Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
LAUSD’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate survives scrutiny
A divided en banc Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday that a request for judgment on the pleadings was properly granted to the Los Angeles Unified School District in an action challenging, on constitutional grounds, a now-defunct rule mandating that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, rejecting the plaintiffs’ assertion that case law relating to mandatory inoculation policies did not apply to the purportedly less effective shots.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Lawsuit filed against Servpro for fraud, elder abuse, and extortion in the wake of Camarillo Mountain Wildfire
In a searing legal rebuke to corporate exploitation in the aftermath of one of Southern California’s most devastating wildfires, a victim of the November 2024 Camarillo Mountain Wildfire has filed a bombshell lawsuit against ServPro franchisee, One Silver Serve, LLC, doing business as ServPro Global DRT, alleging a brazen campaign of fraud, elder abuse, property destruction, emotional abuse, and attempted extortion.
2UrbanGirls
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Suit alleging officers framed woman for murder may proceed
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has found no entitlement to qualified immunity on the part of four former members of the City of Corona Police Department and the current chief of police who have been sued by a woman who was imprisoned for more than seven years for the second-degree murder of her boyfriend/co-habitant, gaining her release after the California Supreme Court ordered her conviction vacated based on ineffectiveness of her trial counsel.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Gallegly seeks dismissal of lawsuit against CLU
A motion to dismiss the 2021 breach of contract lawsuit against California Lutheran University and former presidents Chris Kimball and Lori Varlotta has been filed Ventura County Superior Court, by attorneys for former Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley). The filing could be a precursor to a settlement in the case, a stated goal of CLU President John Nunes, who took over as interim president a year ago and was recently named to the position permanently.
Pacific Coast Business Times
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California Supreme Court hands victory to rooftop solar panel owners
The California Supreme Court today sided with environmental groups in a case seen as pivotal for the proliferation of rooftop solar power in California. In a unanimous vote, justices told a lower court to revisit a ruling that upheld reduced payments to solar panel owners for selling excess power back to utility companies. Justices did not rule on whether the changes to the solar program were legal, requiring the court of appeals to determine this.
CalMatters
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The sleeper Supreme Court decision that could have profound impacts on the Trump administration agenda - and restore faith in the high court
The American public’s trust in the Supreme Court has fallen precipitously over the past decade. Many across the political spectrum see the court as too political. This view is only strengthened when Americans see most of the justices of the court dividing along ideological lines on decisions related to some of the most hot-button issues the court handles.
The Conversation
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Court orders UC system to rethink policy against hiring undocumented students
The University of California is discriminating against students who are undocumented immigrants by refusing to hire most of them for campus jobs unless they have work authorization from the federal government, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. UC offers employment to the small number of immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and have legal status under the program known as Deferred Access to Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Appeals court keeps order blocking indiscriminate immigration sweeps
A federal appeals court ruled Friday night to uphold a lower court's temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held a hearing Monday afternoon at which the federal government asked the court to overturn a temporary restraining order issued July 12 by Judge Maame E. Frimpong, arguing it hindered their enforcement of immigration law.
Associated Press
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California still enforcing ammo background check law after 9th Circuit Court ruling
Despite the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruling California’s law requiring background checks for ammunition purchases to be unconstitutional, gun owners in the Golden State are still having to live with the onerous provision. On July 24, the court ruled in the case Rhode v. Bonta that the ammo background check law violated the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms, and affirmed a district court’s order granting a permanent injunction against enforcement of the law.
The Truth About Guns
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Alleged gunman charged with shooting driver after car plowed into crowd
Criminal charges were filed Tuesday against a man accused of shooting a driver who allegedly plowed into a crowd of pedestrians outside an East Hollywood nightclub and injured 37 people. Efrain Villalobos, 28, of Lawndale, is charged with one felony count each of assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the criminal complaint.
City News Service
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LA County DA files response opposing Menendez brothers' bid for new trial
The office of Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman Thursday filed a 132-page response opposing the Menendez brothers' bid for a new trial. Lyle Menendez, 57, and Erik Menendez, 54, have been serving a sentence of life without parole for murdering their parents - Jose and Kitty Menendez - in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. A judge in May resentenced the brothers to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible for parole.
ABC7
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Parter Medical Products Inc. is accused of failing to act, even after learning that some employees had been exposed to hazardous levels of ethylene oxide
Five felony charges have been filed against Parter Medical Products Inc., doing business as Parter Sterilization Services, and its president and manager for allegedly exposing workers to a toxic chemical linked to cancer, then attempting to cover up the danger by filing false documents and concealing critical safety risks from regulators.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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L.A. City Attorney sues Airbnb for alleged price gouging law violations
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced on July 18 that a civil enforcement action has been filed against Airbnb alleging that the home rental platform increased rental prices of at least 2,000 properties in L.A. in the wake of the January wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, in violation of California’s Anti-Gouging Law. The protections of the law went into effect on Jan. 7, 2025, when Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles.
Beverly Press
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Paramount man indicted by federal grand jury for throwing chunks of cinderblock at and injuring border patrol officer
A federal grand jury has indicted a Paramount man on a federal charge that he threw pieces of cinderblock and injured a Border Patrol officer last June when a protest against immigration enforcement turned into a riot, the Justice Department announced today. Jacob Daniel Terrazas, 30, of Paramount, is charged with one count of assault on a federal employee by using a deadly and dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Deputy-assault suspect deemed unfit for trial
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge found a man accused of assaulting a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputy with a vehicle in a grocery store parking lot unfit to stand trial last week, according to court records. Judge Martha Matthews found Matthew David Wagner, 34, of Torrance, “not presently mentally competent to stand trial,” according to the July 30 minute order for Department 203 in the Mental Health Division of the Hollywood Courthouse.
The Signal
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California sheriff's deputy charged with extortion, soliciting bribe, authorities say
A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy was arrested Tuesday on charges that he solicited bribes and committed extortion while on duty, according to authorities. In June 2024, the Sheriff's Department received a complaint from a citizen regarding Deputy Cameron Romo, who was then put on administrative leave, according to a department statement. Investigators determined that Romo, 27, had allegedly committed criminal acts while he was on duty at the Hesperia station.
Los Angeles Times
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Mother accused of trying to sneak fentanyl into juvenile hall
A mother accused of trying to sneak fentanyl into a Sylmar juvenile hall where her child was being held in 2023 is scheduled to be arraigned Friday. Jeny Morenoparra, 41, is charged with one felony count each of bringing an illegal substance in a jail facility, employment of a minor to sell or carry a narcotic and possession for sale of a controlled substance. Morenoparra is the mother of a youth who was housed at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, according to a statement released by the county Probation Department.
City News Service
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Two California men charged with illegally exporting AI chips to China
Two California men are facing federal charges for allegedly funneling high-performance AI chips to China in violation of U.S. export laws designed to protect sensitive technology, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday. Chuan Geng of Pasadena and Shiwei Yang of El Monte were charged Monday in Los Angeles with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
Decrypt
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Search warrants at nine locations uncovered more than $100 million of illegal cannabis products
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced that six people were charged today as part of a multi-agency investigation dubbed “Operation Sugar Diamond” that targeted an illegal cannabis extraction business where four people were killed in a fiery explosion at a warehouse in Irwindale in 2023 and another man died at a South El Monte facility last year.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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Founder of Punjabi Devils motorcycle club with ties to Hells Angels indicted in California, feds say
The founder of the Punjabi Devils, a Bay Area motorcycle club with ties to the Hells Angels, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on a slew of weapons-related charges after investigators found a small arsenal of guns and explosives in his home, officials said. Jashanpreet Singh, a 26-year-old Lodi resident, will face charges of dealing firearms, unlawful possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered rifle after he allegedly attempted to sell weapons to an undercover police officer in June, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of California.
Los Angeles Times
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Statement on erroneous information involving Denzel Perryman case
Our office is aware of erroneous information circulating in several news reports regarding the status of Denzel Perryman's case stemming from an arrest on Friday, August 1, 2025. Contrary to some media reports, no decision has been made to decline charges or forgo prosecution. The case was reviewed by prosecutors for filing consideration and, on August 4, it was returned to law enforcement for further investigation. As of today, the case remains under active investigation.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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LAPD officer arrested with blood-alcohol level 2x over legal limit gets probation, keeps job
At around 10:30 PM on March 31 of last year, LAPD Lieutenant Matthew Ensley was driving his gray Audi A6 down the 605 Freeway on his way to the Hawaiian Gardens Casino, when he drove into the rear end of 32-year-old Mario De La Cruz Jr.’s Toyota Camry. The impact of the collision shattered Ensley’s front windshield and sent the Camry spinning out of control in a “circular motion” across the road until it hit a concrete center divider wall, according to a police report obtained by journalist Joey Scott, reviewed by L.A. TACO.
L.A. Taco
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Trump says he will use military, if needed, to secure 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Donald Trump said on Aug. 5 that he might call in National Guard troops and other members of the U.S. military to assist with security efforts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Trump's comments came after he signed an executive order to create a White House task force that will handle an assortment of issues surrounding the Games, which will be the first on U.S. soil since 2002.
USA Today
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Governor signs Mayor Gloria-sponsored bill to combat human trafficking
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill 379, legislation that makes it a misdemeanor crime again in California to loiter with the intent to purchase sex and imposes felony penalties on adults who solicit sex from a 16- or 17-year-old. The bill was sponsored by Mayor Todd Gloria, along with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, among others.
Inside San Diego
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Thousands of once-secret police records are now public. Here’s how you can use them
Today, for the first time, you can look up serious use of force and police misconduct incidents in California. KQED, along with journalism and police accountability advocates, is publishing a database that houses thousands of once-confidential records gathered from the state’s nearly 700 law enforcement and oversight agencies.
KQED
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This neighborhood council has distributed red cards to every storefront in Reseda. They say it's a model
On a recent hot morning in Reseda, three members of the neighborhood council gathered in a parking lot outside a Food 4 Less, carrying clipboards, flyers and red "Know Your Rights" cards. The goal for the day was to inform shopkeepers and store clerks of their constitutional protections, and encourage them to pass that information onto their customers. It wasn't a one-off. Since federal immigration agents showed up in full force in communities across Los Angeles, local representatives in Reseda have also hit their neighborhood's streets.
LAist
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ALADS vs. the First Amendment: Union targets investigative journalist with cease-and-desist over “Just A Deputy” whistleblower letter
In a stunning attempt to silence whistleblower allegations and intimidate the press, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) has issued a blistering legal threat against The Current Report, and myself, investigative reporter Cece Woods, demanding a full retraction of an article that republished an anonymous letter penned by a self-identified deputy.
The Current Report
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‘Freedom week’: California gun owners raced to buy ammunition after court ruling
Lifelong hunter J.R. Young of San Jose rushed to an online ammunition dealer last week after a federal court decision overturned a California gun law that required background checks in person at every point of sale. “Is this freedom week?” he said. “I was just curious to see if this striking down of the law is allowing companies to ship into the state again. “The way we live in society now - when we want to buy something, we don’t want to go and take a trip to the store.”
CalMatters
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Law firm in L.A. homelessness case bills the city $1.8 million for two weeks’ work
A high-profile law firm representing the city of Los Angeles in a sweeping homelessness case submitted an $1.8-million invoice for two weeks of work in May, according to records reviewed by The Times. The invoice from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP comes as the city is already under serious financial pressure, caused in part by rapidly growing legal payouts. With at least 15 of Gibson Dunn’s lawyers billing at nearly $1,300 per hour, the price tag so far equates to just under $140,000 per day over a 13-day period.
Los Angeles Times
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Proposed ballot measure could force a citywide vote on L.A. 2028 Olympic venues
L.A.'s plan to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games was already facing a thorny set of challenges, including the scramble to secure lucrative sponsorships and the search for buses to shuttle athletes and spectators across the region. Now, organizers could soon be faced with yet another threat: a proposed ballot measure that, according to city officials, could force at least five Olympic venues to go before voters for approval.
Los Angeles Times
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Medicaid cuts, sexual abuse payouts, spell draconian cuts in next few LA County budgets
The Los Angeles County future budgets are in for a world of hurt - and so are the county’s most vulnerable residents. CEO Fesia Davenport reported earlier this week the recently passed federal big tax cuts and spending bill will cost the county at least $1.5 billion in the current budget and the next two budget years combined, mostly due to the bill’s $880 billion cuts to Medicaid, the federal healthcare program relied on by 3.4 million L.A. County residents.
Los Angeles Daily News
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How a fizzled recall attempt actually helped Mayor Karen Bass
Several millennia ago during the Trojan War, an army of Greeks built a massive wooden horse, feigned departure and left it as a “gift” outside the walled city of Troy. The Trojans brought the offering - filled, unbeknownst to them, with Greek soldiers - into their fortified city and unwittingly wrought their own downfall. At least that’s how the legend goes. So if an attack disguised as a gift is a Trojan horse, what do you call a gift disguised as an attack?
Los Angeles Times
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Homeowners say the Army Corps and its contractors mishandled L.A. fire debris cleanup
After January's wildfires reduced thousands of homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades to heaps of ash and rubble, wildfire survivors hoped federal disaster workers would give them a fresh start on a rebuild-ready lot. But many residents say that has not been the reality. More than 800 complaints were submitted to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hotline dedicated to the agency's debris removal efforts from March to mid-May, according to public records obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
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Federal investigation requested into LA County juvenile system
Attorneys representing more than 200 women who say they were sexually abused while they were in LA County juvenile custody are calling for a federal investigation. Even after a record-setting $4 billion settlement in April for sexual abuse claims made by more than 6,800 victims, attorneys Courtney Thom and John Manly said Tuesday that no one has been indicted in connection with any sexual abuse claims.
NBC4
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L.A. County unlikely to fight probation takeover - as long as receiver battles problem staffers
When a federal court appointed a receiver to take over a Mississippi jail plagued by inmate deaths three years ago, the Hinds County supervisors decried the move as “utterly unaccountable” to voters. When a judge picked a manager for Rikers Island this summer after decades of disorder, New York City Mayor Eric Adams dismissed the decision as excessive oversight.
Los Angeles Times
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LA County Probation is aggressively recruiting, but new hires aren’t sticking around
Despite aggressive recruitment drives and hefty five-figure bonuses, the critically understaffed Los Angeles County Probation Department is still losing hundreds of officers more each year than it can replace, according to data released by the department. As of last week, the department had a 36% vacancy rate among its sworn positions - the roles requiring peace officer certification - or 2,408 positions filled out of the 3,752 budgeted.
Pasadena Star News
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New York Post to launch Los Angeles daily newspaper, The California Post
New York Post, meet the West Coast. The media group behind The New York Post, Page Six and Decider is launching a new daily newspaper headquartered in Los Angeles, titled The California Post. The publication will hit newsstands in 2026 and promises to offer readers “fearless, common-sense journalism, celebrity and entertainment news, world class sports reporting and the legendary covers people expect from The New York Post - but from a distinctly Californian perspective,” per a press release.
Variety
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Los Angeles County unveils bold blueprint to fast-track wildfire recovery
In a major move to accelerate wildfire recovery, Los Angeles County officials released a comprehensive 120-day plan aimed at rebuilding communities devastated by the January wildfires. Governor Gavin Newsom praised the county’s leadership and urgency in taking bold steps toward long-term recovery, calling the plan a “step-by-step guide to accelerate rebuilding and provide support to impacted families.”
Golden Gate Media
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Violent mob livestreams attack on South Los Angeles taco truck and employees
Video shows a mob of suspects using baseball bats to assault workers and vandalize a taco truck in South Los Angeles. The violent attack was apparently livestreamed on social media. Surprisingly, the mob of attackers didn't take any money, according to the owner. The attack happened Sunday at midnight at the Tacos Los Poblanos truck parked at Avalon Boulevard and Slauson Avenue.
ABC7
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Suspected Valley burglars at center of South LA car chase arrested
Several men suspected of burglarizing homes across the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys were under surveillance by undercover officers Tuesday when they allegedly broke-in to a home in Woodland Hills, then led police on a high-speed chase through South LA before crashing and trying to escape on foot.
NBC4
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What happened to American Idol staffer Robin Kaye and her husband? Everything to know about the fatal shooting (and why it took 4 days to find their bodies)
Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca were shot and killed in their multi-million-dollar Los Angeles home on July 10. While police arrested the man responsible days later, questions remain over whether the tragedy could have been prevented. The same day of the murders, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to two 911 calls at the couple’s home but left without entering the property.
People
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San Diego PD crushes impounded vehicles in crackdown on illegal street racing
The San Diego Police Department has released footage showing the destruction of two impounded vehicles whose drivers were accused of reckless driving, part of a renewed strategy to deter illegal street activity, NBC San Diego reported. The vehicles, a Toyota Chaser and a Yamaha R1, were destroyed following court-approved forfeiture orders, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that SDPD has pursued this enforcement tool.
Police1
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Off-duty San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant arrested after fatal boat crash on Colorado River
A San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant who was once honored for heroism is now under criminal investigation, accused of piloting a boat while intoxicated in an off-duty crash that killed a father of two on the Colorado River. Weston Stewart, 38, of La Verne, was killed Friday after a 22-foot Cheetah deck boat collided with the vessel he was on, authorities said. The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. south of the Needles Bridge, near the California-Arizona border.
ABC7
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Ex-LAPD officer arrested fo kidnapping; link to robberies in old patrol area suspected
A former Los Angeles police officer has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a series of burglaries in San Fernando Valley neighborhoods that he used to patrol, according to department sources and jail records. Eric Halem, 37, was arrested Thursday afternoon by members of the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division and is being held without bail, according to online jail records. He is set to be arraigned on Monday.
Los Angeles Times
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California names the 5th state prison to close because of falling inmate population
Gov. Gavin Newsom shouldn’t expect much pushback from the next city in line to lose a state prison. Norco in Riverside County for years has been lobbying to close the California Rehabilitation Center, arguing the city can find a better use for the site. It was an art deco hotel before it was a state prison. Now, the prison is on track to close in 2026. Newsom’s corrections department said on Tuesday that the prison is no longer needed because of the state’s falling incarcerated population.
CalMatters
| Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Two killers from shocking ‘satanic’ teen murder case paroled
Eight months after 15-year-old Elyse Pahler mysteriously vanished from her Arroyo Grande home, another teenager, overwhelmed with guilt, told a pastor about the horrible things he and his two buddies had done. After Royce Casey subsequently confessed to law enforcement and led detectives to Pahler’s decomposed body, news accounts of the crime would shock the community with details of barbaric violence, death metal music and alleged Satan worship.
Courthouse News Service
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Parole denied for perpetrators in notorious San Diego rape, murder cases
Two prison inmates serving life sentences for high-profile San Diego County crimes were denied parole Wednesday. Robert Dean Rustad, known as the “Del Mar Rapist,” is serving a 326-years-to-life prison sentence for raping multiple women between 1992 and 1996. Rustad, along with Aerith Asora, who was convicted, along with sister Brae Hansen, of killing stepfather and local attorney Timothy MacNeil, were eligible for early parole hearings due to changes to state law.
City News Service
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Victorville man convicted of taking 15-year-old girl to Mexico for sexual exploitation
A 41-year-old Victorville man has been found guilty of multiple federal charges for transporting a minor from San Luis Obispo County to Mexico for illicit sexual activity, the Department of Justice announced. Daniel Navarro was convicted late Thursday after a four-day trial. Navarro was arrested in July 2022 while re-entering the United States from Mexico, ten days after bringing the 15-year-old victim, an Arizona girl staying in Nipomo for the summer, across the border just before her quinceañera.
Victor Valley News
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Appellate court panel rejects bid for re-sentencing by actor for wife’s murder
A state appeals court panel Tuesday rejected an appeal stemming from an unsuccessful bid for re-sentencing by actor Michael Jace, who was convicted of murdering his wife in front of their two young children in their Hyde Park home just over a decade ago. “Nowhere in the record has Jace denied having killed (his wife) April. Nothing in the record of conviction suggests there was any other perpetrator,” the three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal wrote in a seven-page ruling.
MyNewsLA
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Billlionaire-backed Justin Baldoni now suing insurance companies over legal fees in Blake Lively battle
Well, a lawsuit filed this week in California state court by the Paylocity founder, Baldoni and Wayfarer makes it look a lot more like Sarowitz actually meant he wanted to spend someone else’s money. Less than an year out from going to trial with Lively in NYC on her sexual harassment, defamation and retaliation action, the Wayfarer crew now is going after some of the biggest insurance companies in the world for denying them coverage to fight the Another Simple Favor star.
Deadline
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American Airlines must face suit over confiscated Cuban airport
A Cuban-American man who claims to have inherited a stake in the José Martí International Airport can sue American Airlines for “trafficking” in the property, an 11th Circuit panel unanimously ruled on Wednesday. The three-judge panel overturned a Florida federal judge’s decision that dismissed the lawsuit filed by José López Regueiro under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, a law allowing United States nationals to sue third parties over property confiscated during the Cuban revolution.
Courthouse News Service
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CEO of Union Rescue Mission sees opportunities with Trump homelessness executive order
The Union Rescue Mission has been assisting the homeless in downtown Los Angeles since its founding as the Pacific Gospel Mission in 1891 by Lyman Stewart, the President of Union Oil and a devout Christian Fundamentalist. 134 years later, it remains faith-based and service-focused. Its 30-year-old, 224,000 square foot facility on San Pedro Street, near Skid Row, shelters up to 1,000 people a night and features free health, dental, psychological, and legal-aid services courtesy of URM’s partnerships with local universities.
Westside Current
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