, OWI, practicing law on bench), Vonda Evans JTC coverage. Ross Jones = primary investigative reporter. |
| Detroit Free Press | 📰 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 | 📰 Detroit News | Paywalled. Try archive.org. | Eric Sabree FBI investigation (2019), judicial appointment coverage |
| Chalkbeat Detroit | 📰 Chalkbeat | Free. | Purpose Charter Academy authorization, DPSCD charter oversight |
| Bridge Detroit | 📰 Bridge Detroit | Free. | Detroit mayoral race 2025 (Todd Perkins), judicial election coverage |
| AP News | apnews.com | Free. | Vonda Evans retirement/JTC suspension |
⚖️ Legal & Professional Directories
| Source | URL | Access | What We Cite |
|---|
| State Bar of Michigan | ⚖️ State Bar of MI | Free. Search by attorney name. Blocks automated access. | Bar membership verification — Banks has ZERO results (claimed “J.D.” is fraudulent) |
| JAMS — Dispute Resolution | ⚖️ JAMS | Free. Blocks automated access. | Denise Langford Morris mediator profile |
📚 Reference Sources
| Source | URL | Access | What We Cite |
|---|
| Ballotpedia | 📚 Ballotpedia | Free. | Judicial election data, candidate profiles, campaign finance summaries |
| SchoolDigger | 🏛️ MI School Data | Free. Blocks automated access. | School performance ratings for MacDowell and Purpose Charter Academy |
| US News — K-12 Rankings | 📚 US News | Free. Blocks automated access. | MacDowell Preparatory Academy school profile |
| Wikipedia | wikipedia.org | Free. | Todd Perkins biography, Black Mafia Family history |
How to Verify
- Pick any claim on this site
- Find the source citation — every factual claim links to or names its source
- Visit the database listed above and search for the specific record
- 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.