Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | |
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§1983 suit doesn’t lie against D.A.’s office investigators
An action under 42 U.S.C. §1983 cannot be maintained against two investigators for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who are accused of barging into a home of two Vietnamese refugees and interrogating them about their Social Security disability benefits because the officers were acting under federal supervision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Family’s claims that San Diego County secretly filmed child in hospital room survive, judge rules
A federal judge declined to dismiss invasion of privacy claims from a family who say San Diego County officials used cameras to spy on a minor patient for over a month in a San Diego children’s hospital. In their 2021 complaint, Madison Meyer and her family said that they didn’t find out about the surveillance for months after they were admitted to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego for around the clock care in 2019.
Courthouse News Service
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US appeals court rejects Trump's emergency bid to curtail birthright citizenship
A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday let stand an order blocking President Donald Trump from curtailing automatic birthright citizenship nationwide as part of the Republican's hardline crackdown on immigration and illegal border crossings. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration's request for an emergency order putting on hold a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge in Seattle blocking the president's executive order.
Reuters
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Judge’s rulings adverse to Black defendant did not breach Racial Justice Act
A man convicted of second degree murder has failed in his effort to persuade the Court of Appeal for this district that he’s entitled to a reversal on the ground that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold violated the California Racial Justice Act of 2020 by such means as portraying him “as a Black criminal” and his victim as a “law abiding white female” who was “totally respectable” when she was actually a prostitute.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Ninth Circuit agrees Grindr is shielded from underage rape liability
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday agreed that Grindr, the world's largest dating app for LGBTQ+ individuals, can't be held liable for matching a then-15-year-old Canadian youth with four separate men who raped him. The appellate upheld the findings by a trial judge in late 2023 that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields Grindr from the claims by John Doe, as the plaintiff is identified in court filings, in so far as he sought to treat the online platform as the publisher - or speaker - of the content posted by app's users.
Courthouse News Service
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Recent decision from California appeals court could imperil homeowner’s coverage for Southern California wildfires
Coming on the heels of what are projected to be the costliest wildfires in California history, a new decision from the California Second District Court of Appeals could make it more difficult to obtain insurance coverage for policyholders owning properties outside the direct burn zone of the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires in Southern California.
JD Supra
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LA DA Hochman vows stronger protections for Korean American crime victims
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has announced plans to enhance language support services, including Korean-language assistance, to support Korean American crime victims better. During his first interview with a Korean media outlet since taking office, Hochman visited the Korea Daily on February 13, emphasizing the importance of crime reporting and assuring the Korean community that victims will receive full protection.
The Korea Daily
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Authorities warn about bandit tow truck scams (Video)
Police are warning the public about a scam involving bandit tow trucks that show up at traffic collisions hoping to dupe crash victims out of thousands of dollars. Carolyn Johnson reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2025.
NBC4
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Attorney general says California man ran illegal weapons operation out of his garage
The state accused a Placer County man on Tuesday of illegally assembling semiautomatic rifles in his garage and selling them to customers he found at local gun shows. Marc Jay Berman of Roseville was charged with 20 felonies in Placer and El Dorado counties for manufacturing, possessing and selling rifles that can fire repeatedly without reloading - which the state defines as illegal “assault rifles” - as well as possession of a gun silencer, said Attorney General Rob Bonta.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Judge texted bailiff, clerk that he can't be in court next day because 'I just shot my wife,' jurors are told
A California judge admitted that he shot his wife in a text to court personnel, in a police car and when sitting alone in a police interrogation room, jurors were told Wednesday. Judge Jeffrey Ferguson of the Orange County Superior Court in California is accused of fatally shooting his wife in August 2023 while watching the AMC TV show Breaking Bad at their home and arguing about finances. Their adult son was also present.
ABA Journal
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Member of L.A. Sheriff’s Department Oversight Commission resigns after threats from County attorney
Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission stated during their meeting last week that the body was unable to perform its duties due to the Sheriff’s Department’s refusal to turn over documents to the commission.
Capital & Main
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Amid Calif bar exam disarray, refund offered to 5,600 test takers
The State Bar of California on Thursday offered a full refund to the 5,600 people scheduled to sit for its new bar exam later this month if they want to withdraw from taking it - an unprecedented step with the test date just 12 days away. The state bar said that it was “extremely sorry” about the problems test takers have faced with the bar and the company it hired to deliver the test, in an email to applicants reviewed by Reuters.
Reuters
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‘Doesn’t feel very “locked arms” to me’: Texts reveal strain between Bass and Horvath
Los Angeles was still deep in crisis on Jan. 21 when county Supervisor Lindsey Horvath made her frustration known to Mayor Karen Bass. The Palisades fire was only partially contained. Forecasters had issued a rare alert amid vicious winds, warning that new fires could spark. And the first rain of the season was expected soon, meaning mud and debris could careen down scorched hillsides.
Los Angeles Times
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LA Mayor Bass concedes Africa trip was 'absolutely' a mistake amid botched wildfire response
Los Angeles' Democratic Mayor Karen Bass Thursday conceded her Africa trip was "absolutely" a mistake and that she was working to regain the public’s trust after facing backlash for her botched response to the raging fires in her city last month. "Absolutely it is, and I think that I have to demonstrate that every day by showing what we're doing, what is working, what are the challenges," Bass told NBC Los Angeles when asked if she’s trying to "regain confidence."
Fox News
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Orange County judge publicly admonished for pattern of offensive comments to women
Orange Superior Court Judge Julian W. Bailey yesterday drew a public admonishment from the Commission on Judicial Performance for engaging in a “pattern of discourteous, undignified, and impatient behavior with female and/or inexperienced attorneys, in 10 separate matters.”The commission also said that “[i]n some instances, the judge also conveyed the appearance of embroilment and bias on the basis of gender, race, national origin, or ethnicity.”
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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LA mayor sacks fire chief in wake of devastating wildfires
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Friday that she had removed Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, citing her response to devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and caused billions of dollars in damage. They were the worst fires in Los Angeles history.
Courthouse News Service
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Bass says LAFD Chief Crowley failed to warn her about fire risk
In the weeks since the Palisades fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has faced repeated questions about why she left for Ghana as warnings about dangerous winds grew increasingly worrisome. This week, Bass and her office spoke out for the first time about her decision, putting the blame on Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley and others for not warning her about the highly concerning weather forecasts.
Los Angeles Times
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DWP hires law firm, at up to $1,975 an hour, to defend against Palisades fire lawsuits
Faced with a deluge of litigation from the Palisades fire, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power approved a three-year, $10-million contract with a top law firm to defend the utility. The Board of Water and Power, which is made up of mayoral appointees, voted Tuesday to retain the L.A. firm Munger, Tolles & Olson to investigate anticipated claims related to the fire and respond to lawsuits from residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged.
Los Angeles Times
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L.A. is already getting fire recovery wrong. Two experts explain how to do it better
Soon after catastrophic fires swept through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, wildfire experts Stephen Pyne and Jack Cohen were in high demand. Respected for their historical and scientific expertise, they provided commentary and perspective. Although neither live in California, they are familiar with its topography, its devil winds and hillsides ready to combust, and their message was clear.
Los Angeles Times
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LAFD could have had at least 10 engines patrolling Palisades hills, former chiefs say
The first 911 call came at 10:29 a.m., from a resident of Piedra Morada Drive in Pacific Palisades. Amid high winds, a fire was visible in the distance, the flames flickering over a chaparral-choked ridge. About 11 minutes later, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Engine 23 radioed into dispatch: “We’re on Palisades Drive. We went past Piedra Morada. We’re still heading up to where the fire is showing.”
Los Angeles Times
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LA County probation officials want to close more juvenile facilities, shuffle youth
The Los Angeles County Probation Department wants to close two more juvenile facilities and shuffle dozens of youth across its footprint in an effort to consolidate staff and further reduce the population at the struggling Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, but the proposal unveiled this week has sparked concerns the shift could instead destabilize the rest of the county’s juvenile system.
Pasadena Star News
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LAPD supervisors probed over racial and sexist remarks that mayor calls outrageous
Four Los Angeles Police Department officers are under investigation for allegedly making racist and sexist remarks while working with new officer recruits - accusations that Mayor Karen Bass called “especially outrageous and unacceptable” on Friday. A lieutenant, a sergeant and two officers assigned to the Recruiting Employment Division have been assigned to home pending the completion of an internal affairs probe, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
Los Angeles Times
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How will Los Angeles balance fire recovery, Olympics prep and homelessness?
A run-of-the-mill update from the Los Angeles city administrator late last month contained a passage that sent a shiver of anxiety through this city’s leadership. Describing an upgrade of the LA’s convention center, Matthew Szabo delivered a warning to the city council: “The work remaining, considering on-going recovery efforts related to the wildfire emergency, cannot be completed in the time available to ensure completion … before the 2028 Games.”
CalMatters
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Rick Caruso sues to stop Television City project, using a law he once disparaged
Real estate developer Rick Caruso has had some choice words over the years for CEQA, the state’s much-maligned, 55-year-old environmental law. When he ran for mayor in 2022, he made clear that he viewed CEQA - pronounced see-quah - as an impediment to the construction of much-needed housing in L.A. He called for new measures to crack down on “frivolous” CEQA lawsuits - including a $15,000 filing fee - while urging greater transparency for unions and environmental groups who use the law “unfairly.”
Los Angeles Times
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The LAPD has immigrant officers protected by DACA. Could Trump try to deport them?
Will a badge and gun be enough to shield someone from potential deportation under President Trump’s immigration crackdown? That is the question facing the Los Angeles Police Department and the handful of other law enforcement agencies who employ police officers protected by DACA, the Obama-era program that is short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Los Angeles Times
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Trump targets $128 billion California high-speed rail project
The Trump administration has launched a review of California’s high-speed rail project, adding to long-standing doubts about whether the venture, plagued by cost overruns and delays, will ever be completed. The Federal Railroad Administration will investigate the project through a compliance and performance review, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on Thursday.
Bloomberg
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California retirees violated post-employment pension laws, a state appeals court decides
Nearly a decade after Tarlochan Sandhu took a part-time job helping various cities complete their budgets, the retiree is facing a nearly $660,000 bill from CalPERS - California’s largest public pension system - after courts determined he ran afoul of state post-employment rules. The California Third District Court of Appeal ruled last week that Sandhu, of Fremont, should not have received pension benefits from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System while he worked as a finance and accounting professional for several California municipalities.
Sacramento Bee
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“Uber with guns”: On-demand armed guard app launches after UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
Protector, an app that debuted today in the Apple App Store, bills itself as allowing users to hire on-demand personal armed security along with a lift. Protector’s profile in the App Store reads: “With the click of a button, Protector users can schedule veteran and former law enforcement private security personnel to serve as personal protection when needed.”
Hollywood Reporter
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Gavin Newsom vows to veto bill blocking Calif. prison system from cooperating with ICE
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is vowing to reject a bill which would limit cooperation between state prisons and federal immigration officials if it reaches his desk. AB 15, introduced in December, seeks to expand the California Values Act to include the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The existing act is often referred to as the state's "sanctuary" law.
The National Desk
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Border patrol to stop usage of body cameras in the field: Report
U.S. Border Patrol agents will stop using body cameras immediately in all field operations following social media posts that revealed how to identify Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, NewsNation reported on Saturday. “All U.S. Border Patrol Agents will cease the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) in all operational environments,” reads a statement to Border Patrol received by NewsNation.
The Hill
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Idle buses, empty Border Patrol boats: Arrests for illegal crossings fall in the Rio Grande Valley
An idled Border Patrol bus sat empty this week, on standby for any migrants surrendering near the southern tip of Texas. Agents in two speedboats zipped past pockets of sandy shores, known landing spots for people entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico on inner tubes but saw nothing suspicious. Once busy river landings near the Texas border city of Mission were barren of the migrants who previously crossed there, though the river bank was littered with clothes, plastic bracelets issued by smugglers and a teddy bear on an unusually cold Thursday morning.
Associated Press
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UCLA student sexually assaulted by food delivery driver: Campus police
A student at UCLA was allegedly sexually assaulted by a food delivery driver in Westwood. Now, campus police are asking for the public's help in finding the suspect driver, who remains on the run. What we know: UCLA's campus police were told the suspect sexually assaulted the woman on Sunday, February 16 around 10:15 p.m. The driver got into a car and took off from the scene.
Fox11
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Smash-and-grab thieves outstanding after ramming car into Eagle Rock smoke shop
Four smash-and-grab thieves are on the run after crashing a car through the front of a smoke shop in Eagle Rock. The incident happened around 6 a.m. Sunday, when all the businesses at the shopping center on Colorado Boulevard were closed. Surveillance video captured the moment the one of the suspects used a black sedan to ram into the storefront of the smoke shop.
ABC7
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Irvine police warn of alleged jewelry-stealing scheme involving Romanian nationals
The Irvine Police Department has released photos of two Romanian nationals who allegedly perpetrated a “jewelry switch scam” in Culverdale, and investigators believe there could be more victims. Last week, one person had a gold necklace worth $2,000 stolen by Dinu Adelina, 29, and Miclescu Cosmin, 34, police said on social media.
KTLA
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Alleged burglars targeted pro athletes and evaded authorities for months - until they took a selfie
After months of working to bring down the criminals responsible for a string of high-profile burglaries of celebrity athletes’ homes, an FBI special agent working with local police discovered a key piece of evidence that would blow the ring apart: A selfie. According to an unsealed federal criminal complaint filed against seven Chilean men allegedly involved in the crime spree, investigators used cell phone records, GPS and iCloud data to link the suspects to the theft of almost $3 million in luxury goods from professional athletes later identified as NBA forward Bobby Portis and NFL quarterback Joe Burrow.
CNN
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LAPD seek 3 possible burglary suspects after police pursuit ends in crash in Tarzana
The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for three possible burglary suspects after a police pursuit ended in a crash in Tarzana Friday morning. The LAPD initiated a pursuit of a vehicle for a possible burglary around 3:16 a.m. near the intersection of Sherman Way and Sepulveda Boulevard. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that during the pursuit two LAPD vehicles were involved in a crash.
KCAL News
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Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
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Former LAPD detective Stephanie Lazarus who killed ex-lover's new wife denied parole again
A former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective who was jailed for killing her ex-lover's wife 26 years after the murder happened has been denied parole again. In the latest parole hearing (February 12), Commissioner Kevin Chappell said that Stephanie Lazarus, 64, was not viable for release because her testimony about the 1986 murder did not "match up with the evidence" used to convict her in 2012.
The Mirror
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Aryan Brotherhood members found guilty of ordering L.A. County murders from prison
Three members of the Aryan Brotherhood were found guilty of racketeering Friday in a trial that revealed five murders on the streets of Los Angeles County were orchestrated from behind bars. After deliberating for three days, a federal jury in Fresno convicted Kenneth Johnson, 63, Francis Clement, 58, and John Stinson, 70.
Los Angeles Times
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LA man gets 10 years for selling child porn on Instagram
A Sylmar man will spend the next decade in prison for using social media to sell child pornography. According to his indictment, he specifically targeted girls at schools in the San Fernando Valley. The backstory: Alejandro Garcia Aranda was charged with advertising and distributing child porn back in June 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one federal charge of distribution of child pornography.
Fox11
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Jury foreman in CNN defamation trial speaks out, says network’s staff did more harm than good on witness stand
The foreman of the jury that found that CNN committed defamation against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young doesn’t believe the network did itself any favors during the high-stakes trial. "I think it may change the way a lot of people look at CNN and maybe not take their news 100% to be correct," Katy Svitenko told Fox News Digital in her first interview.
Fox News
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Ninth Circuit upholds $180 million-plus attorney-fee award
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an award of $180,449,782.62 - representing 25% of settlement proceeds - to class counsel in an action against Facebook, Inc. based on its data-sharing practices under which Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, gained access to information on as many as 87 million users which was used to build voter profiles.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Los Angeles news anchor Chauncy Glover’s cause of death revealed
The cause of death for Los Angeles news anchor Chauncy Glover has been revealed. The Emmy-winning journalist's family announced news of Glover's death on Tuesday, Nov. 5. In their statement KCAL News, where Glover was an anchor for just over a year, his family did share any additional information about his death at 39. In a news release on Wednesday, Feb. 19, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as acute intoxication by the combined effects of chloroethane and methamphetamine.
People
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