Courts, Rulings & Lawsuits | |
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LA County sues owners and operators of Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic
L.A. County has filed a lawsuit accusing the owners and operators of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill of failing to protect people from the “terrible effects” of noxious odors coming from the more than 600-acre site in Castaic. Why it matters: Residents living near the landfill have reported headaches, eye irritation, dizziness, and even cardiac problems because of odors for nearly two years, according to the suit.
LAist
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Padilla, Schiff applaud confirmation of federal judges to California district courts
Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded the confirmation of three federal judges to fill vacancies on U.S. District Courts in California. The recently confirmed judges include Judges Anne Hwang and Cynthia Valenzuela to the U.S. District Court for the Central District and Judge Noël Wise to the Northern District.
Alex Padilla Press Release
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Pasadena appeals panel reinstates arson charges against two SoCal men
A federal appeals court in Pasadena Thursday reinstated arson charges against two Southern California men accused of torching a Santa Monica police car during a George Floyd protest in 2020. Nathan Wilson and Christopher Beasley were charged four years ago in Los Angeles federal court after they attended a protest gathering in Santa Monica on May 31, 2020, where they were allegedly recorded setting a police car on fire and posted the video on social media, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Pasadena Now
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Treasury Department may fine small businesses $10,000 or more if they don’t file this new report
Small businesses and their owners could face penalties of $10,000 or more if they don’t comply with a new U.S. Treasury Department reporting requirement by year’s end - and evidence suggests many haven’t yet complied. The Corporate Transparency Act, passed in 2021, created the requirement. The law aims to curb illicit finance by asking many businesses operating in the U.S. to report beneficial ownership information to the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN.
CNBC
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Judge rules Trump’s conviction withstands Supreme Court immunity decision
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said President-elect Trump would need to show remorse if he wanted to receive a pardon for his conviction in his hush money case. “There is a pardoning process in the state of New York. It is lengthy,” Hochul said Wednesday at an unrelated news conference. “It requires a couple of elements. One is remorse.”
The Hill
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ABC News to apologize and pay $15M to settle defamation suit brought by President-elect Donald Trump
ABC News will pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump and will release a statement of regret over the comments from Good Morning America and This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos that sparked the suit. That is according to a copy of the settlement, which was filed Saturday, and signed by Trump and the anchor, as well as ABC News and stations chief Debra OConnell.
Hollywood Reporter
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Court rules California Coastal Commission can limit construction of seawalls for thousands of property owners
The California Coastal Commission, a powerful state agency that regulates development along the state’s 1,100-mile coastline, can deny property owners permits to build seawalls if their homes or businesses were constructed after 1977, a state appeals court has ruled. The closely watched case, centered on 10 townhouses near Half Moon Bay, could affect thousands of property owners and beaches visited by millions of people, particularly as the Pacific Ocean continues to rise due to climate change.
Bay Area News Group
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Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Richard Quinones dies while surfing in Malibu
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Richard Quinones is being remembered for the profound impact he had on the lives he touched both in and out of the courtroom. Quinones died Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency while surfing off the Malibu coast. He was 55. Newly elected Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman praised Quinones in a statement, describing him as highly respected and well-regarded by judges, opposing counsel, and colleagues alike.
Daily Journal
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$1 million, no convictions: New L.A. D.A. to fire Gascón’s police shootings prosecutor
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman says he intends to terminate the contract of a special prosecutor that George Gascón hired to reopen investigations into fatal police shootings, a move that could shake up high-profile cases that involve controversial killings by officers. The district attorney's office said in a statement that it will "no longer be using" the services of Lawrence Middleton, a former federal prosecutor who convicted several Los Angeles police officers of violating Rodney King's civil rights after they were acquitted in state court in the 1991 beating of the Black motorist.
Los Angeles Times
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They were locked up 17 years ago for a murder. L.A.'s new district attorney is setting them free
In a dramatic courtroom scene that one wrongly convicted woman called "a Christmas miracle," a Los Angeles County judge on Friday vacated the murder sentences of two people - 17 years after they were locked up - and ordered their immediate release. The pair were convicted in 2009 for the 2007 murder of Hector Flores, who was shot to death in his car in a strip mall off Sunset Boulevard.
Los Angeles Times
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Menendez family lawyer accuses D.A. Nathan Hochman of working against the brothers
In a letter written to Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman and obtained by TMZ, Menendez family lawyer Bryan Freedman says, “There is concern however that your process of gathering information from the victims has been unfair.” Freedman added that “instead of wanting to meet with the victim’s family members that can share their own personal experiences of years watching and speaking directly with Lyle and Erik, you chose to meet with Milton Anderson’s attorney first … It does not make any sense to my client.”
The Wrap
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Menendez brothers' attorney fires back at new Los Angeles DA
The lawyer representing 24 relatives who support the immediate release of Erik and Lyle Menendez criticized the new Los Angeles County district attorney, saying he is politicizing the case. In an exclusive interview with ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman that aired on "Good Morning America" Wednesday, Bryan Freedman said the brothers' family members have become increasingly concerned, accusing Nathan Hochman, who was sworn in as district attorney last month, of "playing politics.”
Good Morning America
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Ex-wife charged with murder in ambush shooting of Woodland Hills doctor
The ex-wife of a doctor killed in an ambush shooting in the parking lot of his Woodland Hills medical clinic was charged Monday with murder. Fifty-three-year-old Ahang Mirshojae was charged with murder, including special circumstances of lying in wait and murder for financial gain, in the Aug. 23 killing of 61-year-old Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office.
NBC4
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Chinese government planted agent in SoCal with mission to influence local government, feds allege
The Chinese government allegedly used a Chino Hills man in an effort to advance policies favorable to the People’s Republic of China in Southern California local government, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday. Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, was charged with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power and conspiring with another man - John Chen - who had been plotting to target U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China.
Los Angeles Times
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In prosecution first, consultants on hook for $650 million for role in opioid epidemic
The Justice Department announced on Friday a deferred prosecution agreement with McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm charged with helping a pharmaceutical company maximize profit for OxyContin at the expense of public health. "This global resolution shows the department's commitment to holding accountable those who played key roles in fueling the opioid crisis," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division, said in a statement.
Courthouse News Service
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L.A. County girls’ soccer coach had hundreds of images of child porn, prosecutors say
A 39-year-old teacher and girls' soccer coach in Arcadia was charged Friday with possessing hundreds of images of child pornography, prosecutors announced, and authorities say they're concerned he may have victimized girls in his care. Justin Akio Yasutake, of Pasadena, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of being in possession of child or youth pornography.
Los Angeles Times
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MRCA boss blames PCH safety issue on drunk Malibu drivers, agency wants to derail Caltrans safety initiatives
A powerful regional parks agency is attacking Caltrans and Malibu … for drawing up plans to make PCH safer. MRCA .. the Mountain Resource and Conservation Authority .. is most unhappy that Caltrans is talking about banning parking at the dangerous highway locations that the MRCA has created. In fact … MRCA director Joe Edmiston told his board of directors last week that the biggest safety problem on PCH is drunk Malibu residents who drive drunk on the highway.
991KBU
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Push to make MacArthur Park safer amid crime, drug concerns in area
For years, the owner of Langer's Deli, Norm Langer, has complained about the crime, drug use, and homelessness around MacArthur Park and all around his restaurant. He says he's begged for the city to do something and feels they've let him down. He tells FOX 11, "I need to see some action. I don't want to deal with this anymore.” But, on the other side of the park from the restaurant, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez offered a multi-pronged plan to deal with a park she refers to as the Ellis Island of Los Angeles, where immigrants come when they first arrive in Los Angeles.
Fox11
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Why are you messing with me for smoking fentanyl?’ The tough task of policing MacArthur Park
Officers from LAPD’s Rampart Division were on foot patrol one morning in late July when they saw what appeared to be fentanyl residue on a bong inside a vending booth on Alvarado Street. The booth was directly across the street from MacArthur Park, the epicenter of a drug epidemic that has devastated the Westlake neighborhood. Meth and fentanyl are peddled and used in plain sight, and severely impaired addicts curl up on the ground or limp along like half-dead characters in a fright film.
Los Angeles Times
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LAPD chief shares plan as new leader (Video)
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell shared his plan for increasing recruitment, dealing with immigration, and preparing for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
KCAL News
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LAPD commander remains defendant in fraud case
A Los Angeles police commander accused of fraud and unlawful computer data access will remain a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the union representing LAPD lieutenants and lower ranks. In the Los Angeles Superior Court suit originally filed Aug. 7 and amended Aug. 19, the Los Angeles Police Protective League alleges Cmdr. Lillian Carranza used bogus online credentials to access confidential emails, communications and surveys distributed by the union to its members.
MyNewsLA
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California's Prop 36 now in effect, increasing penalties for certain theft and drug crimes
After winning widespread support in the November election, California's Proposition 36, which increases penalties for certain theft and drug crimes, went into effect Wednesday. The measure makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and increases penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. It also would give judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges to get treatment.
ABC7
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Los Angeles County shows why Democrats lost
Two weeks after the election, I met Dianela Rosario in Huntington Park, California - an almost entirely Latino city that swung hard to the right this year. A 51-year-old Dominican American shopkeeper, Rosario told me that before this year she had never voted for a Republican presidential candidate. But, in 2024, inflation and the prices of groceries were front of mind. President Joe Biden and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris were not fully responsible for the cost of living crisis, she said, but she still wanted someone new.
Mother Jones
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Hotels, concert venues must now show all hidden ‘junk fees’ right away
Any cleaning fees, concert service fees or other mandatory fees will now need to be disclosed to consumers in initial search results when booking, according to a federal rule made final Tuesday. The rule doesn’t ban these fees. Instead, it requires that businesses display all fees in the total price people see when they are first searching for tickets or for lodging. Companies that sell tickets for live sports and concerts must follow the new universal pricing standard.
Wall Street Journal
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Justices take up cases on religious tax exemption and California climate change mandate
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejecting efforts by Catholic Charities to seek an exemption from the state’s unemployment tax. Catholic Charities contends that both it and the four agencies that operate under its umbrella qualify for the exemption because they are operated “primarily for religious purposes.”
SCOTUSblog
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Former LA City Atty. Mike Feuer joins anti-poverty nonprofit law firm
Former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer is now a senior policy advisor at Inner City Law Center (ICLC), a Skid Row-based nonprofit law firm that offers free legal services to the unhoused, according to two staff members and internal emails reviewed by L.A. TACO. “I am pleased to share the exciting news that Mike Feuer will be joining the ICLC’s public policy team on a half-time basis as a Senior Policy Advisor,” Chief Executive Officer Adam Murray told staff in an October 31 email.
LA Taco
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Can law students face trouble for protesting Israel? The California bar says maybe
Law students who have taken part in campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war may be subject to “moral character” considerations before they take the California bar exam. The State Bar of California noted in a report this fall that actions by pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel protesters may come under scrutiny during the “moral character” review, a requirement for anyone who wants to take the bar exam and practice law.
The Jewish News of Northern California
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Los Angeles deputy mayor for safety linked to City Hall bomb threat
A Los Angeles deputy mayor has been accused of calling in a fake bomb threat to City Hall. “Earlier this year the LAPD responded to a bomb threat made against Los Angeles City Hall. Our initial investigation revealed that the source of the threat was likely from Brian Williams, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety,” Los Angeles police said. The FBI searched Williams' home this week in connection with the alleged threat from earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.
NBC News
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County supervisors proclaim emergency over troubled juvenile hall
Despite hours of public opposition testimony calling the action racist and a failure to demand accountability, the county Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local emergency Tuesday over the troubled Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, instructing its attorneys and staff to pursue all remedies to keep the facility open in defiance of a state closure order.
City News Service
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Did sheriff’s officials conspire to set up whistleblowing lieutenant?
When L.A. County Sheriff’s Sgt. William Morris was investigating a criminal case against a fellow lieutenant based on a rumor, he kept running into a glaring problem: No one could tell him where the rumor had started. The claim was that Lt. Joseph Garrido had been spotted using a department-issued vehicle to tow his boat to Lake Havasu City in Arizona for a vacation in 2022 - an offense that, if true, could have gotten him disciplined or even prosecuted.
Los Angeles Times
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Disneyland agrees to state’s largest wage theft settlement of $233 million with its workers
The company quietly agreed to settle a wage theft class-action lawsuit for $233 million brought about by Disneyland workers five years earlier. Those employees alleged Disney ignored Anaheim’s minimum wage law and they fought for back pay with interest. This agreement is taking placing just as Anaheim is set to increase minimum wages to nearly $20.50 an hour in the new year.
Los Angeles Times
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That text from the post office could be a scam. How to avoid ‘smishing’ fraud
The week before Christmas is crucial if you are sending packages or getting last-minute deliveries through the U.S. Postal Service. But be careful, because scammers are trying to use text messages to take advantage of you. As of Tuesday, the USPS has delivered more than 7.4 million pieces of mail and packages this holiday season, according to its online tracker. Consumers anxiously waiting for a package could be fooled by an unsolicited text message posing as a delivery update or request for account information from the post office.
Los Angeles Times
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Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills has exhibited true leadership via both his words and actions
In recent weeks, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills has demonstrated how the right words and decisive actions can serve as a source of comfort, unity and reassurance in challenging times. In just a few days, Chief Mills showcased a leadership style that blends empathy with accountability, proving the profound impact of thoughtful communication backed by meaningful deeds.
Coachella Valley Independent
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College protests swept across California last year. Why have they stopped?
In stark contrast to the spring when hundreds of students were arrested and suspended for violating campus policies, far fewer participated in protests this fall. Campuses had warned students they would be enforcing these policies much more strictly than they had in the spring when rallies and pro-Palestinian encampments protesting the Israel-Hamas war grew unchecked.
CalMatters
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In latest move against junk fees, Biden targets bank overdraft charges
In a move that could save consumers up to $5 billion a year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday finalized a rule that would clamp down on excessive overdraft fees charged to customers of large banks and credit unions. The rule caps overdraft fees, which President Biden has described as “exploitative,” at $5 rather than the usual $35 customers are charged. That could save households that pay overdraft fees about $225 per year, the bureau said in a statement announcing the rule.
Courthouse News Service
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Controversial pipeline re-opening set to move forward with California waiver
A Texas-based oil company announced Thursday it had received a waiver from the California fire marshal, exempting it from certain corrosion safety requirements for a controversial Santa Barbara pipeline system it aims to re-open. The move sparked outcry from environmental organizations, which claim that the relaxed safety standards could lead to a repeat of the destructive 2015 oil spill caused by the same pipeline only ten years earlier.
Courthouse News Service
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Record $116-million settlement for women victimized in ‘rape club’ at California prison
In a staggering settlement, the federal government will pay $116 million to more than 100 women who said they were sexually abused by employees at a now-shuttered federal prison in Dublin, Calif., that was dubbed the “rape club.” The settlement marks the largest amount ever paid by the federal government for misconduct in federal prisons.
Los Angeles Times
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FTC, alcohol distributor take shots over pricing practices
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued the nation's biggest wine and spirits distributor in federal court, claiming that it's hurting mom-and-pop shops by selling them alcohol at much higher prices than larger competitors. The pricing practice by Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits is in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act, the FTC says in its complaint.
Courthouse News Service
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Chicago’s new top prosecutor, backed by police, offers hints she could retain parts of progressive agenda
Nearly two weeks after Eileen O'Neill Burke took the helm of the Cook County state attorney's office, Chicago is still wondering how much of her predecessor's reforms she'll retain. Democrat O'Neill Burke handily beat Republican Bob Fioretti in the state's attorney race in November, taking over from Kimberly Foxx. After eight years in office, Foxx opted not to run again.
Courthouse News Service
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Jay-Z's lawyer says he expects rape case involving then-13-year-old will be dismissed
Jay-Z's lawyer doubled down on claims of his client's innocence on Monday, while disputing the timeline behind a rape accusation that has been leveraged against the music industry titan. Alex Spiro, the lawyer representing Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter as he faces a civil lawsuit alongside fellow music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, held a press briefing with handpicked reporters in New York City on Monday.
ABC News
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Theft crew in Southern California popped by police after raiding retail shop
A group of six males was arrested Saturday in San Bernardino County after surveillance cameras at a retail outlet captured the suspects walking out with more than $1,000 in stolen merchandise, officials announced Monday. Details are limited and it’s unclear exactly where or what time the suspects were captured on video during the theft, but officers with the Upland Police Department responded to the area on reports of the incident.
KTLA
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Kidnapping suspect arrested after pursuit through LA and Orange counties
Police arrested a man from Los Angeles County on Monday night after he allegedly kidnapped at least two women, one of whom was severely beaten during her roughly two-week captivity. The Fullerton Police Department arrested Arturo Urbina, 30, after he crashed during a pursuit that ended in Torrance. Detectives said they started searching for him after he allegedly kidnapped a woman on Dec. 11.
KCAL News
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Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
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Man pleads not guilty in exchange of gunfire that injured two officers
A man who allegedly wounded two Los Angeles Police Department officers in an exchange of gunfire last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted murder and other counts. Nija Hill, 30, is charged with nine felony counts, including two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count each of attempted second-degree robbery, attempted extortion, attempted carjacking and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
MyNewsLA
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LASD deputy sheriff agrees to plead guilty to assaulting transgender man in violation of federal civil rights
A deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has agreed to plead guilty to a federal civil rights violation for using excessive force during an assault of a transgender man in retaliation for the victim exercising his First Amendment rights, the Justice Department announced today. Joseph Benza III, 36, of Corona, who was assigned to the Norwalk Station at the time of the incident on February 10, 2023, was charged late Tuesday with one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Gardena street gang member sentenced to life in federal prison for murdering victim in front of the victim’s family home
A member of the Gardena 13 street gang was sentenced today to life in federal prison for murdering a 29-year-old man in furtherance of the Gardena 13 gang in front of the victim’s family home in November 2020. Justin Arteaga, 24, a.k.a. “Hitta,” of Gardena, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered Arteaga to pay $37,554 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Santa Paula doctor sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for role in hospice fraud that bilked Medicare out of $3.2 million
A Ventura County physician who worked for two Pasadena hospices was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare out of more than $3 million through claims for medically unnecessary hospice services. Dr. Victor Contreras, 69, of Santa Paula, was sentenced today by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $3,289,889 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Southern California man sentenced for helping pregnant Chinese women travel to U.S. to give birth
A California man was sentenced Monday to nearly 3 1/2 years in prison for running an extensive business that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States to deliver babies who would automatically have American citizenship. U.S. authorities had sought a more than five-year prison term for Michael Wei Yueh Liu, 59, who was convicted in September of conspiracy and money laundering for running a company known as USA Happy Baby.
KCAL News
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FDA recalls more antidepressants over cancer fears
The recall affects over 233,000 bottles of duloxetine, the generic form of Cymbalta and Irenka. This medication is prescribed for the treatment of depression and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as pain associated with fibromyalgia and nerve damage from diabetes. New Jersey-based Rising Pharmaceuticals initially recalled the drugs on November 19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated the recall on December 5 to classify the drugs as a Class II risk.
KNX1070
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She went to prison in Varsity Blues admissions scandal. Now she says she was a scapegoat
When Donna Heinel arrived at the federal prison camp in Victorville last year to serve a six-month sentence for fraud stemming from the Varsity Blues admissions scandal, she resolved to spend the time productively. She walked two miles in the morning, ran three miles in the afternoon and tutored inmates studying for their high school equivalency exams.
Los Angeles Times
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She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
In 1997, a deceased infant was found in a campground pit toilet at the Garnet Lake Campground - right where Jenna grew up. Investigators couldn’t find any leads on the identity of the baby or anyone who witnessed a person abandoning an infant, according to a news release from the Michigan attorney general’s office. The case went cold, and the “Baby Garnet” case became a known murder mystery in Jenna’s small town for decades.
CNN
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Justices split on white-collar fraud conviction for government contractor
At oral arguments on Monday it was not clear how the Supreme Court will rule in the case of a Philadelphia-area government contractor found guilty of fraud after it failed to comply with a contract provision intended to promote diversity. In Kousisis v. United States, the justices are considering whether the federal wire fraud laws apply to cases in which the defendant uses deception to enter into a transaction that doesn’t harm the victim financially.
SCOTUSblog
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Lawyers prep to defend DOJ workforce from Trump-directed probes
A cottage industry of Washington defense lawyers is coalescing to represent a Justice Department workforce fearful of being targeted with investigations when Donald Trump retakes the White House. Since Trump’s victory last month, attorneys have been fielding calls from current and former DOJ officials, lower-level career prosecutors, and FBI agents, said five defense lawyers, some of whom spoke anonymously to detail private conversations.
Bloomberg Law
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ExxonMobil, others accused of plastics lies in newest suit
ExxonMobil Corp. and other corporations violated antitrust and consumer protection laws when they “artificially” increased demand for single-use plastics by lying about their recyclability, residents of four states alleged in the latest lawsuit targeting the plastics industry. Promoting single-use plastic as recyclable when most aren’t contributed to a serious pollution crisis, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Bloomberg Law
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Appeals court disqualifies DA Fani Willis from prosecuting Trump Georgia case
A Georgia appellate court Thursday disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and removed her from prosecuting Donald Trump and co-defendants in a case she brought over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The decision is likely to cripple the case and bring a halt to the efforts to try Trump and his allies for their efforts to overturn his loss. Federal prosecutors have already dropped Trump's federal criminal case related to the 2020 election in the wake of his winning the presidency.
NBC News
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