“They Can’t Silence Us” -- How Marissa Barrera Beat the Yolo County DA’s Attempt to Criminalize Her Call for Police Accountability

In an attempt to silence and intimidate a community leader who advocates for justice for her brother who was killed by Woodland Police, the Yolo County DA charged her with a rarely used criminal charge - threat by electronic device. The accusation stemmed from a YouTube video Marissa Barrera posted laying out facts of her brother’s death, and giving general descriptive information about the officer who killed him - Richard Wright.

On February 8, 2017, Officer Wright, along with several other officers, beat, tased, and suffocated Michael Barrera. The day forever changed his sister Marissa, who committed herself to calling for justice after her brother’s death. She went on to become a state and nationally recognized advocate for police accountability, starting an organization called Voices of Strength, and supporting other families across California who had lost loved ones to police violence. Marissa found impact through the use of social media to share the stories of families struggling after law enforcement killings, and used the platforms as a community organizing vehicle.

Last February, she received a warrant that alleged she had violated penal code 653.2(a) - a misdemeanor threat by electronic device. The complaint, initiated by Officer Wright, claimed that a five minute YouTube video Marissa made somehow was a threat to him and his family. The video itself is like other videos Marissa and others have made to inform the public about a case or issue. It shows her speaking to a camera while displaying images she is referencing in her narration. At one point she identifies a neighborhood park that Officer Wright’s family lives by and reposts a picture that Wright’s mother had already posted. None of the content would reasonably be called a “threat,” but in an attempt to end the transparency, Wright and the Yolo County DA’s Office colluded to file criminal charges.

Despite the possibility of facing jail time if a guilty verdict was found, Marissa refused to accept any plea offers and headed to trial in the beginning of January 2026.

Leading up to trial, impacted families from across the state sent the elected Yolo County DA Jeff Reising a letter signed by over 200 families and numerous organizations calling on their office to drop the charges. They received no response from the DA’s office. So on January 5^th, 2026, when the first day of trial was set, her public defender filed and argued for a motion to dismiss.

The court was filled with Marissa’s family, other impacted families who organize with her, and supporting community organizations like SV De-Bug, CURYJ, and Decarcerate Sacramento. The Yolo County public defender argued a clear and persuasive call to dismiss the clearly baseless and retaliatory charges.

As the public defender pointed out, an element to this charge is that the person had “intent to to cause immediate physical injury” and that it would likely incite others to do so. None of those basic requirements of the charge applied to the allegation made against Marissa.

In a desperate, and bizarre, moment while the Yolo County prosecutor was attempting to salvage his case, he offered what he felt was a good example as to why Marissa’s video elevated to the level of the alleged crime. He said, in open court, that if he said that someone living at some hypothetical residence was “eating babies daily” that it would be reasonable the person would be attacked, and thus would violate penal code 653.2(a). He went on to say Marissa’s video was the same thing. The argument did not move the judge.

In fact, after viewing Marissa’s video in chambers, and after hearing from both the prosecutor and the public defender - the judge dismissed the charges against Marissa. In response to her win, Marissa Barrera said, “This was a great win for my family and for everyone else who has been silenced or killed by the system. I hope this sends a message to law enforcement that they can't silence us in our call for justice.”