In An Instant

What happens when the very body meant to protect kids in the justice system shows up, again and again, for everyone except the two children who lost both parents? In this episode, Maria Liza breaks down what came out during the civil trial: how a court-appointed commissioner supported the young man who caused the deaths of two people and his parents throughout the proceedings, while never once showing up for two young girls. I also dig into how "restorative justice" gets defined when the people asking for restoration are the victims themselves, and lay out a pattern I've watched play out for four years, where every choice between accountability and a legal maneuver has landed on the side of avoidance and instead attempting to blame one of the victims. This one's about whose pain gets witnessed, and whose doesn't.

In the second half of this two-part segment, Margaret Petros returns to the work an advocate actually does in the room, from showing up at sentencing to pushing back when restitution gets treated as an afterthought. From there the conversation turns to what restitution means beyond the dollars. We talk about accountability, about how being made whole, or being ignored, shapes a victim's healing, and about what a restitution order signals when the justice system finally acknowledges the harm done. Margaret also walks through the practical questions families ask her every day. What happens when an offender claims they cannot pay, whether restitution still applies to juveniles and how long payments really take. She closes on the long road, modifying an order as costs grow and how to keep payments coming.

When the facts aren’t on your side, throw everything you can at the jury and hope something sticks. In this sneak peak, Maria Liza introduces Occam’s razor as a lens for understanding what really happened in Ammen v. Morales - and previews an upcoming episode unpacking the defense’s shifting theories, one by one, against the one fact nobody disputes.

With the wrongful death trial now just days away, Maria Liza reflects on jury selection, the moment a case stops being paperwork and becomes twelve strangers deciding whether her sister Grace and her brother-in-law Greg's deaths will be met with accountability. A raw, personal look at what it means to prepare for trial after over three and a half years of fighting for justice, and a call to pay attention as the case finally reaches a courtroom. You can also follow along at Justice Forgotten on Instagram

Margaret Petros has spent forty years standing beside victims of violent crime, and in this first half of our conversation she traces the path that brought her there. She arrived in the United States from Iraq at fifteen, carrying the weight of discrimination and displacement, and that early experience became the foundation for a lifetime of advocacy. As the driving force behind Mothers Against Murder, Margaret talks about what she found broken in the system and why she refused to accept it, including MAM's landmark court victory that restored in-person hearings before the California Victim Compensation Board after fifteen years of a paper-only process. We also lay the groundwork on restitution itself, what it is, what losses it can cover, who decides the amount, and how an advocate helps families document their full story so the court sees the complete picture.

In the years since the fateful night on November 4, 2022 I have watched a system that was supposed to protect my family fail them at every turn - from DA Wagstaffe's office to Attorney General Bonta himself.

What happens when the system built to protect victims becomes the second injury?

I sit down with Michael Gates - attorney, former Huntington Beach City Attorney, and candidate for California Attorney General, to talk about street racing, accountability, prosecutorial failure, and the Marsy's Law rights that too many families never actually receive. We talk about what accountability really looks like, what Marsy's Law is supposed to mean, and what justice should look like when California finally decides that victims' lives matter as much as offenders' second chances. We talk policy. And we talk about what he would do differently for families like mine. This one is personal. It always is.

Career prosecutor and DA candidate Daniel Chung joins us to make the case for change in Santa Clara County's justice system. A Bay Area native who spent nearly two decades inside the very office he's running to lead, Daniel breaks down what he calls a "revolving door" for violent and repeat offenders, the years-long delays leaving victims' families without justice, and the policy reforms he'd put in place on Day 1. We also discuss the case that has gripped our community, the deaths of Andrew and Stacia Stuart, the Gilroy parents struck and killed in a crosswalk while dropping their 7-year-old twins off at school - and why, almost four months later, the DA's office has still said nothing publicly about the status of charges. If you live in Santa Clara County and care about who's in that DA seat this June, this one's for you. Visit chungforchange.com to learn about Daniel’s background and his mission.

Join us in this heartfelt episode as Maria Liza reflects on the complexities of grief, loss, and the search for justice during the holiday season. She delves into the profound impact of cumulative grief, specifically Grace and Greg, marking four difficult Christmases without them. Maria Liza also shares juggling parenting responsibilities and navigating the intricate web of legal challenges while seeking some kind of closure for her family.

On the 3-year anniversary of the deaths of Greg and Grace, the pain and suffering continue for each of us, in different ways and for various reasons. Imagine for a moment how we felt when critical evidence was shared with us after Morales’ sentencing that could have changed the course of our case—a case where the defendant(s) have yet to show us any remorse or accountability, even working hard to create a narrative that blames others. The defense was granted a 6-month extension to prepare for the adult transfer hearing, but when the plaintiff was assigned a new District Attorney only two weeks before the adult transfer started, he was denied an extension request and not allowed the same courtesy to prepare. Reflecting on these moments brings pause to wonder what if this vital information had been accessible all along, never making its way into the courtroom. Who should be held accountable to acknowledge this critical fact and make it right for the victims' family? What should the repercussions be, and don’t we all want to ask WHY?

In this episode, we take a closer look at the developing narrative surrounding the tragedy that have affected countless individuals. Throughout the last year, significant new information has surfaced that could have shifted the trajectory of our case. Maria Liza confronts the persistent inaccuracies in media portrayals, shedding light on the serious misrepresentations at play. Additionally, this episode highlights the deep frustrations felt by victims and their families regarding the perpetrators, raising questions about their responsibility while underscoring the suffering they endure. Listeners are invited to examine the misrepresentations of juvenile justice that persist in the public eye. Committed to prioritizing truth over perception, this episode explores personal identity amidst tragedy, fostering a deeper understanding and advocacy for those affected. Join us as we seek the truth, revealing a clearer path forward.