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Ronald Ross Exonerated After 7 Years in Prison

Published

13 years ago

March 1, 2013

Oakland Post

Ronald Ross

By Post Staff

After nearly seven years in prison, Ronald Ross was exonerated from a conviction for attempted premeditated murder.
Ross was found guilty Nov. 8, 2006 of trying to murder Renardo Williams, who was shot on the front porch of his West Oakland apartment in April of that year. Ross was sentenced to 25 years to life.
Police arrested Ross, who had no record of violence, after Williams, the shooting victim, picked him out of a lineup of six photos, Ross’s attorneys said.
They said police showed the lineup to Williams at his hospital bedside three days after he was shot in front of his apartment at the Campbell Village complex.
Ross’s attorneys said he had been included in the lineup because of a loose connection. His mother had, years earlier, lived in the same building as a woman whose family was in a dispute with Williams when he was shot.
But the lawyers said Williams now admits he never thought Ross was the shooter and implicated him only because he was pressured by police and feared the real gunman would come after him.
Represented without cost by the law firm of Keker & Van Nest and the Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP) at Santa Clara University School of Law, new evidence and proof of false testimony at Ross’s original trial in 2006 reopened the investigation.
“We knew Ronald was innocent, and we wanted to work for him. People in jail who are innocent don’t have a constituency; nobody fights for you except the Northern California Innocence Project. They stand up for people who need support,” said Elliott Peters, partner at Keker & Van Nest, at a Feb. 25 press conference.
“Misidentification is one of the leading causes of wrongful conviction. It took five years and seven months to win Ronald’s freedom. He is the 15th wrongfully convicted person we helped exonerate. We are thrilled to be celebrating with [him],” said Linda Starr, Legal Director at the Innocence Project.
Ross talked at the press conference about what he did to keep prison from crushing the life out of him.
“It’s different when you don’t have your freedom,” according to Ross, who said he developed an outlook so would wake up smiling most days and “never let the devil steal my joy.”
After over four years of investigation and 2,000 unpaid honors, Ross’s attorneys presented evidence of false testimony and the case for their client’s innocence to Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley and the Alameda County Superior Court during a three-day hearing.
Keith McArthur of McArthur Investigations led the team’s factual investigation and discovered evidence that led to Ross’s exoneration.
On Feb. 20, Alameda Superior Court Judge Jon Rolefson signed an order reversing the prior convictions and sentence. Two days later, District Attorney O’Malley formally dismissed the charges, after which the court ordered Ross’s release from custody.
Aiming to reform the legal system, the Innocence Project is cosponsoring legislation to reduce the numbers of people innocent people who go to prison because a witness wrongly identifies them.
Ross said he is looking forward to spending time with his children and grandchildren and opening a program for adolescent youth.

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

10 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.