Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
California, 17 other states challenge 'suspicionless' stops by masked ICE agents in L.A.
California and a coalition of 17 other states threw their support Monday behind a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of recent federal immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order against such operations while their legality is challenged.
Los Angeles Times
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Federal judge halts indiscriminate immigration stops in Los Angeles and beyond
In a searing ruling against the Trump administration, a federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate immigration arrests that advocates say have terrorized Angelenos, forced people into hiding and damaged the local economy. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, an appointee of President Biden, was widely hailed by immigrant rights groups and California Democrats, who have been in a pitched battle with the administration over recent sweeps through Southern California immigrant neighborhoods.
Los Angeles Times
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California general ban on nonresidents' getting concealed carry licenses violates Second Amendment
A California law that prohibits non-residents of the state from applying for a concealed carry gun permit violates both the Second and Fourteenth Amendment, a San Diego federal judge ruled on Tuesday. “Opening the application process to nonresidents does not limit California’s ability to regulate who receives a CCW license based on other measured parameters,” wrote U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo, a Barack Obama appointee, in her order.
Courthouse News Service
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Prosecutors may be deposed if there’s ‘extremely good cause’
Div. Two of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held that the defendant in a civil enforcement action may depose the prosecuting agency’s representative - but only if there’s a showing of “extremely good cause.” The holding, in an opinion by Justice Michael J. Raphael, comes in a case in which the district attorneys of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Clara counties, acting on behalf of the People, are suing Credit One for alleged violations of California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Unfair Competition Law, alleging practices “that involve unreasonably frequent and harassing phone call patterns and conduct.”
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Public employees in California have qualified right to strike
Teachers in public schools in California and other government employees have a right to go on strike, where the work action does not create an imminent threat to the public welfare, Div. Five of the First District Court of Appeal has held. In 2024, the state Public Employment Relations Board (“PERB”) found, in Decision No. 2906, that a one-day unfair labor practice (“ULP”) strike staged in 2022 by the Oakland Education Association (“OEA”), a union, in protest to the closure of seven schools and a merger of two others, did not constitute an unfair practice.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Ninth Circuit revives El Salvador journalists’ suit against Israeli spyware firm
In a split decision, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel said Tuesday that a San Francisco trial judge was too hasty in dismissing a lawsuit by a group of El Salvador-based journalists against the Israeli maker of the Pegasus spyware that was surreptitiously installed on their iPhones. The unsigned decision sent the case back to U.S. District Judge James Donato to reconsider his March 8, 2024, ruling that the Northern District of California was a "forum non conveniens" for the claims against NSO Group Technologies and Q Cyber Technologies, both of which are based in Israel.
Courthouse News Service
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Southern California city sues ‘disabled’ ex-cop who collected $600K while going to Stagecoach, Disneyland
A former police officer who is facing a litany of felony charges for allegedly faking a disability and then attending the Stagecoach Music Festival is now being sued by the city that employed her. Riverside resident Nicole Brown, 39, is being sued by Westminster, the city announced on Wednesday, and local officials are hoping “to recover all of the funds [paid as disability payments] - over $600,000 - as well as hold the officer accountable for this [breach] of public trust.”
KTLA
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Feds sue California over price of eggs
For the second time in a day, the Trump administration sued California on Wednesday - this time blaming the state's space requirements for chickens as the reason for the high price of eggs across the country. In a complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the U.S. Justice Department claims a 2018 California voter-approved ballot initiative, Proposition 12, is preempted by the federal Egg Products Inspection Act, which regulates the quality, inspection, and packaging of eggs.
Courthouse News Service
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Man charged with ghost gun shooting of an LAPD officer near Exposition Park
A 26-year-old man has been charged with shooting at two Los Angeles police officers, injuring one of them, near Exposition Park this past Saturday. “We are thankful that the two officers targeted in this brazen and unprovoked attack survived this terrifying encounter,” said District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “I will not tolerate any act of violence toward those sworn to protect us.”
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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Justice Department indicts Tim Leiweke in alleged live sports arena bid-rigging scheme
The Justice Department indicted Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, a longtime executive in live sports and entertainment who once ran AEG, in an alleged scheme to rig the bidding process at a public arena in Texas. Leiweke was charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. It carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. According to the indictment, starting in 2018, Leiweke orchestrated an effort to get a rival to stand down on a bid for the arena contract in exchange for gaining subcontracts.
Deadline
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Orange County D.A. dismisses gang injunctions against hundreds of people
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to dissolve all existing gang injunctions covering neighborhoods in more than a half-dozen local cities, a move celebrated by civil rights groups that have long opposed what were once mainstays of local law enforcement’s anti-gang efforts. Gang injunctions - civil court orders limiting the actions of documented gang members in specific neighborhoods where there were increases in gang crime - were once commonly used by police and prosecutors.
Orange County Register
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Sophisticated South American crime tourists hit with charges for jewelry heists
When Glendale Police arrived to a small mom-and-pop jewelry store that had just been cleaned out on a Tuesday afternoon in late May, there was no sign of forced entry, at first, until they looked up. The sophisticated thieves had burrowed through the roof of Bidrussian Jewelry located at 1102 ½ S. Glendale Avenue and made off with what police are calling an "unknown amount of jewelry" and fled into the night.
Los Angeles Magazine
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Hochman restored 'normalcy' as L.A.'s top prosecutor. Can it last under Trump?
When President Trump deployed the National Guard to quell protests last month against immigration raids unfolding across Los Angeles County, he claimed widespread lawlessness forced him to send in the troops. Days later, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman stepped in front of news cameras to announce charges against people who allegedly attacked police during the demonstrations.
Los Angeles Times
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LAPD chief instructs officers to verify identity of federal immigration agents
Facing concerns from the community about unidentified federal agents and people posing as them, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell has issued new guidance for officers responding to the scene of possible immigration enforcement actions. McDonnell discussed the policy publicly at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. He said he issued the guidance on June 27.
LAist
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Man accused in fireworks-related death of girl, 8, in Orange County identified
A Buena Park man arrested in connection with the fireworks-related death of an 8-year-old girl on the Fourth of July has been identified. Officers with the Buena Park Police Department responded to the 8000 block of Cornflower Circle at around 9:45 p.m. and saw terrified family members carrying the victim, later identified as Jasmine Nguyen, into the home.
KTLA
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California refuses to comply with Trump administration demand to bar women trans-athletes
California Department of Education officials on Monday refused to comply with a Trump administration demand to bar transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, in response to a July 7 deadline following a federal civil rights investigation. State officials formally rejected the conclusions of the Office for Civil Rights investigation, which determined late last month that California violated the rights of female students by allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports according to their gender identity.
Los Angeles Times
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From Jackie Robinson to today: The Dodgers’ unbroken commitment to justice
The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to pressure. They’ve faced the weight of expectations on the field for more than a century. But it’s off the field, where values meet actions, that the Dodgers have truly distinguished themselves as leaders. That’s why the recent civil rights complaint filed by America First Legal, accusing the team of unlawful discrimination under the guise of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), is not just legally dubious - it’s morally absurd.
CityWatch LA
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California colleges on edge over suit challenging funds for Latino-serving campuses
Each year, most of California’s public colleges and universities are eligible for extra federal funding for a simple reason: They enroll high numbers of Latino students. The federal government sets aside millions of dollars in grants annually for colleges it classifies as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a designation earned by having an undergraduate student body that is at least 25% Latino.
Los Angeles Times
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Barger champions safeguards against sexually violent predators in AV
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on Tuesday, by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, to support Senate Bills 379 and 380, authored by Senator Brian Jones. The bills will protect communities from the state’s placement of sexually violent predators in these areas by adding local law enforcement capacity as a selection consideration and by analyzing the feasibility of establishing more structured transitional housing options.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger News Release
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Ex-Contra Costa deputy may have conviction cleared after serving on San Quentin Fire Department
Andrew Hall, the ex-Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputy who served a prison sentence for assault in a 2018 on-duty shooting, seems poised to have the conviction scrubbed from his record. That’s because Hall, 36, served on the San Quentin Fire Department during his time of incarceration. While technically a California inmate, Hall’s role gave him privileges most prisoners can only dream of, including a shortened sentence, spending his day-to-day life outside prison walls and enrollment in state training programs.
Bay Area News Group
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LA County to implement improvements to CARE Court Program for individuals with untreated mental health disorders
This morning, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to make improvements to the County’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment program, better known as CARE Court.
Supervisor Janice Hahn News Release
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State Supreme Court adopts strict reading of bail forfeiture after detention of fugitive
The California Supreme Court held yesterday that a provision allowing for the vacatur of forfeiture of bail if a bond company detains a fugitive defendant on foreign soil and prosecutors decline to bring him to the U.S. does not authorize a court to read into the law a rule compelling the agency to make an extradition decision by the deadline for such motions, even if the law for the loss of funds due to indecision.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Multiple arrested as anti-ICE protesters clash with police, US troops in Los Angeles
Multiple people were arrested in Los Angeles on Friday as anti-ICE demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and the U.S. military after weeks of protests against deportations and ICE raids, police said. Los Angeles police said there were "multiple arrests today during several different demonstrations" downtown. "Most were peaceful, but once again, as the evening approached, outside agitators began to cause issues," the department wrote on X.
Fox News
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ICE agents wearing masks add new levels of intimidation, confusion during L.A. raids
For many Angelenos, the spectacle of armed federal agents - faces hidden behind neck gaiters and balaclavas - jumping out of unmarked vans to snatch people off the streets presents a clear threat to public safety. As federal immigration agents have ratcheted up enforcement raids, arresting and detaining anyone they suspect of violating immigration laws, critics warn that their tactic of masking - particularly when wearing plain clothes and no visible marker of identity - spreads fear and panic across communities and imperils citizens as well as immigrants without legal status.
Los Angeles Times
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LAPD investigating more than 80 officer misconduct complaints from recent protests
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating more than 80 complaints of officer misconduct during last month’s protests, with more than half of the cases involving claims of excessive force. The head of the LAPD's Professional Standards Bureau, Michael Rimkunas, said 86 incidents are under investigation as of Friday, including 59 for possible excessive force, along with some others that involve "discourtesy" by officers and other less severe allegations.
Los Angeles Times
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L.A. County's charter reform accidentally repealed anti-incarceration ballot measure
Last November, voters approved a sprawling overhaul to L.A. County’s government. They didn’t realize they were also repealing the county’s landmark criminal justice reform. Eight months later, county officials are just now realizing they unwittingly committed an administrative screwup for the ages. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn coauthored Measure G, which changed the county charter to expand the five-person board and elect a new county executive, among other momentous shifts.
Los Angeles Times
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What the LA Zoo needs now - oversight, accountability, and leadership
Noah Goldberg’s recent Los Angeles Times exposé on the deeply rooted dysfunction at the LA Zoo and its longtime fundraising partner, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), offers an excellent, much-needed spotlight on a decades-long pattern of mismanagement, poor transparency, and troubling governance. But make no mistake - his reporting only scratches the surface.
CityWatchLA
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Palisades Fire investigation making slow progress
Federal and local arson investigators examining the cause of the Jan. 7 Palisades Fire have narrowed the scope of the case to a main theory for how it ignited, though much more investigative work remains to be completed, several law enforcement sources familiar with the probe told NBC Los Angeles this week. They said it was too soon to know whether or not a criminal prosecution remained a possibility, and said final conclusions about the cause could still be months away.
NBC4
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Sheriff’s response times improve on emergencies
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials released response times showing deputies reported a 10% improvement in their response time to emergency calls and a 21% increase in the time taken for nonroutine calls in a year-over-year comparison. In March 2025, the average response time for an emergency incident within Santa Clarita city limits was 5.4 minutes, which was an improvement by 0.6 minutes on the 6 minutes flat reported the previous March, according to SCV Sheriff’s Station data.
The Signal
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Child killed by fallen tree branch at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas
An 8-year-old boy was killed and several others were injured Wednesday after a tree branch fell on top of summer camp members in Calabasas, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The incident was reported around 2:45 p.m. at the King Gillette Ranch in the 26800 block of Mulholland Highway. The tree branch fell, killing a young camper and injuring four others, according to the Lost Hills Sheriff's Department. At least two were hospitalized with minor injuries.
City News Service
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LACo nurse tentatively settles discrimination/retaliation suit
A registered nurse has reached a tentative settlement in her lawsuit against Los Angeles County in which she alleged she was denied promotions and wage increases in retaliation for complaining that a supervisor gave favorable work assignments to Filipinos and other Asians, regardless of seniority. Attorneys for plaintiff Jessica Castillo filed court papers on Thursday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa M. Traber notifying her of a "conditional settlement" in the case that is subject to final approval by the Board of Supervisors.
City News Service
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A Mexican boxer is in ICE custody after Jake Paul fight. His rap sheet is crazy.
Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday and is facing deportation to Mexico for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. The arrest came just days after Chávez faced off against boxer and influencer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California. Chávez lost the match. Chávez, a Mexican citizen, has committed numerous crimes while staying in the United States and has apparent ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. He’s facing organized crime charges in Mexico.
The Daily Wire
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Preliminary injunction between zoo non-profit and city granted
A judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing a nonprofit that has helped operate and develop the Los Angeles Zoo for more than 60 years from taking actions that the city alleges would misuse $50 million in surplus funds meant for the zoo’s benefit. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kerry Bensinger heard arguments on the city’s request for injunctive relief against the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) on June 16. He took the case under submission and granted the motion in part of on June 25.
MyNewsLA
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Southern California teacher arrested for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars
A San Bernardino County teacher was arrested for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). The suspect was identified as Ariana Rodriguez, 34, of Yucca Valley, according to the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Department. Rodriguez is employed as a teacher at Yucca Valley High School and is also the PTO’s account overseer, authorities said. On June 18, a PTO member reported a series of unauthorized withdrawals from the organization’s account.
KTLA
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Teen driver hits LAPD officer, slams vehicle into popular bagel shop: officials
An 18-year-old driver was arrested after authorities said he clipped an officer and proceeded to slam his pickup truck into a 24-hour bagel shop in the San Fernando Valley overnight. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department Traffic Division said around 2:15 a.m. Thursday, a Nissan Frontier was spotted driving erratically. The driver of a tow truck attempted to intervene.
Fox11
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Body cameras coming for all 7,600 CHP officers
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) plans to equip all of its 7,600 officers with body cameras by next year, marking a significant shift in policy for one of the state's largest police forces. This decision comes three years after a CalMatters report revealed that only 3% of CHP officers were equipped with body cameras. In 2015, former Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer proposed a $10 million plan to provide body cameras to all CHP officers. However, lawmakers initially opted for a one-year, $1 million pilot program.
iHeartRadio
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$1 million in cash in a downtown L.A. bodega: Inside the crackdown on retail theft ‘fences’
They entered the stores with shopping bags already full and left empty-handed, sometimes counting cash. Watching the transactions unfold in downtown Los Angeles were plainclothes detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who suspected the stores, Quickmart and Big Apple, were buying and reselling stolen goods, according to a search warrant affidavit reviewed by The Times.
Los Angeles Times
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18-year-old suspect arrested after high-speed Simi Valley pursuit
An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after leading officers on a high-speed chase through Simi Valley. The suspect was identified as Gavin Sheets, 18, according to the Simi Valley Police Department. On July 5, police attempted to pull Sheets over on suspicion of being involved in street racing. The teen refused to stop, leading officers on a pursuit. He entered the eastbound lanes of the 118 Freeway from Madera Road and reached speeds of up to 115 miles per hour, police said.
KTLA
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Encampments return to Rose & Third in Venice. Revolving door crisis has locals exhausted!
While city officials led by Councilwoman Traci Park's (CD-11) office have been diligent in addressing these ongoing concerns, sources tell me that the area Public Storage facility is a primary source for these new encampments. Locals tell horror stories of crime and open, illegal drug use in this general vicinity. But what is the primary reason for reoccurring encampments in the same Venice locales? Some believe the shifting patterns after clean-ups are inviting new RV's as well as tents and other structures.
CityWatch LA
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Law enforcement groups sound alarm over potential DHS intel rollback
Four major law enforcement groups are sounding the alarm in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about potential cuts to the intelligence-gathering arm of her agency. The Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) and National Fusion Center Association (NFCA) warn that any potential changes to the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) current structure could have a negative ripple effect on state and local law enforcement.
ABC News
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'Crime rates have declined over the past year,' CA attorney general says
California's crime rates are down according to the California Department of Justice which, this week, released its annual set of reports tracking the state's criminal justice system. Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement posted to the California DOJ website that such reporting is a critical part of policymaking and law enforcement entities having the data they need to make informed decisions about ways to keep Californians safe.
KCRA
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California sues Amazon for allegedly thwarting lower prices
California filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing Amazon of using its market influence to prevent merchants from offering buyers better deals elsewhere online, in violation of state antitrust law. Amazon pressures merchants not to list items at lower prices on other websites, which hurts sellers and consumers, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the lawsuit. "Amazon coerces merchants into agreements that keep prices artificially high, knowing full well that they can't afford to say no," Bonta said in a release.
Daily Sun
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California to appeal judge's approval of 23andMe sale to former CEO Anne Wojcicki
California plans an 11th-hour appeal of a judge's approval of the $305 million bankruptcy court sale of consumer genetic testing company 23andMe to co-founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki. In a filing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Louis, the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta gave notice of the appeal but didn't outline its arguments. The filing by Deputy Attorney General Daniel M.B. Nadal elected to have the appeal heard by the U.S. District Court rather than a bankruptcy court appellate panel.
San Francisco Business Times
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SF attorney disbarred in scathing opinion by California Supreme Court
A San Francisco attorney who narrowly avoided being disbarred because of fraud allegations in 2018 was stripped of his law license last week for lying to investigators, according to the State Bar of California. The California Supreme Court found Drexel Andrew Bradshaw "culpable of multiple counts of misconduct involving moral turpitude" and concluded "that disbarment is necessary to protect the public and the integrity of the legal profession," the Court said in a rare and scathing assessment.
Bay City News
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How much education does a California police officer need? What a new bill proposes
Amid calls for police reform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, California lawmakers set out to raise education standards for incoming law enforcement officers. Five years later - as California faces a widespread shortage of police officers - those reforms are being debated once again. In 2020, former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer introduced a bill that would have required prospective police officers 18 to 25 years old to earn a bachelor’s degree before entering the police force.
CalMatters
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AT&T adds SIM swap protection - here’s how to lock down your number on all major carriers
Most major carriers now offer a way to protect your phone number from SIM swap scams - and AT&T just rolled out their version, called Wireless Account Lock. This is important because your phone number is tied to just about everything - texts, calls, and especially two-factor codes used to log in to your bank, email, and other sensitive accounts. A SIM swap attack lets a scammer hijack your number and use it to access your accounts. Locking your number adds a strong layer of protection.
Rich on Tech
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Former insurance agent sentenced to 50 months after stealing $3.7 million from finance company
Formerly licensed insurance agent Tonja Van Roy, 59, who currently resides in Las Vegas but operated an insurance agency based in Northridge, California, was sentenced to 50 months in prison today on one federal count of wire fraud after a Department of Insurance investigation revealed that she had stolen more than $3.7 million from a premium finance company named AFCO Credit Corporation (AFCO).
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara Press Release
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Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy pleads guilty to heroin possession, admits to attempting to smuggle drug into jail
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy pleaded guilty today to possessing more than one pound of heroin that he admitted to attempting to smuggle inside a county jail in the Santa Clarita Valley last year. Michael Meiser, 40, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to his plea agreement, in April 2024, Meiser was working as an LASD deputy at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.
U.S. Attorney’s Office News Release
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Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti gets nearly eight more years in prison at resentencing
Disbarred attorney Michael Avenatti, who gained fame for representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her legal dispute with President Donald Trump, was sentenced Thursday to 135 months in federal prison, or just over 11 years, for stealing millions of dollars from his former clients. "Avenatti has done many noble and good things in his life,” said U.S. District Judge James Selna, before he read the sentence on Thursday. "But he’s also done great evil, for which he must answer.”
Courthouse News Service
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Two California residents plead guilty in connection with $16M hospice fraud scheme and money laundering scheme
Two California residents pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with their roles in defrauding Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies and to laundering the proceeds of the fraud as part of a multi-year scheme. According to court documents, Karpis Srapyan, 35, of Winnetka, California, conspired with others, including co-defendants Petros Fichidzhyan and Juan Carlos Esparza, to bill Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary and never provided.
Office of Public Affairs News Release
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