Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
Jury finds Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly and overcharged fans
A jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly in its dominance of the live events and ticketing industry, validating complaints that the industry giant was stifling competition and driving up fees for fans. The verdict was reached following a lengthy trial in New York federal court that included testimony from top executives in the music and entertainment industries. Jurors began deliberating on Friday.
CNN
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Nuisance suit based on DWP cutting off power reinstated
The Court of Appeal for this district has reinstated a cause of action for nuisance against the City of Los Angeles for cutting the power line to a building in southeast Los Angeles, despite bills for electrical services being paid up-to-date, allegedly causing the property to become unrentable and depriving the owner of the benefits of a five-year lease that had been expected to soon go into effect with the operator of a cannabis business.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Alabama Supreme Court limits reporter privilege in NY Times lawsuit
The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday limited the scope of the state’s reporter shield law, handing a partial victory to former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears in his ongoing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The decision clarifies what journalists in the state can withhold during discovery when confidential sources are at issue.
Courthouse News Service
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Former LAPD SWAT team member wins round in court
A former Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team member who alleges she was wrongfully denied a promotion within the unit won a round in court when a judge ruled that he will review the records of various LAPD personnel, including the male lieutenant given the job instead of her.
City News Service
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Clerical error as to prison time does not open door to change misdemeanor sentences
Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held that a trial judge erred in modifying sentences imposed on misdemeanor counts during a post-judgment hearing held to correct purely clerical errors relating to the amount of prison time imposed on felony charges, saying the jurist exceeded her authority by effectively resentencing the defendant without statutory authority.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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US appeals court declares 158-year-old home distilling ban unconstitutional
A U.S. appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for Congress to exercise its power to tax. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of the nonprofit Hobby Distillers Association and four of its 1,300 members.
California Post
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C.A. identifies lawyer who was scammed by initials, only
Div. Four of the First District Court of Appeal has issued a decision in the case of Y.P. v. Wells Fargo Co., according anonymity to a San Francisco lawyer who accepted from a new “client” a $99,700 cashier’s check - supposedly representing monies owed that person by a third party - deposited it, three days later honored a request to wire $89,730 to the client, then, after the check was found to be bogus, sued the bank to recover the lost monies.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Realtor lawsuit moves ahead
A federal judge last week recently moved a lawsuit forward against a former Santa Clarita Valley Realtor being sued in federal court over allegations he drugged and sexually assaulted more than one victim and his firm, eXp Realty, ignored complaints. On Tuesday, Judge Andre Birotte Jr. dismissed an effort by eXp Realty’s attorneys to dismiss a third amended complaint against the firm, instead asking for an acceptable trial schedule from both sides.
The Signal
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Court strikes down California law targeting dialysis industry profits
A federal appeals court ruled last week that California’s attempt to limit how much dialysis companies profit from certain privately insured patients is unconstitutional - a victory for an industry that has repeatedly beaten back efforts to control its costs. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down key pieces of Assembly Bill 290, a law designed to limit how much dialysis companies could profit from privately insured patients who receive premium assistance from charity groups.
CalMatters
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Court of Appeal upholds murder convictions of couple though no body was found
The Fifth District Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed the second-degree murder convictions of the adoptive parents of a four-year-old boy whose body was never found, with the jurists declaring that circumstantial evidence was strong enough to support the verdicts. Defendants Trezell and Jacqueline West, of Kern County’s California City, telephoned police on Dec. 21, 2020 to report that Orrin West, 4, and his brother, Orson West, 3, had been playing in the backyard and had apparently wandered off. Neither child was found.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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LA County DA asks for charges to be dropped against Torrance police officers in 2018 fatal shooting
Nearly seven years after two Torrance police officers shot and killed a man, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office has moved to have their charges dropped. District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Friday announced the decision to drop the case after his office determined the evidence was not strong enough to prove that the officers, Matthew Concannon and Anthony Chavez, committed voluntary manslaughter.
ABC7
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Ex-Costa Mesa police officer accused of using FLOCK cameras to track his mistress
A former Costa Mesa police officer pleaded guilty to using law enforcement tools, including FLOCK license plate readers, to track his wife, mistress and romantic rivals. The Orange County District Attorney's Office also said Robert Jay Josett, 35, contacted his mistress thousands of times via texts and calls dozens of times a day over the nine months and admitted to violating a restraining order by driving by her home.
CBS LA
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Probation officers accused of falsifying medical notes to dodge juvenile hall duties
Three Los Angeles County probation officers have been charged with misdemeanor counts of altering medical records to avoid being assigned to full duties at juvenile detention facilities. “Being a probation officer is a tough job, but you don’t get to cheat your way out of it,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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District Attorneys Association supports bill to amend California’s elderly parole program
The California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) Supports AB 2727, Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen’s Bill to Amend California’s Elderly Parole Program. The California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) is committed to protecting public safety and is proud to support AB 2727, as amended on April 7, 2026, as an important step in protecting Californians by limiting the eligibility of violent sex offenders to be released under California’s Elderly Parole program.
California Globe
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4 Sinaloa Cartel-linked defendants arrested on federal indictment alleging they operated family-run drug and gun trafficking ring
Law enforcement today arrested four Sinaloa Cartel-linked defendants - all members of the same family, three of them illegal aliens from Mexico - who are charged in a 29-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they trafficked fentanyl, pound quantities of methamphetamine, and firearms, including so-called “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Former Orange County sheriff's deputy had child sexual abuse images on his phone, prosecutors say
An Orange County sheriff's deputy who resigned amid an investigation into his conduct was charged this week with possessing child sexual abuse material, using a police database to pull information about his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, and violating a restraining order, prosecutors said Tuesday. Fernando Melo Flores, 40, faces up to four years and two months in prison if convicted on all counts.
Los Angeles Times
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Ventura man charged with felony workers’ compensation insurance fraud
On April 13, 2026, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Heriberto Baez, 39, of Ventura, has been charged with two counts of felony workers’ compensation insurance fraud and one count of felony attempted perjury. Baez, who previously worked for a plastering company owned by a family member, is accused of filing a workers’ compensation claim alleging he suffered a shoulder injury from a workplace fall, as well as cumulative trauma to his lower back.
California Statewide Law Enforcement Association
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LAPD union rescinds endorsement for LA City Attorney reelection campaign
The union representing rank-and-file Los Angeles Police Department officers rescinded its endorsement of City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto in her bid for reelection Friday, a decision that came two days after her office disclosed a major data breach involving law enforcement records. The Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors issued a letter to Feldstein Soto, informing the city attorney that they voted unanimously not to support her reelection.
City News Service
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LA City Attorney: Who's running in the June 2 primary and why it matters
The city attorney runs an office of more than 550 lawyers representing L.A. in all legal matters, including filing lawsuits and defending against them - and L.A. is involved in a lot of lawsuits. Think of the city attorney as the head of a law firm representing the L.A. city government as its client. The person who holds this office counsels city departments, boards and officers on legal issues, including how to interpret court rulings or the city charter.
LAist
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The LAPD isn’t broken our legal system is
Every budget season in Los Angeles, a familiar chorus plays out at City Hall. The city controller sounds the alarm about ballooning liability payouts. DSA-backed councilmembers point to the dollar figures as evidence that the LAPD is out of control, in desperate need of more oversight and reform. The numbers are alarming enough that it’s easy to nod along. Last fiscal year alone, LAPD-related settlements totaled $155 million, enough to fund the city’s entire animal services and street lighting departments combined.
CityWatch
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FBI searches Lancaster City Hall, homes of vice mayor and council member in corruption probe
The homes of Lancaster's vice mayor and a council member - along with City Hall and a home in Bel-Air - were served with FBI search warrants Wednesday morning. Details on what authorities were investigating were not immediately clear, but they began searching Lancaster City Hall in the early morning and by the afternoon, were also at the homes of Vice Mayor Marvin Crist, Councilmember Raj Malhi and a third home in Bel-Air, according to law enforcement sources.
Los Angeles Times
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Prosecutors demand changes to California's mental health diversion program after Lil Nas X ruling
Prosecutors in California are pushing for changes to the state's mental health diversion program after rapper Lil Nas X was recently allowed to avoid jail time for several felony charges by entering the program. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman say the program is being abused by criminals who are not genuinely suffering from mental illness, and they are co-sponsoring a new bill, AB 46, that would give judges more discretion to deny diversion if the defendant poses a risk to public safety.
Los Angeles Today
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Legal fight underway over popular Malibu waterfall trail
The city of Malibu and a local conservation authority are publicly feuding over the management - and future - of a popular 150-foot, multitiered waterfall and trail system located just off Pacific Coast Highway. Malibu filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, seeking to take over the trails to the waterfall and to “address a long-documented pattern of unsafe and inadequate trail management by MRCA,” the city said in a news release Tuesday.
SF Gate
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LA Councilman’s ex-field deputy may avoid mental health exam
A former senior field deputy to City Councilman Curren Price can avert a psychological exam by a defense-selected mental health expert if she avoids introducing evidence of her psychological condition at a late summer trial, a judge has ruled. Angie Reyes-English alleges she was wrongfully fired in 2024 for being a whistleblower.
City News Service
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Dodgers fan awarded $11.8 million by jury after partial blinding by LAPD during World Series celebration
A federal jury has awarded $11.8 million to a Los Angeles Dodgers fan who was blinded by a police projectile during a World Series celebration downtown in 2020. The verdict reached Thursday closed what has been a nearly six-year legal battle by Isaac Castellanos after he permanently lost vision in one eye when LAPD officers fired less-lethal weapons into a crowd where he was standing and hit him in the face.
Los Angeles Times
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Meta vows appeal of 'landmark' social media verdicts, warns of free speech erosion
Meta is pushing back against a pair of verdicts that awarded plaintiffs hundreds of millions. The company has vowed to appeal the New Mexico and California rulings, and has already taken countermeasures against attorneys looking to recruit plaintiffs on the very social media platforms that they're looking to fight. In New Mexico, a jury found Meta liable for misleading customers about the safety of its platforms.
Fox Business
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Bonta’s anti-Exxon emails may have run afoul of CA corruption law: Claim
A Texas federal judge’s decision to allow ExxonMobil’s defamation lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta to move forward could ensnare Bonta in violations of state anti-corruption laws, the head of an educational nonprofit argues. Michael J. Truncale of the Eastern District of Texas handed down a decision in February that dismissed ExxonMobil’s claims of defamation against four U.S. environmental groups and an Australian group called Intergenerational Environment Justice Fund (IEJF) that is a critic of plastics recycling.
Legal Newsline
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Tax documents for school employees potentially stolen across Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Office of Education is investigating the possibility that bad actors gained access to the electronic tax documents of teachers and administrators after employees at schools around the county received letters indicating fraudulent tax filings had been submitted in their names. The Southern California News Group confirmed that employees at two school districts, on opposite ends of L.A. County, have been impacted, but the full scope of the potential data breach was not immediately available.
Los Angeles Daily News
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Fraud allegations, fires, federal cuts: What's in L.A. County's $48.8-billion budget plan
L.A. County officials want to put $2.7 million toward beefing up the team of people investigating fraud within a deluge of recent sex abuse lawsuits, suggesting a broadening probe at the district attorney’s office. The funding allocation, part of the county’s $48.8-billion budget proposal unveiled Monday, would bring on 10 new people to the small team prosecuting alleged fraud within the county’s historic $4-billion sex abuse settlement.
Los Angeles Times
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LAFD gets some media relations lessons: Reporters are 'not your friends’
Last summer, the Los Angeles Fire Department enlisted a public relations firm to help shape the narrative around its response to the Palisades fire as it geared up to release its long-awaited after-action report. The optics around the devastating fire hadn’t been good. A Times investigation revealed that top LAFD officials failed to pre-deploy engines in Pacific Palisades, despite forecasts of dangerously high winds. Mayor Karen Bass ousted the fire chief.
Los Angeles Times
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Pacoima businesses voice safety concerns as RV encampments disrupt local commerce
Business owners along Montague Street in Pacoima say a growing line of broken down RVs has turned their block into an unsafe encampment that's driving customers away, and they claim that their Los Angeles city councilmember isn't doing enough to fix it. For more than three decades, Adom Stauber has owned a commercial building on the street. He says the conditions outside have deteriorated dramatically over the past two years.
ABC7
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Homeless service cuts at risk due to payment delays at LAHSA, official warns
An L.A. city official sounded the alarm Friday that homeless service providers may go bankrupt or have to lay off staff over major reimbursement delays that still haven’t been fixed by the region’s homeless services agency - despite promises two years ago to fix it. The L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is late in reimbursing more than $50 million to shelter, housing and other service providers - much of which is more than 90 days overdue - according to a report it issued last month.
LAist
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It's Fesia Davenport’s last day as LA County CEO
Today is officially the last day as a county employee for L.A. County CEO Fesia Davenport, who has been on medical leave for the past six months and received a controversial $2 million taxpayer payout that LAist brought to light last fall. Davenport announced her planned departure last month, citing health concerns. While on leave, she has faced criticism from the public and county employees over the payout, as well as a lawsuit alleging it was an illegal gift that must be reversed.
LAist
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LA City Controller: Who's running in the June 2 primary and why it matters
The controller’s job is all about reviewing the way the city spends money. But make no mistake: this is not a routine bookkeeping role. Think of the city controller more as a watchdog. If you’re concerned about corruption in City Hall, this is a race to which you’ll want to pay close attention. The incumbent, Kenneth Mejia, made headlines recently when he called out the city for allowing nearly a half-billion dollars earmarked for programs and services for unhoused people to go unspent.
LAist
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Singer and TikTok star D4vd arrested in murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
The singer known as D4vd was arrested Thursday in the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teenager last seen alive a year ago and whose decomposed remains were found in the trunk of the singer’s abandoned Tesla, multiple law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investigates. The development in the months-long investigation comes after D4vd, a 21-year-old TikTok star whose legal name is David Burke, was identified by authorities in November as a suspect in connection with the death of the 14-year-old Southern California girl.
NBC4
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L.A. bus lane enforcement camera citations generated nearly $20 million last year
Public service announcement: never never ever park a car in a bus lane or at a bus stop! You will get a $293 citation. It’s not worth it. Don’t park in the bus lane. According to a new Transporation Department (LADOT) memorandum, city bus lane ticketing brought in nearly $20 million dollars during 2025. LADOT’s M-ABLE (Metro Automated Bus Lane Enforcement) program issued 115,890 citations and collected $19,603,937 in gross revenue.
StreetBlogLA
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Attorney grills LAPD officer whose bullet killed 14-year-old girl inside Burlington store
The high-profile civil trial in the death of a 14-year-old girl at a North Hollywood Burlington store continued Monday as the Los Angeles police officer in the center of the legal battle took the stand. Officer William Jones fired his weapon inside the retailer on Dec. 23, 2021 to stop an assault suspect. But one of the bullets went through the walls, ended up striking Valentina Orellana-Peralta inside a dressing room.
NBC4
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LAPD believes 13-year-old executed North Hills school shooting
The Los Angeles School Police Department was scheduled to have extra patrols for the campus of Sepulveda Middle School Thursday, after the shooting of a 17-year-old teen that occurred in front of the middle school that prompted a brief lockdown. A 13-year-old juvenile believed to be a student at the middle school was named as a suspect, LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes confirmed to City News Service.
MyNewsLA
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A girl accused her relative of abuse. Then LAPD linked him to a rape unsolved for decades
A man arrested last year for allegedly sexually assaulting a young relative has now been linked to the rape of another teenager in 1997 in Koreatown, according to recent court filings in the long-unsolved case. The Koreatown investigation languished for nearly three decades until a DNA hit led to Wilfredo Romeo Perez, an LAPD sex crimes detective wrote in a sworn affidavit seeking Perez's arrest.
Los Angeles Times
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California deputy caught scrolling apparent dating app during SWAT operation in Riverside County
A deputy on a SWAT operation in Riverside County was caught scrolling on what appeared to be a dating app during a standoff with an armed suspect on Wednesday. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a statement released on Thursday that it is investigating the incident. "This behavior does not reflect the standards, expectations, or policies of our department," the Sheriff's Office wrote.
CBS LA
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$500K Rolls-Royce vanishes in broad daylight outside ‘Selling Sunset’ office as L.A. crime debate heats up
Jason Oppenheim sells multi-million dollar homes for a living, so it takes a lot to surprise him. But losing a half-million-dollar Rolls-Royce in the middle of the day, right outside his own office, is the kind of thing that stops you cold. And it didn’t happen in some quiet back alley either. This was West Hollywood, busy, crowded, full of foot traffic. That’s where things change. The “Selling Sunset” star revealed that his Rolls-Royce was stolen on March 16 from a designated parking area outside The Oppenheim Group’s Los Angeles office.
BackfireNews.com
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Orange County man reunited with stolen 1969 Camaro that once belonged to late Vietnam veteran father
An Orange County man has been reunited with the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, once gifted to him by his late Vietnam War veteran father, that was stolen back in 2009. The bittersweet reunion was caught on camera shortly after the car was found in the backyard of a Whittier home, picked apart and non-operational, by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators.
CBS LA
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This fake Windows support website delivers password-stealing malware
A fake Microsoft support website is tricking people into downloading what looks like a normal Windows update. Instead, it installs malware designed to steal passwords, payment details, and account access. Because the file looks legitimate and avoids detection, it can slip past both users and security tools. We spotted the campaign at microsoft-update[.]support, a typosquatted domain dressed up to look like an official Microsoft support page.
Malwarebytes
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John Eastman disbarred in California over efforts to overturn 2020 election
John Eastman, a lawyer who spearheaded efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in President Trump’s favor, has been formally disbarred in California. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to review his appeal of a lower court’s recommendation to strip him of his law license, instead ordering his disbarment.
The Hill
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Ex-UCLA campus gynecologist pleads guilty to 13 sex crimes, resentenced to 11 years in prison
A former UCLA campus gynecologist whose conviction on sex-related charges involving two women was reversed by an appeals court in February pleaded guilty Tuesday to 13 felony counts involving five women. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo immediately sentenced James Mason Heaps to 11 years in prison - the same term he was serving before his October 2022 conviction was overturned.
City News Service
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Suspect in Southern California warehouse fire pleads not guilty to arson charges
The man accused of starting the massive fire that destroyed a sprawling warehouse in Ontario, California, causing an estimated $500 million in damage, pleaded not guilty to charges in court Monday. Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old resident of Highland, is facing several arson charges in San Bernardino. He's also been charged in a federal criminal complaint because the items stored in the warehouse were set to be sold and shipped across state lines.
ABC7
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The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell
Five months before Arielle Fodor, better known on social media as “Mrs. Frazzled,” helped set in motion the downfall of Rep. Eric Swalwell, she was singing his praises on Instagram. “You know how I love to tell you when I meet a politician who acts like a normal human and not a robot!” she posted the day after the California Democrat launched his campaign for governor. “Eric is that.” It was a fairly anodyne post for Fodor, a prodigious professional poster. But it drew an unusual response: Three people privately warning her that Swalwell was no good.
Politico
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