Los Angeles District Attorney
Gascón recall proponents deliver 717,000 signatures to county 
Campaign organizers seeking to recall embattled Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón submitted 717,000 signatures to election officials Wednesday, July 6, hoping to force an election that could oust him after less than two years on the job. A group of sign-waving recall supporters, many of them families of murder victims critical of Gascon’s policies, greeted a truck that delivered the petitions to the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office in Norwalk. Supporters need 566,857 signatures - representing 10% of the total registered voters in the county at the time of the November 2020 election that Gascon won - to qualify the recall for the ballot. 
Los Angeles County DA George Gascon plea to supporters on recall: They will ‘reverse our progress’ 
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is making a plea to supporters to fight back against a recall attempt to oust him from office as his opponents edge closer to bringing the matter before voters. In a fundraising message, Gascon called the recall a political power grab that is attempting to "circumvent the democratic process." 
Deputy DAs: Gascón’s refusal to prosecute leads to more Asian crime victims 
The Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA), which represents over 800 deputy district attorneys who work for Los Angeles County, issued the following statement on June 29. George Gascón’s continued refusal to hold criminals accountable has repeatedly resulted in deadly consequences for residents of Los Angeles County. For Asian residents, this subversion of the criminal justice system has resulted in tragedies such as the murder of Dal Kuen Lee. 
Embattled LA County DA defends directives (Video)
NBC4’s Conan Nolan sat down with the embattled DA about California’s Three-strikes Law and his directives. 
DA Gascón: El Monte PD shootings “politicized” from the start 
Embattled LA County District Attorney George Gascón says his office tried to contact the families of two slain El Monte Police officers shortly after the shootings but that his office was "walled off" from talking with them. "The family is in pain, and I understand the narrative they have been given. Unfortunately this got politicized almost immediately," Gascón said in a broadcast television interview with NBC4's Conan Nolan Sunday.
DA George Gascon makes El Monte police killings ... about himself 
Paredes and Santana will be remembered as heroes. For those who may not know, here is some background information about the tragic incident. 35-year-old Justin William Flores tried running away after the incident and got in a shootout with at least one other officer in a parking lot. The mother of officer Santana, Olga Garcia, blamed Gascon for the tragedy. In an interview with NBC, Gascon said it has also been traumatic for him. The same person whose policies allowed Flores out of prison early, which led to an officer’s and corporal’s death. 
The Office of District Attorney George Gascón pushed for the resentencing of a man who severely beat his girlfriend, pled no-contest to a felony pursuant to a plea bargain, and was incarcerated, urging that his offense be retroactively denominated a misdemeanor to spare him the consequence of deportation, a decision of the Court of Appeal for this district reveals. Div. Eight’s opinion was filed June 13 and was certified for publication on Wednesday. San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert T. Harutunian III, sitting on assignment, was the author.
Courts & Rulings
School district might be liable for after-hours attack 
Div. Three of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has reversed a summary judgment in favor of a school district in an action brought on behalf of a then-minor who was stabbed by an 18-year-old male as he sped by her on rollerblades as she headed, after-hours, to the campus parking lot at her high school. Justice Eileen C. Moore authored the opinion, filed Wednesday and made public on Thursday. 
Supreme Court orders Ninth Circuit to reconsider California’s ban on large gun magazines in light of new ruling 
After striking down restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in California and other states, the Supreme Court told an appeals court Thursday to reconsider the legality of California's ban on gun magazines that can hold more than 10 cartridges. The court’s order, in an appeal by an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, signaled the potentially broad impact of its June 23 ruling overturning laws that require gun owners to show a special need for self-defense in order to carry the weapons outside the home. 
Calif. 'private attorney general' law is constitutional, court rules 
A California appeals court has rejected a business group's claim that a unique law allowing workers to sue their employers on behalf of the state is unconstitutional. A unanimous three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District in Santa Ana on Thursday said the state Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) does not violate the constitutional separation of powers because it bars workers from suing until they have notified the state of their claims and officials have passed on filing their own lawsuit. 
California expunges debt from traffic-ticket late fees, but fee remains in place 
California will wipe out $500 million in late fee debt for unpaid traffic tickets, but lawmakers stopped short of barring courts from imposing the fee advocates call a “hidden tax” on the poor. A “civil assessment fee” is an additional fine of up to $300 that applies to anyone who misses a deadline to appear in court or pay their parking and traffic tickets or other citations for minor infractions, like jaywalking. 
Clerk, not babysitter 
A federal judge in Illinois sides with Dick’s Sporting Goods on a negligence lawsuit brought by a young teen’s mom, who sued after her son fell 20 feet after riding the railing of an escalator that a store employee told him to get down from. The store is not liable because its employees cannot be expected to “babysit unchaperoned children.” 
C.A. affirms dismissal of defamation suit against former Amazon CEO Bezos 
The Court of Appeal for this district yesterday affirmed the scuttling of a lawsuit against Amazon’s former chief executive officer, billionaire Jeff Bezos and his head of security for defamation, holding that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge properly granted an anti-SLAPP motion in light of the plaintiff having failed to produce first-hand accounts of the statements in issue having been uttered. 
In light of EPA court ruling, new focus on states' power 
The U.S. Supreme Court limited the power of the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. But its ruling didn't touch the power of the states. That's putting a renewed focus on efforts across the country to limit the reliance on power plants that spew planet-warming emissions into the air. While Democratic states have taken the lead on the most aggressive climate policy in recent years, some Republican-led states are also helping shift the U.S. power grid toward cleaner sources of energy. 
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Tuesday reversed a preliminary injunction against a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo prioritizing the deportation of dangerous immigrants. In September 2021 the DHS issued a memo outlining immigration enforcement policies and priorities. The memo prioritized the deportation of noncitizens deemed to be threats to national security, public safety, and border security. In response, Arizona, Montana, and Ohio sued in the Southern District of Ohio to stop the implementation of the memo’s guidance.
Prosecutors
Film producer and actor charged with murders of model and architect dumped outside L.A. hospitals 
Two men have been charged with the murders of a model and an architect whose bodies were dumped outside Los Angeles hospitals earlier this year. Prosecutors charged film producer David Pearce and actor Brandt Osborn with the murders of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, according to records obtained by the Los Angeles Times.  
Suspect confesses to Highland Park shooting and plotted second attack in Wisconsin, prosecutor says 
The man accused of killing seven people at a Fourth of July parade confessed in detail to the shooting - and revealed that he had considered a second attack, authorities said Wednesday. Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, 21, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder, and will likely face many more counts stemming from the dozens wounded and injured during Monday's carnage in this upscale Chicago suburb. 
Corona man charged in $2 million COVID relief unemployment scam  
A 29-year-old Corona man accused of orchestrating a scheme to steal more than $2 million in unemployment benefits intended for those left jobless during the coronavirus pandemic was arrested Wednesday on a 14-count federal indictment. Robert Campbell Jr. was slated to make his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon at U.S. District Court in downtown Riverside. 
Policy/Legal/Political
Crime without punishment: Unsolved murders on the rise, especially for Black, Hispanic victims 
When Devon Hughes was murdered in 2007, the LAPD's rate was, on average, on a 7-year climb, and his case was quickly solved. But starting in 2013, there was a dramatic decline in Los Angeles. By the time DeAndre Hughes was murdered in 2016, the overall trend was already going down and his case remains unsolved. By 2020, the last year of available data, the clearance rate dropped in LA from a 5-year average of around 74% to 55%, representing a 25% drop. 
Newsom commutes sentences of Sacramento and Placer men convicted in murder, robbery 
Gov. Gavin Newsom has commuted the sentences of a Sacramento man convicted in the 2006 shooting death of a relative and a Placer County man convicted in a robbery from the same year. The move came as Newsom’s office announced 17 pardons, 15 commutations and one medical reprieve. The Sacramento case involved Andrey Bernik, who in 2006 went with family members to confront a business associate, the governor’s office said. 
Newsom pardons Sara Kruzan, imprisoned as a teen for killing man who trafficked her 
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday pardoned Sara Kruzan, whose murder conviction at the age of 17 for killing a man who sexually trafficked her became a symbol of a flawed justice system. Tried as an adult for a crime she committed when she was 16, Kruzan was sentenced in 1995 to life in prison for the murder of George Howard in a Riverside motel room. Her prison term was later commuted by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to 25 years with the possibility of parole. By the time she was released two years later, in 2013, she’d already served nearly two decades behind bars. 
With sweep and speed, Supreme Court’s conservatives ignite a new era  
The avalanche of change achieved by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority this term spans the breadth of American life, and its work draws comparisons to the most momentous decisions in the court’s history. Its signature moment - erasing the constitutional right to abortion extended by the court nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade - would have been enough to highlight the term. The court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was the rare decision whose impact was felt within hours, as Republican-led states began prohibiting elective abortions, and will play out over years. 
With a new left rising in L.A., can Karen Bass win over backers of activist Gina Viola? 
wo weeks after Los Angeles' mayoral primary, Gina Viola issued something of a challenge to Rep. Karen Bass. A community activist and small-business owner, Viola was virtually unknown to voters prior to launching her own long-shot bid. But her grassroots campaign quickly amassed support from leftists disenchanted by the more mainstream candidates. She finished fourth with nearly 7% of the vote - less than a percentage point behind Councilman Kevin de León, who outspent her more than 77 to 1. 
On gun control, young people might be our last hope 
Anna Pham is not your typical activist. At just 11 years old, she became passionate about gun control after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Joining other teens in March for Our Lives, a national student-led movement against gun violence, Anna turned to activism because she was “tired of seeing my representatives not doing anything and just tweeting.” Now a rising junior at Murrieta Valley High School in California, Anna has led crowds of up to 8,000 protesters demanding gun safety reform - and she’s part of a generation that may be our last hope for meaningful change. 
Researchers use AI to predict crime, biased policing in major U.S. cities like L.A.  
For once, algorithms that predict crime might be used to uncover bias in policing, instead of reinforcing it. A group of social and data scientists developed a machine learning tool it hoped would better predict crime. The scientists say they succeeded, but their work also revealed inferior police protection in poorer neighborhoods in eight major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles. 
On its back foot in defamation lawsuit, Fox News hires new legal counsel 
Fox News has hired veteran trial attorney Dan Webb to lead its defense against a defamation suit by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims made during the channel’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election. The move comes shortly after an unfavorable Delaware Supreme Court ruling last month, which allows the outlet’s parent company, Fox Corporation, to be included in the suit filed in March 2021. The June 21 ruling said Dominion “adequately pleaded” that top Fox executives - Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan - had a “direct role in participating in, approving, and controlling” the airing of baseless claims of voter fraud perpetuated by former president Donald Trump. 
Los Angeles County/City
Fulfilling dream, man becomes LAPD rookie at age 45 after earning US citizenship 
Forty-two men and women graduated from the Los Angeles Police Academy Friday. The diverse class included people from almost every continent, including Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. The class also included one of the oldest graduates on record: 45-year-old Miguel Camarena. "It wasn't easy; it was hard. I had tough times," said Camarena after the ceremony at the Elysian Park Academy. "One of the things that prevented me from doing it (earlier) is I didn't have my citizenship until a couple years ago." 
Sheriff Villanueva slams WeHo vote to defund him 
A day after the uproar over West Hollywood’s vote to reduce the number of sheriff’s deputies on patrol despite a recent wave of violence and mayhem in the city, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva admitted the decision caught him by surprise and warned that fewer deputies on patrol will only contribute to higher crime in the city famous for the bustling nightlife on the Sunset Strip. 
Ridley-Thomas criminal trial moved to November
The federal criminal trial for suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas on bribery and conspiracy charges has been delayed until November. Ridley-Thomas, who was suspended from the council following his indictment in October, faces trial along with former dean of the USC School of Social Work Marilyn Flynn. The pair were initially scheduled for trial in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 9, but U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer this week issued an order setting a Nov. 15 trial date.
Villanueva a no-show again at commission hearing (Video)
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva again failed to appear after he was subpoenaed to testify at a meeting of the county’s civilian oversight commission. The commission has been holding special hearings about the existence of deputy gangs or sub-groups. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC 4 News at 5. 
673 pounds of illegal fireworks collected at LA buyback event  
A total of 673 pounds of illegal fireworks were collected at the City of Los Angeles’ second annual fireworks buy-back event in Mission Hills, a 31% increase from last year’s event. Los Angeles police and firefighters attended to receive the fireworks in an effort to reduce the use of illegal fireworks on July 4. “There were teachers who confiscated these fireworks from their students, parents - while the kids were in school - came to bring these fireworks to us,” officials in the office of Los Angeles City Councilor Monica Rodriguez, who said event organized. 
Attorney for family of LAPD officer killed in training accident says department isn't sharing information 
The family of an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department who died during a training accident shared CT scan images that they say shed light on the death of 32-year-old Officer Houston Tipping. The family's attorney held a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Woodland Hills in response to statements made by the LAPD chief during a police commission meeting. According to the attorney, the scans prove Chief Michel Moore's statements were "not accurate."  
A firework explosion in Montebello killed a man during a Fourth of July celebration Monday night.
The unidentified 42-year-old man was handling a suspected “high-powered, mortar-type, aerial firework” when it exploded, according to Montebello city spokesperson Michael Chee. The man was found unconscious with serious injuries lying in the yard of a home, Chee said. First responders were dispatched to the 1400 block of Germain Drive around 6:30 p.m., according to the Montebello Police Department.
LA County Supervisors to ask voters for power to remove Sheriff Villanueva 
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on an agenda next week that would ask voters for the right to remove an elected sheriff from office. The proposed change to the county's charter could be on the ballot for November's general election would give the supervisors the power to remove a sitting elected LA County Sheriff from office if four out of five supervisors agree the sheriff is unfit for its position. 
Crime/Public Safety
10 California cities ranked as safest in the state in 2022 
Out of California’s 1,345 cities, 10 were listed as the safest cities in the Golden State, according to crime statistics analyzed by SafeWise. SafeWise, a security product review platform, ranked more than 50 cities this year using recent crime statistics and data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Gun Violence Archive. SafeWise also included demographic information and the results of its State of Safety research study. 
Suit alleges school district ignored complaints of teacher’s sex abuse 
The mother of a girl who was 11 years old when she was allegedly sexually abused by a teacher in 2019-20 has filed a lawsuit on her daughter’s behalf against the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. The complaint was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the district and the teacher, Scott Waln, alleging unlawful sexual acts with a minor, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Penal, Education and Civil codes. 
Armed man shot, killed by police in South-Central LA 
The investigation continued Sunday into the shooting death of a man in his 30s by Los Angeles Police Department officers who claimed he was armed with a gun when they spotted him while patrolling the Historic South-Central area. The shooting occurred about 9:40 p.m. Saturday at 36th Place and Maple Avenue, according to Officer D. Orris of the LAPD’s Operations Center. It was unclear what happened to precipitate the shooting. 
Los Angeles County Sheriff says 'criminal threat' made against deputies 
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that one of its stations received a "criminal threat against the lives of our deputies" on Friday. Villanueva said that the threat made on Friday was possibly inspired by "false statements" made at a civilian oversight commission meeting at Loyola Marymount University that was held on Friday. The sheriff office's major crimes unit is investigating the incident, according to the report. 
Teenage girl shot twice in Long Beach, in stable condition 
A 16-year-old girl was shot on Sunday in Long Beach in the upper and lower part of her body. The shooting took place at the 1400 block of Magnolia Avenue at around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday. The girl is hospitalized and is in stable condition, according to the Long Beach Police Department. 
13-year-old abducted by man posing as cop who hit him with truck, California cops say 
 A man posing as a cop abducted a 13-year-old boy he’d hit with a pickup truck in Los Angeles, police in California reported. The boy was riding his bicycle at Van Nuys Boulevard and Tupper Street at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 6, when he was hit by a man in a dark gray 2019 Toyota Tundra pickup truck, police said in a news release. Ottoniel Mendoza, 38, flashed a badge at the teen and ordered him to get in the truck, police said. The boy complied and Mendoza drove off with him. 
Consumer
Amazon Prime Day shoppers will face counterfeits, fraud, and scams 
Most consumers would be shocked to learn that Amazon's touted (and expensive) Amazon Prime program has no protection against counterfeit, fraudulent, and dangerous item listings. "Buyer beware" is the mantra for the July 12th and 13th event. Amazon is a free-flowing conduit that enables third-party global sellers, and Amazon as a direct seller, to flood the consumer market with an inexhaustible supply of counterfeit, fraudulent, pirated, and replica merchandise, books, medical devices, and OTC drugs boosted by accompanying phony reviews
How to get a hotel room cheaper than the best price online 
Here’s my spending philosophy: If you can get something a bit cheaper, it’s worth a little effort. Of course, I like tools that do the hard work for me too. Tap or click for an online shopping helper to find discounts that work. There are digital tricks that can make travel easier, safer and more affordable too. Tap or click for five smart tech tips you should read before you hit the road this summer. 
Willful blindness: Feds ignore illegal alien ID theft plaguing Americans as U.S. coffers fill 
The historic surge of illegal immigrants across America’s southern border is fueling a hidden crime spree few in Washington seem willing or able to address: widespread identity theft victimizing unwitting Americans perpetrated by migrants who need U.S. credentials to work. An extensive review of government reports, think-tank research, news accounts, and interviews with policymakers and scholars suggests the problem involves millions of people - though measuring it with precision is difficult because of the lack of data provided by authorities. 
California/National
Hotels demand SF pay up for damage during shelter-in-place 
Owners of San Francisco hotels leased as temporary shelter-in-place sites for unhoused individuals are asking the city to pay up for damage incurred in the process, according to legislation filed with the Board of Supervisors. The Good Hotel, Hotel Vertigo, Hotel Union Square and Tilden Hotel are among those who have filed, or are planning to file, claims against the city for “significant damage to real and personal property,” according to the filing. The Board of Supervisors plans to convene in a closed session on June 7, meaning it’s not open to the public, to discuss anticipated litigation over the damage claims. 
California will end arrests for loitering for prostitution 
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a new state law that will stop police from arresting people for loitering for prostitution, an issue that divided sex workers and advocates during a rare nine-month delay since state lawmakers passed the bill last year. “To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution," Newsom said in a signing message. “It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women" and transgender adults, he said, noting that Black and Latino women are particularly affected.
Ohio police release bodycam footage in Jayland Walker’s fatal shooting 
Akron officers have released bodycam footage from the shooting of Jayland Walker. According to the authorities, an estimated 90 rounds were fired by at least eight officers killing and leaving the 25-year-old with 60 wounds to the body. Police said that the officers on the scene thought Walker was turning toward them, reaching for a gun. A gun was later found in Walker’s car. Walker’s family revealed that just a month ago, Jayland had lost his fiancé, and though he was sad, he did not exhibit any behavior that would scare the family. The family’s attorneys also pointed out that Walker had no criminal record. 
Thousands of Californians in limbo as eviction protections end 
Eviction protections for thousands of California households still waiting in line for payments from the state's multi-billion dollar rent relief program expired Thursday. Since September 2020, the Legislature has passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed four laws shielding tenants who were unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 from eviction. The most recent extension shielded tenants through June 30 who had applied for rent relief from the state's $5 billion program by the March 31 deadline but had yet to hear back or receive payments. Those tenants can now be brought to court by their landlords.  
Convictions/Pleas/Sentences
Jury convicts suspect in killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle 
A California man was found guilty on Wednesday of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Grammy-winning Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019. A 12-person jury in Los Angeles County convicted Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 32, in the killing of Hussle outside a clothing store the rapper owned in south Los Angeles. Prosecutors said Holder shot Hussle at least 10 times when the pair had a chance meeting on a Sunday afternoon in the neighborhood where they both grew up. 
Corrections
In-custody death of inmate from the Theo Lacy Facility 
On Sunday, July 3, 2022, an inmate housed at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange died at the hospital. The inmate, Eric Garcia, 40, was booked into jail on June 25, 2022, by the Garden Grove Police Department for vandalism. Garcia was pronounced deceased at the hospital after being transferred to the hospital for a medical issue on June 29, 2022. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology and an independent autopsy. 
Man on death row for 1980 Oakland slaying dies at San Quentin prison 
A death row inmate convicted of killing an Oakland secretary more than 40 years ago in a bid to keep her from testifying at his rape trial died on Tuesday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced. Harvey L. Heishman III, 74, died while being housed in the infirmary of San Quentin State Prison, where he had been held for the November 1980 slaying of Nancy Lugassy, 28, the state agency said. Few details of his death have been released; it remains under investigation by the Marin County coroner’s office. 
Articles of Interest
Brittney Griner trial begins, Russian prosecutors reveal case against WNBA star 
WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a courtroom just outside of Moscow on Friday to begin her trial more than four months after she was arrested in Russia for allegedly possessing a banned substance. Russian prosecutors revealed their case against Griner, alleging that she was in possession of two cartridges containing 0.702 grams of cannabis oil February 17 when she was taken into custody at Sheremetyevo Airport with the intention of smuggling in the "narcotics," according to Russian News Agency TASS.  
Amber Heard's lawyers want her defamation trial verdict dropped. They claim a juror hadn't been vetted properly and that the sum awarded to Johnny Depp was 'excessive.' 
Amber Heard's lawyers filed a 53-page document on Friday, asking that the jury's verdict against her in the high-profile defamation lawsuit with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, be tossed. The memorandum requests that the jury's verdict to be set aside on all three counts that Heard was found liable for, to dismiss Depp's complaint, and for claims that a juror assumed a false identity to be investigated. 
Dodgers hurler Trevor Bauer's sex accuser will 'vigorously' fight back 
The woman who accused Los Angeles Dodgers ace Trevor Bauer of sexual assault has lawyered up and will “vigorously” fight the hurler’s defamation lawsuit. Former Cy Young winner Bauer remains on ice after being suspended by MLB for two seasons in the wake of lurid sex allegations against him. Bauer has denied any wrongdoing and is fighting his suspension. 
Edelson sues Girardi Firm alleging $100 million fraud plot 
The now-defunct Girardi Keese law firm operated a continuing criminal enterprise that stole more than $100 million from its clients, co-counsel, vendors, “and many others unfortunate enough to do business with the firm,” the Edelson PC law firm said in a federal lawsuit. Girardi Keese allegedly siphoned off settlement payments to family members of plane-crash victims, women who developed breast cancer after taking hormone replacement therapy, and others who hired the plaintiffs’ firm, according to the lawsuit, filed late Wednesday. 
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