Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits

LADWP argues it can’t be sued for lack of water to fight Palisades fire

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is dusting off a 114-year-old court ruling to argue the utility can’t be sued for not providing enough water to fight the monstrous Pacific Palisades fire because it didn’t have a contract to do so. Attorneys from Munger, Tolles & Olson, a Los Angeles law firm, are relying on a 1911 California Supreme Court decision to defend the LADWP against multiple lawsuits blaming the utility for running out of water to fight the blaze that started Jan. 7.

Orange County Register

In lawsuit over Palmdale deputy’s ambush death, judge dismisses LA County as defendant

A judge has removed Los Angeles County as a defendant in a lawsuit brought by the parents of a sheriff’s deputy who alleged the amount of overtime their son was required to work played a role in his ambush killing in 2023. Michael and Kim Clinkunbroomer, the plaintiffs in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, maintain that Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was too fatigued to stay alert and avoid threats, leading to his fatal shooting outside the Palmdale sheriff’s station. 

City News Service

Ninth Circuit - man wrongly jailed based on false identity failed to raise triable issues

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday that summary judgment was properly granted to law enforcement employees who failed to conduct further investigation in booking a man on charges meant for someone else, finding that the plaintiff, who had in his possession the identification card of the true suspect, bore enough physical similarities to the warrant subject as to defeat his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment claims.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Google is an online advertising monopoly, judge rules

Google has illegally built “monopoly power” with its web advertising business, a federal judge in Virginia has ruled, siding with the Justice Department in a landmark case against the tech giant that could reshape the basic economics of running a modern website. The ruling that Google violated antitrust law marks the US government’s second major court victory over Google in less than a year amid claims the company has illegally monopolized key parts of the internet ecosystem, including online search. 

CNN

Federal judge clears way for national registry for immigrants

A federal judge denied a request Thursday to halt the implementation of a universal national registry for people living in the United States without permission, finding that a coalition of immigrant rights groups lacked standing to challenge the policy. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Donald Trump appointee, denied the coalition’s request to freeze the policy before it goes into effect on Friday.

Courthouse News Service

Criminal case dismissed for ex-LAPD officer who touched dead woman's breast during investigation

A criminal case was dismissed Monday against a now- former Los Angeles police officer who testified in 2021 that he had touched a dead woman's breast while on duty as part of an investigation into her death. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kevin Stennis noted that David Rojas "has complied with everything we've asked of him" and that he had successfully completed an 18-month judicial diversion program.

KNX News

Ninth Circuit upholds former Netflix officer’s conviction based on bribes, kickback scheme

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed the conviction of a former Netflix Inc. executive based on charges that he accepted bribes from technology startup companies looking to do business with the streaming platform. Its decision came in a memorandum opinion signed by Circuit Judges Michelle T. Friedland, Daniel A. Bress, and Senior Circuit Judge Danny J. Boggs of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting by designation.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Prosecutor tentatively settles suit alleging backlash over Gascon reforms

Another Los Angeles County prosecutor has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging she was retaliated against for running afoul of the reform policies of former District Attorney George Gascon. An attorney for Assistant District Attorney Victoria Adams filed court papers Monday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynne Hobbs notifying her of a “conditional” settlement in the case with the expectation that a request for dismissal will be brought by Dec. 1.

MyNewsLA

Feds charge L.A. County sheriff’s deputy accused of smuggling heroin into jail

Federal prosecutors have charged a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy with smuggling heroin into a jail where he was assigned to investigate gang crimes. Michael Meiser, 39, has pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges he trafficked drugs while armed with his Smith & Wesson service weapon. An attorney representing the deputy, who was released on bail, didn’t return a request for comment.

Los Angeles Times

Mom charged with murder for allegedly drowning 7-year-old daughter: DA

A California mom has been charged with murder for allegedly drowning her 7-year-old daughter, prosecutors said. Graciela Castellanos, 37, allegedly killed her daughter at an apartment in Van Nuys on April 11, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. A neighbor told Los Angeles ABC station KABC that she heard the girl screaming, "Mommy, please no."

ABC News

Menendez brothers hearing moves forward but with 'a lot of confusion'

The resentencing hearing for Eric and Lyle Menendez is going forward Thursday morning despite a motion for delay filed by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. Hochman filed the motion Wednesday, saying he wants time for the court to review a parole assessment ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year.

KTLA

Mental competency evaluation set for ex-con charged in 4 killings

A defense attorney raised doubts Thursday about the mental competency of an ex-con charged in the shooting deaths of three homeless men in Los Angeles and the follow-home robbery and killing of an L.A. County employee in San Dimas within a four-day span. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo suspended criminal proceedings against Jerrid Joseph Powell, now 35, after one of his attorneys, Derek Dillman, expressed concern about the defendant's "ability to rationally assist in his defense.”

City News Service

California’s AG is trying to put a prosecutor in prison. It’s not Brooke Jenkins.

In a feat that will surely never be duplicated, George Gascón managed to get himself elected district attorney of San Francisco and Los Angeles. While running in San Diego is the logical next move, Gascón, who lost his L.A. re-election bid last year, is presently ensconced in private life. As a DA, he at one point employed both Diana Teran and Brooke Jenkins. Both of these veteran prosecutors presently find themselves in hot water, for broadly similar reasons; computers were involved, which matters a great deal.

Mission Local

Reputed Mongols biker gang member charged with murder in shooting of Vagos rival

A reputed member of the Mongols motorcycle club was charged Tuesday with murdering a member of the rival Vagos in what federal prosecutors say is an escalating conflict between the two outfits. Julian Pulido, 35, shot to death Vicente Sandoval on March 4 at the Firewater Bar in Ontario, according to a complaint unsealed Tuesday and San Bernardino County coroner’s records.

Los Angeles Times

Ventura County heli mechanic used old parts, risking crashes: DOJ

A Ventura County man and his business are facing 10 federal charges for allegedly lying about the age of replacement helicopter parts and, by extension, raising the chances of a crash. Jared Michael Swensen, 48, of Ventura was arrested Tuesday, and he and his Oxnard-based company Light Helicopter Depot are charged with two counts of wire fraud and eight counts of fraud involving aircraft parts, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release.

KTLA

Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty to expanded sex trafficking indictment

Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleaded not guilty on Monday to an expanded federal indictment charging the hip-hop mogul with five criminal counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Combs, 55, entered his plea to the new charges at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan. He had previously pleaded not guilty to an earlier three-count indictment.

Reuters

Policy/Legal/Politics

WeHo welcomes D.A.’s special assistant on April 22

WeHo EastSide Neighborhood Watch Group will host its first meeting of 2025 on Tuesday, April 22. Residents of the east side are especially encouraged to attend, but all residents of West Hollywood are welcome. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. Michele Hanisee, special assistant for legislative affairs in L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office, will be the guest speaker, providing a special presentation on the D.A.’s priorities and approach. 

Beverly Press

How antiabortion extremists stopped a Beverly Hills clinic from opening … with help from city officials

On Jan. 23, in a move as brazen as it was predictable, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly two dozen antiabortion extremists convicted during the Biden administration of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Even those who’d also been found guilty of “conspiracy against rights” got a get-out-of-jail-free card. Trump told reporters present that it was “a great honor” to sign the pardon.

Ms.

County can’t safely close down jail without more beds

During Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s recent appearance before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Hilda Solis asked if he had had any thoughts relating to the County’s Jail Closure Implementation Team (JCIT). In June of 2021, guided by the “Care First, Jail’s Last” vision, Solis co-authored a motion that created JCIT, the goal of which was to “close and demolish Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) without constructing any new jail facilities - including jail-like “treatment centers.”

Pasadena Star-News

Feds to dig into LA’s homeless swamp

City Hall has tried to remedy it. So has Federal Judge David O. Carter. Before them, for decades, less high-profile attempts have been made to solve “it”. “It”, the homeless reality, continues to grow out of control. Our unsheltered neighbors, the kind-hearted epithet used by some to describe the masses of homeless sheltering on the city’s sidewalks, deserve far better service and treatment than they have been getting. 

CityWatch LA

Lack of political will and poor coordination hamper LA goal to eliminate traffic deaths, audit finds

Los Angeles has failed to meet its Vision Zero goals. That's the conclusion of a newly released audit, which found the city's long-running effort to eliminate traffic deaths by this year has been impeded by a lack of cohesion across departments, insufficient political support and an imbalanced approach. In 2015, the city adopted Vision Zero, a policy framework from Sweden with the principle that no one should be killed in traffic.

LAist

Ninth Circuit considers first grader’s free speech in ‘any life’ drawing case

Did a California school district violate the First Amendment when it punished a first grader for writing “Black Lives Mater [sic] … any life” on a drawing and giving it to a friend? That question was before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in oral arguments this week. Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Caleb Trotter argued the case of B.B. v. Capistrano Unified School District, in which PLF represents a young girl (“B.B.”) who was forced to apologize, banned from giving future drawings to classmates, and excluded from recess for two weeks over her innocuous drawing.

Pacific Legal Foundation

Soft-on-crime policies must end

For the past decade, California has been experiencing a dangerous and costly crime wave. While state and local politicians have refused to act, in the November 2024 election, California voters took matters into their own hands by overwhelmingly approving Prop 36 to “Make Crime Illegal Again” in our state. I’m proud to have collected signatures to put Prop 36 on the ballot and strongly supported its passage. Unfortunately, CA politicians are trying to overturn the will of the voters by refusing to fund implementation of Prop 36 in this year’s budget.

The Californian 

Trump strikes out in bid to toss ‘Central Park Five’ defamation suit

A defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump can proceed despite his objections, a federal judge ruled, as five Black and Latino men who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Five” rape cases say Trump knowingly made false statements about them during a September presidential debate.

Courthouse News Service

Live Nation, Ticketmaster can’t shake antitrust class action

Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster subsidiary on Thursday failed to persuade a federal judge to throw out a putative antitrust class action by consumers who claim they paid excessive prices for concert tickets because of the companies' illegal monopoly on ticket sales. U.S. District Judge George Wu tentatively denied Live Nation's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, finding that the consumers had antitrust standing because their purported harm from inflated ticket fees, as a result of the companies' anticompetitive arrangements with concert venues, was neither indirect nor speculative.

Courthouse News Service

Southern California

L.A. County Sheriff's Department spent $458 million in overtime last fiscal year. Here's why

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spent $458 million on overtime during the last fiscal year, a ballooning figure that department officials say is driven by rising vacancy rates, increasing labor costs and expanding responsibilities. County data show that the number of new deputies hired each year plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not fully recovered.

Los Angeles Times

LA County budget proposal reflects wildfire effects, landmark sex abuse settlement, federal funding losses

Most Los Angeles County departments would be required to reduce spending by 3% under an austere budget proposal unveiled Monday by the chief executive officer. The $47.9 billion budget plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 reflects “extraordinary budget pressures” facing the county, according to a statement from the CEO’s office. Under the plan, the cuts total $88.9 million and include more than $50 million in savings from cutting supplies, delaying equipment purchases and reducing the scope of some programs.

LAist

LA County to slash $89M but give sheriff’s department a boost

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s budget would get a $9.5 million boost - but the Department of Health Services’s budget would shrink by about $165 million - under a $47.9 billion spending plan advanced Tuesday by the LA County Board of Supervisors. The county’s recommended budget reflects approximately $89 million in cuts and is moving forward as officials forecast major fiscal challenges in the next year.

Los Angeles Public Press

Orange County chase suspect shot and killed by police after PIT maneuver and crash

A police chase through Orange County ended with shots fired on Wednesday night. The suspect in the chase was shot and killed by Anaheim police. It all began with a report of a person shot in the stomach at the Kona Motel on Brookhurst Street in Anaheim. Responding officers spotted a white pickup truck fleeing the scene, and the chase was on.

ABC7

LA County supervisors approve more cuts to homelessness programs

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to cut more funds from several homelessness service programs - including those that aim to prevent people from becoming unhoused - in order to balance the budget for the next fiscal year. Last month, the board approved a $908 million homelessness funding package for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

LAist

L.A. County considers doubling penalties in street takeover crackdown

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider tougher civil penalties for people participating in and watching illegal street takeovers during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The recommendation submitted by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell calls for an increase in misdemeanor fines from $500 to $1,000 for those who “organize or knowingly encourage, promote, instigate, assist, facilitate, aid, or abet” illegal takeover events, the agenda for the meeting states.

KTLA

Public Safety

LAPD looks for solutions for police staffing crisis (Video)

The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a new recruitment campaign amidst a department wide staffing crisis. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 15, 2025.

NBC4

Thieves ransack family-owned jewelry store in DTLA, escape with $10M worth of merchandise

Police say someone stole an estimated $10 million worth of merchandise from a family-owned jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles. It appeared the thieves cut their way through and ransacked the business. The incident happened overnight at the store located in the 500 block of South Broadway. Officers were called to the scene around 10 a.m. Monday, according to LAPD.

ABC7

Cannabis, cash stolen in smash-and-grab at North Hollywood dispensary

A cannabis dispensary in North Hollywood fell victim to a smash-and-grab robbery early Monday morning. The business, located on Hartland Street near the intersection of Tujunga Avenue and Vanowen Street, was robbed around 4 a.m., according to preliminary information. Video from the scene shows the front entryway to the location was severely damaged. A broken jar on the street left a large quantity of marijuana flower next to the curb in front of the dispensary. 

KTLA

SFPD’s Real Time Investigation Center credited for 20% drop in crime compared to 2024

A new high-tech investigation center operated by the San Francisco Police Department is being credited with a significant drop in crime citywide, CBS News Bay Area reported. Known as the Real Time Investigation Center (RTIC), the 24/7 operations hub has contributed to more than 500 arrests since its launch and is linked to a 20% reduction in overall crime between January and early April compared to the same period in 2024, according to the report.

Police1

Oregon businesses accuse Tennessee lawyers of filing thousands of fake ADA complaints

Oregon business owners say two Tennessee law firms orchestrated a scheme to file thousands of fraudulent demand letters and lawsuits against small businesses across 15 states with phony claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Four Oregon businesses filed the class action in federal court Thursday, accusing the Wampler, Carroll, Wilson and Sanderson law firm in Memphis and the Wade Law in Smyrna, Tennessee, their staff members and multiple unnamed parties of racketeering.

Courthouse News Service

False advertisement suit over Nestle glucose drink survives

A federal judge ruled Friday morning that she was going to allow claims to survive against Nestle over deceptive advertising of a drink it sells that purports to help diabetics manage their disease. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, a Biden appointee, wrote in her 14-page order on summary judgment that a reasonable jury could find that two of the three named plaintiffs - Bruce Horti and Steven Owen - were deceived by the packaging of Nestle’s BOOST Glucose Control drink because it purports to control glucose and says that it “helps manage blood sugar.”

Courthouse News Service

'I can play hardball': The Calif. ski town going to battle against the $6B corporation next door

It was the beginning of the record-breaking winter of 2023, when a New Year’s storm dropped more than 4 feet of snow on Lake Tahoe’s mountains. Tahoe locals often call snow “white gold” because it delivers fresh tracks and busy days at the region’s hotels, restaurants and shops. But on Jan. 2, 2023, South Lake Tahoe had too much of a good thing: Buried roads, towering snowbanks, power outages and holiday ski traffic converged to create what local officials called “a perfect storm.”

SF Gate

Harvard professors sue Trump administration over threat to cut funding

Two groups representing Harvard professors sued the Trump administration on Friday, saying that its threat to cut billions in federal funding for the university violates free speech and other First Amendment rights. The lawsuit by the American Association of University Professors and the Harvard faculty chapter of the group follows the Trump administration’s announcement earlier this month that it was reviewing about $9 billion in federal funding that Harvard receives.

New York Times

Former LAPD officer pleads guilty to murder in DUI crash that killed family of 3

A former Los Angeles police officer has pleaded guilty to three counts of murder for a 2017 drunk driving crash that killed a mother, father, and their 19-year-old son on the 605 Freeway, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Friday. Edgar Verduzco, 34, admitted to three counts of murder, one count of driving under the influence causing injury, and one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent causing injury.

KTLA

Torrance cops strike plea deal in swastika graffiti case that uncovered racist texts

Two former Torrance police officers pleaded guilty Thursday to charges they spray-painted a swastika inside a car in 2020, a vandalism incident that revealed the officers were part of a larger text thread in which city cops used racist and homophobic slurs and joked about killing Black men. Cody Weldin, 31, and Christopher Tomsic, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of felony vandalism each.

Los Angeles Times

Wife of famed California hairdresser found guilty of his murder: 'Cold and calculated’

The wife of a renowned hairdresser was found guilty of his murder in California, concluding a 10-week jury trial, county officials said. Monica Sementilli was convicted of one count of murder on April 11 in connection to the fatal stabbing of her husband, Fabio Sementilli, in 2017, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced. Additionally, the 51-year-old was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, he said.

USA Today

New Mexico man sentenced to over 4 years in prison for setting San Bernardino County church and preschool on fire last year

A New Mexico man was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for setting a San Bernardino County church and preschool on fire last year while children and school employees were inside. Jonathan A. Barajas Nava, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $7,008 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Monrovia man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material

A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting himself sexually abusing a toddler. David Lisandro Perez Figueroa, 23, of Monrovia, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered Perez Figueroa to pay $2,799 in restitution and placed him on lifetime supervised release.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Navy veteran who proved CNN defamed him sues Associated Press, says he was falsely painted as ‘smuggler’

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, who successfully sued CNN for defamation earlier this year, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Associated Press on Friday for "an article that went even further than CNN’s falsehoods.” Young successfully alleged that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021.

Fox News

Conservatives defend Justice Barrett after votes against Trump

Several high-profile conservatives are defending Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the face of right-wing criticism of her early votes against President Donald Trump’s policies. Barrett, the last of three justices that Trump appointed to the high court during his first term, partially joined the court’s three liberal justices April 7 in dissenting from the court’s ruling on Trump’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

Bloomberg Law

Judge OKs $42.5 million deal over autonomous truck secrets taken to China

A San Diego federal judge on Thursday preliminarily approved an agreement requiring executives of a self-driving freight truck technology company to pay $42.5 million to settle claims that higher-ups took trade and national security secrets to start a parallel business in China.   

Courthouse News Service