Courts, Rulings & Lawsuits | |
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Judge denies LACo motion to dismiss harassment claim involving Villanueva wife
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who alleges her career advancements were stymied because a recruit the deputy found to be physically unfit for hiring was a friend of then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s spouse can move forward with her harassment claim against the county, a judge has ruled.
MyNewsLA
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L.A. should pay $6.4 million for slow action on cleaning homeless camps, judge is told
Alleging more than a year of foot-dragging by Los Angeles officials, lawyers for a group of businesses and residents are asking a federal judge to fine the city nearly $6.4 million over its failure to live up to a nearly 2-year-old settlement agreement to clean up homeless camps.
Los Angeles Times
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Appeals court says ex-Aztecs may use graphic videos in SDSU rape case
A state appeals court panel ruled Thursday that a group of former San Diego State football players accused of raping a 17-year-old girl may use a series of sexually graphic videos allegedly depicting the encounter as part of their legal defense.
City News Service
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California gun owners take privacy fight over purchase data to Ninth Circuit
A group of California gun owners told a Ninth Circuit panel on Friday that a law allowing the state to share personal information about people who buy guns with firearms violence researchers violates their Second Amendment rights and their privacy.
Courthouse News Service
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Court of Appeal rejects A.G.’s sentencing concession
The Third District Court of Appeal on Friday declined to accede to a concession by the Office of Attorney General that an inmate is statutorily entitled to a resentencing, despite being nudged by the California Supreme Court to do so. Justice Peter A. Krause authored the opinion which affirms a judgment by Butte Superior Court Judge Corie J. Caraway.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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No qualified immunity for failure to render medical care
A municipal police officer and a probation officer saw Terrelle Thomas, along with another man, leave a bar and get into a vehicle as passengers. The police officer conducted a traffic stop and noted Thomas “spoke to her as if he had ‘cotton mouth’ and a large amount of an unknown item inside his mouth.”
Police1
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California data privacy ballot measure can take effect immediately, court rules
Californians can now enforce a ballot measure that seeks to protect privacy rights by allowing consumers to stop businesses from using or selling information about their location, health, race, gender or other personal details, a state appeals court ruled Friday.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Appeals court bounces voting rights case back to trial court
A California Appeals Court on Friday remanded the voting rights case against the City of Santa Monica to the lower court that ruled in favor of the Latino plaintiffs. The latest action comes six months after the California Supreme Court sent the eight-year old case back to the Appellate Court saying it "relied on an incorrect legal standard" in its ruling in favor of the City.
Santa Monica Lookout
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'A heart for criminals': Grieving mom of shooting victim confronts DA George Gascón over lax crime policies
A Los Angeles shooting victim's grieving mother confronted progressive District Attorney George Gascón with tough questions last week, slamming his allegedly soft-on-crime policies to his face. "My child was killed by a gang member, and you had more sympathy for that gang member than my child who was killed in front of my home," Emma Rivas said during a district attorney debate over policies on gang-related crime enhancements last Thursday.
Fox News
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Gascon charges county investigator for stealing deceased's jewelry
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has taken a firm stance against misconduct within the county's medical examiner's office. On February 14, 2024, Gascon announced charges against Adrian Muñoz, a county medical examiner investigator, for allegedly stealing jewelry from a deceased individual.
BNN Breaking
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Two charged with murder in shooting death of longtime Wilmington volunteer
It’s been six months since Sandy De La Mora’s husband, Jose Quezada, was gunned down while volunteering at a community event meant to curb gang violence in Wilmington. After a months-long investigation, Los Angeles police on Thursday announced that two men have been charged in connection with Quezada’s death.
Los Angeles Times
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2 charged in random LA County shooting rampage that left 4 dead
Two men suspected in a random shooting rampage in southeastern Los Angeles County that left four people dead, including a 14-year-old boy, and two others injured, were charged on Thursday, Feb. 15, with four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
City News Service
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Two LAPD officers won’t face charges for deadly 2021 shooting
After a nearly three-year investigation, the California Department of Justice has decided not to bring criminal charges against two Los Angeles police officers who fatally shot a man in 2021. The incident occurred in July 2021 when authorities were dispatched to the Pico-Union area with reports of a man bleeding from his neck and carrying a knife.
KTLA
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17 charged in scheme to smuggle fentanyl and other drugs hidden inside fire extinguishers across U.S.-Mexico border
An arraignment is scheduled this afternoon for the final defendant arrested on a federal grand jury indictment that alleges a scheme to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico into the United States - narcotics that allegedly were packed into fire extinguishers and concealed in scrap metal loads.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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No on Gascón
George Gascón is not the worst district attorney in Los Angeles County’s history. That distinction goes to Asa Keyes, a Prohibition-era chief prosecutor who was corrupt. He left office in 1928 and in 1930 entered San Quentin Prison, having been convicted of accepting bribes while district attorney. And, arguably, there were others who were worse than Gascón.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Anybody but Gascón
There are 12 candidates for district attorney of Los Angeles County on the March 5 ballot. One of them is the incumbent, George Gascón. In light of his extremist policies, including some that have been judicially determined to be unlawful, his efforts to bully deputies into submission - resulting in liability to the county for tortious retaliation amounting to millions of dollars based on one settlement and one adjudication, with scads of cases pending - and the abominable judgment he has exhibited overall, Gascón deserves the boot by voters.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Emotional clash at DA debate exposes rifts over Gascón's crime policies in Los Angeles
A District Attorney debate in Beverly Hills reached an emotional peak Thursday evening when a grieving mother confronted District Attorney George Gascón over his policies on gang-related crime enhancements. The mother, whose child was tragically killed by a gang member, stood and addressed Gascón directly.
Westside Current
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The race to unseat Gascón: Part one of two
Eleven challengers are vying to unseat Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in a crowded primary election on March 5, against the backdrop of two failed recall attempts and votes of no confidence by 37 cities including Beverly Hills. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote next month, the top two finishers will face off in the general election on Nov. 5.
Beverly Hills Courier
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Los Angeles County District Attorney election: A crucial choice ahead
In a recent debate among candidates aiming to become the next Los Angeles County District Attorney, a poignant moment unfolded when a mother, whose child was tragically killed by a gang member, confronted current DA George Gascón directly.
Westside Current
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Meet the candidates running to unseat George Gascón
Incumbent Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón faces formidable competition in an upcoming primary slated for March 5, according to polling. Left-wing billionaire George Soros has financially backed Gascón and his critics have accused him of contributing to a decrease in public safety in Los Angeles.
BizPacReview
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Gascón pressed at Los Angeles County DA debate over lax policies on gang-related crime enhancements
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón faced tough questioning during a district attorney debate over his policies on gang-related crime enhancements, including from a mother whose child was killed by a gang member. When Gascón took over as district attorney, he barred prosecutors from pursuing enhanced punishments for gang members, according to Fox 11.
Fox News
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ADDA releases endorsements for March 2024 primary elections
The Board of Directors of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA) released its endorsements for the March 5th primary election. For some judicial races, more than one Deputy District Attorney is running for the seat, and the ADDA has chosen to provide dual endorsements.
District Attorney: Eric Siddall
City of West Hollywood, City Council: George Nickle
City of Los Angeles, District 4: Ethan Weaver
Judicial Seat No. 39: Jacob Lee
Judicial Seat No. 48: Renee Rose
Judicial Seat No. 93: Victor Avila
Judicial Seat No. 97: Sam Abourched, Sharon Ransom
Judicial Seat No. 115: Keith Koyano, Christmas Brookens
Judicial Seat No. 130: Leslie Gutierrez
Judicial Seat No. 135: Georgia Huerta, Steven Yee Mac
LA ADDA
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California Democrats support ballot measure to go after retail theft
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed 120 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to help the region crackdown on crime. The deployment is part of a statewide initiative to take on organized retail theft and address the root causes of crime. “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable. I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve,” Newsom’s office said in a statement.
Spectrum News1
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Amazon rigged its website, forcing consumers to pay more
Amazon rigged its website “Buy Box” to "routinely" push the overwhelming majority of consumers to pay more for items that could've been purchased at lower costs with equal or faster delivery time, says a class action lawsuit. The plaintiffs allege that the biased Buy Box algorithm drives customers to "reasonably" believe that featured items offer the best deal on the platform and that nearly 98 percent of Amazon sales are Buy Box featured items.
The Counterfeit Report
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Lowe’s can’t sway US appeals court to ditch Calif. Supreme Court’s pro-worker precedent
California workers may not realize it, but they scored a big win on Monday at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court revived claims by a former Lowe’s Home Centers worker who sued the company for labor code violations under California’s Private Attorney General Act, which empowers individual employees to sue their employers to enforce state labor laws.
Reuters
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CDCR misleads public on supposed benefits of Proposition 57
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has released a new report on recidivism rates for prisoners released in Fiscal Year 2018-2019, and the accompanying press release misleadingly claims that the data show that Proposition 57 is a cause of reduced recidivism. The report itself does not claim a cause-and-effect relationship.
Criminal Justice Legal Foundation
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Shoplifting reports in LA skyrockets, new study finds 81% increase
A new analysis of the latest figures from the Los Angeles Police Department showed a drastic increase in shoplifting during 2023. The report from Crosstown LA found that overall retail crime, including the viral flash-mob robberies, has increased but nothing as much as shoplifting.
KCAL News
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Chief trauma surgeon gives life-saving training to LAPD's elite
When Dr. Kenji Inaba isn't the Chief of Trauma at one of LA's busiest hospitals, he's a reserve police officer who trains the Los Angeles Police Department's elite. In 2016, Inaba graduated from the LAPD academy, a requirement to become a medical director and provide medical guidance to the department. He works with the elite Metropolitan Division which has a team of EMTs.
KCAL News
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Karen Bass has a chance to do ‘more than tinkering’ with a new Los Angeles police chief
Over the next few months, Los Angeles voters will choose the person to decide who oversees county prosecutors, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will select the person who oversees the city’s police. Together, those two choices will chart the near-term future for law enforcement in the nation’s second-largest city.
CalMatters
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State orders shutdown of LA County’s two largest juvenile facilities
A state regulatory board has ordered Los Angeles County to shut down its two largest juvenile facilities in the next 60 days over substandard conditions, setting the stage for a potential nightmare scenario where the county will have hundreds of youth in its custody and nowhere locally to hold them.
Pasadena Star News
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‘A representation of neglect’: Four arrested in graffiti-covered skyscraper
The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested four suspects for trespassing inside Oceanwide Plaza, where graffiti now covers 27 floors of the three-tower complex in Downtown LA’s South Park area. The building was abandoned in 2019 and sits across from LA Live and Crypto.com Arena, home of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
LA Downtown News
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Former aide says she was called a ‘snitch’ by L.A. City Councilman Curren Price’s staff
A former longtime aide to Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price alleges in a claim filed against the city that she was fired from her job after Price staffers accused her of being a “snitch” in the criminal case brought against the councilman by L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón. Angie Reyes English, a former senior field deputy for Price, filed the claim on Feb 1. Such claims are typically lodged before a formal lawsuit.
Los Angeles Times
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How a private security agency is using drones to fight crimes (Video)
KCAL News reporter Lauren Pozen shows how a private security agency is giving law enforcement an extra tool to fight crime.
CBS News
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California gun shops to require separate merchant codes to track suspicious purchases
A new law that will allow credit card companies to flag suspicious purchases at firearms stores continues to be contested. Some states have already banned it, but it's approved to be law in California. This is a controversial topic. In fact, Mastercard, Visa and American Express all initially agreed to come up with a standalone merchant code specifically for firearm stores, but then they took a pause once they received backlash from Second Amendment advocates.
CBS Sacramento
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TikToker helps capture suspected child predators in Southern California
A local social media star said he is protecting the streets of Southern California by capturing suspects wanted for preying on children. Known by the nickname “Black Biden,” the good Samaritan said his mission in life is to protect children and minors because he feels the criminal justice system is not doing enough.
KTLA
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Leading the digital beat: LAPD’s deputy chief talks technology’s role in shaping the future of policing
In the ever-evolving landscape of law enforcement, Deputy Chief John McMahon stands at the forefront of technological advancement within the Los Angeles Police Department. McMahon, a 34-year LAPD veteran and commanding officer of the Information Technology Bureau, is tasked with modernizing the department through strategic technological integration.
Police1
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Redlands police warn residents about highly organized 'crime tourists' targeting homes
The Redlands Police Department has issued a warning on an alleged organized burglary ring they believe is responsible for hundreds of residential burglaries, some of which have been caught on video. Several homes in the area have been targeted just in the past couple of weeks. In one incident, surveillance footage shows a group of thieves approaching a home and using a flashlight to check out the inside before breaking in.
ABC7
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Killing of volunteer at Summer Night Lights in Wilmington likely gang-motivated, police say
Sandy De La Mora had a simple and pointed message to the two men accused of gunning down her husband at a community event in Wilmington last year, as Los Angeles police announced the suspects’ arrests on Thursday, Feb. 8. “I want answers,” De La Mora said. “I want to know why you would cowardly come to a community event where there were many families and children there to shoot at a crowd that killed my husband.
Los Angeles Daily News
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LAPD resources ‘strained' by downtown LA graffiti tower fiasco
Los Angeles Police Department officers have spent at least 3,000 hours on duty at the abandoned Oceanview Plaza site in Downtown LA where the unfinished high rise towers have attracted street artists, vandals, and others, and the need for round-the-clock security has begun to stress the already-understaffed police department.
NBC4
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Accused street takeover organizer coordinated events through social media, police say
A key figure in Los Angeles' street takeover scene was arrested earlier this month in what police called a major takedown. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 20-year-old Erick Romero Quintana, who allegedly organized street takeovers throughout the city with his smartphone and laptop.
NBC4
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Protecting reputation: Steps to take in the face of leaked internal memos
This recent headline would make any crisis communicator cringe: “Amazon’s plans to advance its interests in California laid bare in leaked memo.” The story, which unfolded through a leaked internal memo, shed light on Amazon’s growth strategy in the Southern California region and its 2024 internal community outreach plans.
Eric Rose/PR News
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Trump takes bid for presidential immunity in election subversion case to high court
Former President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to review the D.C. Circuit's denial of presidential immunity from criminal charges related to his effort to challenge the 2020 election results and interfere with the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Courthouse News Service
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Jury rules for climate scientist Michael Mann in long-running defamation case
A jury found today that Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist, was defamed by the writers of two blog posts 12 years ago that compared his work on global warming to child molestation. In ruling for Mann, the six-person jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia awarded Mann just $2 in actual damages due to the defamation, but then levied a $1 million fine against one of the defendants, Mark Steyn, a conservative author and broadcaster, for punitive damages; Rand Simberg, the other defendant, faces $1000 in punitive damages.
Science
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A new business ownership disclosure rule launched, but many don’t know about it
A new federal rule now requires more than 32 million small businesses nationwide to file ownership information to a little known agency in the U.S. Treasury Department or face potential penalties. The problem: Many of these businesses don’t know about it.
Wall Street Journal
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Tom Girardi left dozens of voicemails for The Times and a reporter investigating him. Was it a ploy?
On New Year’s Eve in 2020, Tom Girardi called me from his cellphone. In a brief voicemail left in The Times’ general mailbox, the once fearsome attorney said there were “slanderous statements” in an article I had co-written. A lawsuit, he said, was coming soon.
Los Angeles Times
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Scammers used AI to tell the world I was dead. Why? I had to find out why
When I died the other day, no one really noticed. That is, aside from a few alarmed members of my family. “The event,” as I now call it, unfolded one morning last month as I was racing out the door to a meeting. My phone rang. “De-De-Debbie, hi,” my dad said, nearly out of breath. “Listen: please DO NOT BE ALARMED by what I am about to send you!”
Los Angeles Times
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The Mighty Six-Ninety (690): A California radio’s epic treasure hunt in the ‘80s inspires new book
In the summer of 1981 in California, a struggling AM radio station hosted a treasure hunt for $50,000. "The Mighty Six-Ninety (690)" is a gripping tale of redemption, nostalgia, and desperation inspired by this unique slice of history. Written by Alexander Hamilton Cherin and set to be released February 20, 2024, Nicholas Schou, award-winning author of “Kill the Messenger,” praises it as a deep tale of adventure “from a remarkably talented storyteller.”
Press Release
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Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
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Granada Hills man sentenced to 17½ years in prison for COVID jobless benefits scam and for stealing title to dozens of cars
A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain more than $1,568,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment benefits, and for stealing title to dozens of cars by presenting forged documents to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Father in gender-reveal that sparked fatal 2020 California wildfire has pleaded guilty
A man whose family’s gender reveal photo shoot sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter in 2020 has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday. The El Dorado Fire erupted on Sept. 5, 2020, when Refugio Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Jimenez and their young children staged a photo shoot for their baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.
AP
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