Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | |
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Suit alleging that prison guards stomped on face of inmate, who later died, is revived
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday held that a trial judge erred in dismissing, with prejudice, a complaint filed against prison guards by the surviving family members of an inmate who died with markings allegedly consistent with the sole of a prison boot on his face, saying the failure to allow leave to amend was improper where the judge identified certain arguments as potentially meritorious.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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California judge admonished for unauthorized entries into jurists’ chambers
In a case that has rattled the California judiciary, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has been publicly admonished for repeatedly breaking into fellow jurists’ chambers after hours, rifling through confidential documents and attempting to access their computers. The state’s Commission on Judicial Performance condemned the behavior as a “serious breach of trust”, an extraordinary rebuke for conduct that undermined the integrity of the court.
USA Herald
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LAUSD, Superintendent Carvalho faces lawsuit claiming district defrauded taxpayers (Video)
Former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner is spearheading the lawsuit that claim millions of dollars weren't spent properly. Ross Palombos reports.
KCAL News
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Thomson Reuters scores early win in AI copyright battles in the US
Thomson Reuters has won an early battle in court over the question of fair use in artificial intelligence-related copyright cases. The media and technology company filed a lawsuit against Ross Intelligence - a now-defunct legal research firm - in 2020, arguing they had used materials from Thomson Reuters’ own legal platform Westlaw to train an AI model without permission.
AP
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Appeals court looks set to let Pentagon out of 9/11 plea deals
A federal appeals court appears poised to rule that the Pentagon has the authority to withdraw from plea deals ruling out the death penalty that were negotiated with three Guantanamo Bay prisoners accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In a one-page order Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay the government sought to prevent a military judge from accepting guilty pleas from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi.
Politico
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Dodger Stadium gondola opponents ask appellate court to block project
Opponents of a project to ferry baseball fans from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium by a 1.2-mile-long aerial gondola on Tuesday asked the California Court of Appeals to void LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's approval of the project. John Given, an attorney for Los Angeles Parks Alliance, told the appellate panel that the use of part of Los Angeles State Historic Park, halfway between the train station and the baseball stadium, for an intermediate station of the gondola is incompatible with the purpose the park is meant to serve.
Courthouse News Service
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Court reverses order unsealing sheriff's records covering jail deaths
A San Diego federal judge's ruling that unsealed sheriff's department records regarding inmate deaths and injuries at San Diego County jails was reversed Monday by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The July 2023 ruling from U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta concerned records from the sheriff's Critical Incident Review Board, an internal oversight body that reviews and investigates inmate deaths and injuries within the jails.
City News Service
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Two Mexican nationals arrested for alleged train cargo theft and repeated reentry into United States following deportation
Two men from Mexico who are in the United States illegally have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with stealing cargo from a freight train traveling through the Mojave Desert and taking approximately 71 cases of construction tools, the Justice Department announced today. Jesus Omar Lopez Quintero, 34, and Juan Alonso Hernandez Enrique, 24, both Mexican nationals, were charged Thursday with possession or receipt of goods stolen from interstate shipment, removing goods from customs custody and breaking seals, and illegal reentry into the United States following deportation.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Suspect charged with throwing object at vehicle on 101 Freeway during immigration protest
A 42-year-old Los Angeles felon was charged Monday with throwing an object at a vehicle on the 101 Freeway during an immigration protest, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Martin Richard Torres is charged with one felony count each of throwing an object at a vehicle or an occupant of a vehicle with intent to do great bodily injury and vandalism over $400 in defacement with graffiti, according to the District Attorney's Office.
City News Service
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LA District Attorney, lawmakers announce effort to stop looting during disasters
State lawmakers and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on Monday proposed legislation aimed at stopping looters and others who would take advantage of property owners in fire zones. The bill, AB 469, has bipartisan support in Sacramento and would make it a felony that could send unscrupulous scammers to longer prison terms.
NBC4 & City New Service
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Los Angeles County DA announces felony arson charges filed against suspect in Chatsworth Reservoir fire
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced today that a 41-year-old man has been charged with felony arson in connection with a Feb. 3 brush fire near the Chatsworth Reservoir. This brings the total number of individuals charged in recent fire-related cases to 27. “As we continue to recover from the devastation of recent wildfires, this case is a stark reminder of the grave threat alleged arsonists pose to our communities,” District Attorney Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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SCOTUSblog founder interfered with witness, poses a flight risk, according to prosecutors
Last month, SCOTUSblog co-founder and veteran Supreme Court litigator Tom Goldstein was arrested on a 22-count indictment alleging tax crimes and making false statement to lenders. According to the government, Goldstein participated in high-stakes poker games and failed to disclose his winnings (in tax filings) and losings (in loan applications).
Above the Law
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Some California prosecutors struggle to comply with new ‘race blind’ charging rule
District attorneys in some Bay Area counties, including San Francisco , are struggling to comply with a new state law requiring prosecutors to make charging decisions without viewing information about suspects' races. In most cases, a lack of funding and difficulties implementing new technologies were at the root of their problems, prosecutors said. The measure, which took effect Jan. 1 , mandates a practice known as "race-blind" charging.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Trump megadonor gives SCOTUS opening to overturn landmark press freedom case
Casino mogul and Trump megadonor Steve Wynn has created an opening for the Supreme Court to overturn a six-decade-old press freedom ruling. It's an opening that several justices have been searching for - and one that conservative Justice Clarence Thomas has even explicitly requested in his writings from the bench. For 61 years, New York Times v. Sullivan has allowed the press to report on public figures without the threat of costly libel suits.
Courthouse News Service
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White House orders sweeping review of federal gun regulations
President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order demanding a whole-of-government review of federal firearms regulations, a move which appeared aimed at papering over gun safety policies inked by the Joe Biden administration. But the Trump White House’s decree went further than simply undoing Biden’s legacy - its broad mandate invites the possibility of an even more expansive relaxation of federal gun rules.
Courthouse News Service
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After critics blast move to pay L.A. wildfire recovery czar $500,000, he'll do it for free
Faced with fierce criticism over her chief wildfire recovery officer's planned salary of $500,000 for 90 days of work, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reversed course Saturday evening and said Steve Soboroff would receive no compensation. Soboroff's original salary, which would have been funded entirely by charitable organizations, was first reported by The Times early Saturday morning. Soboroff had defended the arrangement, saying his expertise made him worth the price.
Los Angeles Times
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LA’s fire recovery czar privately tells Hollywood execs to hold on to their properties, promising city investments will triple their Palisades property values
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass’s (D.) wildfire recovery czar, Steve Soboroff, advised Hollywood talent executives on a private Zoom call to wait to sell their properties. City investments in the Palisades neighborhood, he said, will allow them to "triple" the low-ball offers they’re currently receiving. "Whether you’re broke or you’re old, don’t sell now, because in one year we’re going to be putting billions of dollars in your neighborhood of improvements," Soboroff said Thursday.
The Washington Free Beacon
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KCAL News investigation finds more than 1,300 fire hydrants need maintenance across LA
A KCAL News investigation has found that there are possibly hundreds of fire hydrants across the Los Angeles area that need maintenance or repair. The information comes in the wake of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in January, which destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and killed more than two dozen people. In the days following the Palisades Fire response from local fire departments, questions were raised over whether there was enough water to assist firefighters, sparking outcry from the public.
KCAL News
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LA's rich and famous made 'odd request' of private armies as wildfires fueled fear, boss says
Some of the most wealthy and famous residents of Los Angeles are investing in private armies for protection as California continues to deal with the aftermath of the deadly wildfires and looters and scammers target affluent homeowners. MPS Security is one of the security companies residents are turning to as they work to rebuild what they lost in the wildfires. Crider shared a new request that their team had never had before: protection for the debris.
Fox News
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PSA: Earvin “Magic” Johnson warns Los Angeles fire victims about property predators
Governor Gavin Newsom, LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman, Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson have teamed up through LA Rises to release a new PSA warning fire victims about predatory real estate speculators, and highlighting protections under the Governor’s recent executive order. The order bans unsolicited, undervalued offers for three months in fire-affected communities to prevent opportunistic investors from exploiting families in crisis.
Governor Newsom News Release
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2 UCLA pro-Palestinian groups suspended after disruption at regent’s home
Two officially recognized pro-Palestinian student organizations at UCLA were suspended Wednesday and are under administrative review following allegations of vandalism at the residence of a UC regent in Brentwood and reports of harassment. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine arrived at the Brentwood home of UC Regent Jay Sures last Wednesday, where the two groups protested, vandalized property and harassed Sures, his family and neighbors, according to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk.
City News Service
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LA's top homelessness official signed $2.1 million contract with husband's employer
State conflict of interest laws ban public officials from any involvement in contracts in which they have a financial interest, including agreements that financially benefit their spouse or groups that pay their spouse. Los Angeles’ top homeless services executive told LAist in December that she stuck to those rules, saying she had been walled off and “completely recused” from business relating to her husband’s employer.
LAist
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LA County more than doubled its mental health crisis teams in four years. But it still needs more
Over nearly four years, Los Angeles County has more than doubled its number of mental health crisis teams - to more than 70 - and cut response times to two hours on average, providing more opportunities for people in crisis to get in-person help without calling paramedics or police, authorities said. That’s progress, but the county still has much more to do to expand the number of crisis response teams, which serve as an alternative to 911, and reach its goal of dropping response times to 30 minutes on average.
LAist
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Pro-Trump sheriff to run for governor in deep blue California
Southern California Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican supporter of Donald Trump and fierce critic of Gavin Newsom, will run for California governor in 2026, two people familiar with his plans tell POLITICO. Bianco, who has built a firebrand profile on issues of crime and punishment, faces strong headwinds in a blue state that hasn’t bucked the majority party in nearly two decades.
Politico
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Media lawyers must be ordered to return, destroy reports
News organizations’ attorneys in possession of reports by a county oversight board relating to non-natural deaths and serious injuries occurring within the San Diego County jails must be ordered to return or destroy them, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared yesterday, in a 2-1 decision. The question arose after the San Diego Union Tribune LLC, Prison Legal News, and Voice of San Diego moved to intervene in a civil rights lawsuit brought by a former inmate in the San Diego Central Jail, Frankie Greer, who claims he suffered severe injuries during his time in custody.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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California judge knocks down state law barring ‘pay-for-delay’ drug industry deals
A lengthy court battle over a California law regulating prescription drug settlements ended Thursday when a federal judge ruled the state couldn’t enforce the rule outside its borders. The convoluted case started in 2019, after Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 824, which stopped drug companies from paying competitors to keep generic drugs off store shelves. It outlawed “pay-for-delay,” or incentivizing the competition to keep cheaper, generic drugs off the market.
Courthouse News Service
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No, a Feb. 5 DOJ memo does not authorize the death penalty solely for being an undocumented immigrant
A number of videos and posts on social media in the past day are claiming that the United States Department of Justice has authorized the death penalty for undocumented immigrants, solely for the offense of being in the U.S. without legal status, citing what appears to be a Feb. 5 memo from newly-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Multiple viewers emailed KGW asking about the memo and rule change.
KGW
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Huntington Beach city attorney heads to Trump administration
Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates announced Monday he will be leaving to take a Deputy Attorney General position in the Civil Rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice amid multiple ongoing legal battles between the state and Surf City. Gates said in a statement Monday that his departure from the city will not impact Surf City’s legal battles against the state over housing, a local voter ID law and most recently California’s sanctuary state law.
Voice of OC
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Fentanyl grips MacArthur Park as officials talk cleanup
For more than a century, MacArthur Park, just west of Downtown Los Angeles, has been an urban oasis for residents of the surrounding Westlake District and the wider city. But in recent years, MacArthur Park has also become synonymous with fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that can be 50 times more powerful than heroin. Open fentanyl abuse is now so common, the drug might as well be an unofficial symbol of the park.
KCRW
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Boy, 14, arrested in stabbing at L.A. protest against Trump's immigration orders
Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy in the stabbing of another teen at a protest in downtown Los Angeles against President Trump's immigration policies. The male victim, 17, was in critical condition. The suspect was arrested Tuesday in the Rampart area on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. No update was available on the condition of the stabbing victim.
Los Angeles Times
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Man arrested for allegedly shining laser at LAPD helicopter
Los Angeles police arrested a man on suspicion of shining a laser at their helicopter during a street takeover in Paramount over the weekend. It happened a little before 12:30 a.m. when officers with the department's Street Racing Task Force were dispatched to Alondra Boulevard and Vermont Avenue for reports of nearly 50 cars that were blocking the intersection, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
KCAL News
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Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
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LA County teen and "serial swatter" gets prison time for calls with fake threats of bombs, shootings
A Los Angeles County teenager was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after admitting to making more than 375 "swatting calls" in which he made false reports of bomb and mass shooting threats at locations around the U.S. Alan W. Filion, an 18-year-old Lancaster resident, admitted in a plea agreement to carrying out calls targeting places such as high schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions and people such as government officials, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
KCAL News
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Monterey Park man gets 58 years for killing estranged wife, her companion in restaurant
A Monterey Park man has been sentenced to 58 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his wife and her male companion at a restaurant. Yixin Jing, now 42, was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 5, nearly three months after jurors convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder for the April 5, 2021, killings of his wife, Ling Ling Wang, 36, and Zhaiming Li, 37.
City News Service
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DA Hochman announces man pleads no contest to string of burglaries at Los Angeles County cemeteries
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman today announced that a 44-year-old man pleaded no contest to felony burglarizing vehicles parked at countywide cemeteries as grieving families or friends visited loved ones and attended funerals. David Bassett (DOB 8/5/80) of Rancho Cucamonga pleaded no contest to four counts of felony second-degree burglary of a vehicle on Feb. 11 in Dept. 36 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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LA attorney who represented Rodney King sentenced to prison for tax evasion scheme
Milton C. Grimes, a longtime Los Angeles attorney, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for evading more than $7.2 million in federal and state taxes over a span of more than two decades. Grimes was a well-known lawyer who represented Rodney King in his lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles with a law office in the View Park-Windsor Hills District.
Westside Today
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How the "American Nightmare" victims helped get kidnapper Matthew Muller to confess to more crimes
Two weeks after he drugged and kidnapped Denise Huskins from her Vallejo, California home in 2015, "American Nightmare" kidnapper Matthew Muller allegedly committed another crime in neighboring Contra Costa County. This is just one of many alleged crimes dating back to the 1990s that would have gone unsolved if it weren't for two persistent victims: a small-coastal-town police chief and a rural Northern California county district attorney.
KCAL News
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Sean “Diddy” Combs slaps NBCUniversal with $100M defamation suit over ‘Making Of A Bad Boy’ documentary
Set to go on trial in May on sex-trafficking charges and more, Sean “Diddy” Combs on Wednesday has taken a $100 million swing at NBCUniversal and Peacock over what the rapper terms an “outrageous set of fresh lies and conspiracy theories.” Specifically, the much accused Bad Boy Records founder is upset about how he was depicted and described in the damning Diddy: Making of a Bad Boy documentary that launched January 14 on the streamer.
Deadline
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