Courts, Rulings & Lawsuits

Ninth Circuit voids California political-solicitation statute

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday held that California’s Government Code §3205 which bars employees of local governmental entities from soliciting political contributions from coworkers but places no such restriction on state employees, is unconstitutional. “Because the statute’s discrimination against local employees is not justified under any arguably applicable standard,” Circuit Judge Marsha S. Berzon said, “we hold that Section 3205 is unconstitutional and reverse the district court."

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Federal judge strikes down Arizona law limiting ability to record police

A federal judge on Friday permanently banned Arizona from enforcing a new law restricting how closely people may film police, finding that the law violates a core First Amendment right to record law enforcement officers. U.S. District Judge for the District of Arizona John J. Tuchi wrote that the law, which made it a misdemeanor offense to film a police officer within 8 feet after receiving a verbal warning, "prohibits or chills a substantial amount of First Amendment protected activity and is unnecessary to prevent interference with police officers given other Arizona laws in effect." 

Reason

Ninth Circuit to decide en banc if State Bar has immunity

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday took the rare step of declaring that it would hear an appeal, in the first instance, en banc, announcing it will hear oral argument during the week of Sept. 18 in a case a case which raises the issue of whether the State Bar of California enjoys sovereign immunity. 

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Vehicles can’t be towed for non-payment of parking tickets absent warrant

The practice in San Francisco of towing a vehicle belonging to someone with unpaid parking tickets and holding the vehicle until the tickets are paid is violative of the Fourth Amendment and California’s mirroring constitutional provision, unless a warrant has been obtained, Div. Five of the First District Court of Appeal declared Friday. 

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Actress’s complaint to her union is not protected conduct

An actress’s complaint to her union about the alleged misconduct of the producer of an online soap opera is not protected conduct, the Court of Appeal for this district held yesterday, reversing the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit following the granting of an anti-SLAPP motion. The reversal came in an unpublished opinion by Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert of this district’s Div. Six.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

California gang members with ties to suspected cop killer arrested in Los Angeles raids

Federal and local authorities carried out a series of raids Wednesday targeting a Los Angeles-area gang in an investigation that began when a member allegedly killed two police officers responding to a domestic violence call last year. Eleven suspects were arrested in the San Gabriel Valley for violations of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization, or RICO, Act. 

Fox News

Riverside 'snake burglar' admits to 54 charges, sentenced to probation

A multi-convicted felon dubbed the "snake burglar" for his method of burglarizing businesses pleaded guilty today to more than four dozen felony charges and was immediately sentenced to a jail term - which he was expected to avoid serving - along with 12 years' probation. Christopher Michael Paul Jackson, 33, of Riverside admitted 54 counts of burglary under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, resolving all of his pending cases.

City News Service

Minister charged after allegedly sending explicit photos and sexual messages to person he thought was a minor

A California minister and former teacher has been charged with multiple felony counts connected to online sexual communications with a person he thought was a minor, according to authorities. Barry Fike, 67, allegedly began an online conversation that was sexual in nature on July 10 with a person who he believed was a 15-year-old girl, according to a release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

Inside Edition

Two indictments charge international travel to engage in illicit sexual activity with minors

U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert joins with Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, and Kathleen Nicholls, Chief of the Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Investigation to announce indictments charging sexual exploitation of children, a global problem demanding a global response.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

L.A. County probation supervisor to face charges in assault of teen revealed by Times report

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office filed a felony excessive force charge against a county probation supervisor in connection with a 2020 incident captured on video, Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced Monday, calling the incident a "brutal" attack against an unarmed teen. Gascón said his office had been unaware of the incident - in which several officers piled on top of the youth before the supervisor bent his legs backward over his head - until The Times published video of the incident at Camp Kilpatrick in Malibu. 

Los Angeles Times

DA Price charges ex-county prosecutor with disclosing confidential information to defense in police-killing case

Former Alameda County prosecutor Amilcar "Butch" Ford, now a prosecutor for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, may be disbarred following a misdemeanor complaint filed against him in Alameda County. Ford is accused of giving confidential information on April 26 from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office to attorney Michael Rains, who is representing former San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher in a voluntary manslaughter case.

Bay City News Service

Federal grand jury charges 3 in Molotov cocktail attack last year on Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County

Two defendants now named in a four-count federal grand jury indictment are scheduled to be arraigned this morning on charges alleging they conducted a firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County in March 2022. The two defendants set for arraignment today are Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Drug traffickers flew meth and fentanyl out of Palm Springs, LAX for years, feds say

Federal prosecutors have charged 17 people with taking part in in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy that included flying methamphetamine and heroin out of Palm Springs International Airport in checked luggage. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office in the Orlando area, where authorities say the conspiracy was based and the drugs were sold. Prosecutors announced the charges Thursday, following a six-year joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS and other agencies.

Palm Springs Desert Sun

Attorney General Bonta and CalRecycle announce charges, seizures in Riverside County recycling fraud scheme

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner, today announced the filing of charges against eight family members who together carried out a recycling fraud scheme in Riverside County. Over an eight-month period, the suspects defrauded California’s beverage container recycling program of $7.6 million by bringing tons of out-of-state materials from Arizona for redemption. 

Attorney General Rob Bonta Press Release

AG declines to file charges against Santa Ana police chief after police union boss’ claims

Gerry Serrano, the controversial Santa Ana police union leader who once threatened to “burn the city to the ground unless he gets what he wants,” has lost another battle with top City Hall officials. This time, California Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to file criminal charges against Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin, after Serrano sent five letters to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer requesting he initiate a criminal investigation into Valentin, in January of last year.

Voice of OC

Extensive staffing crisis at L.A. County courts puts vulnerable defendants in dire straits

Public defenders who work in Hollywood's decrepit mental health courthouse say they're juggling at least 500 cases each, a situation so out of control that their boss allegedly proposed a radical solution earlier this year: stop declaring doubts about the ability of their mentally ill clients to stand trial. 

Los Angeles Times

DA recall group awaits answers on several questions 

A rep for the group suing to recall District Attorney George Gascón is hopeful they’ll have a key ruling in the coming weeks, amid delays that recall proponents contend are part of an ongoing “run-out-the-clock” strategy by Dean Logan, L.A. County’s registrar-recorder. A spokesman for Logan said the office was following the law regarding how the signatures and subsequent lawsuits are being handled. 

The Signal

FTC readies lawsuit to dismantle Amazon's monopoly

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is on the verge of filing a highly-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, aiming to potentially break up certain aspects of the e-commerce behemoth, according to a Politico report. The lawsuit, expected to be filed in federal court as early as August, has been a long time coming, with FTC Chair Lina Khan and her team scrutinizing various aspects of Amazon's business practices. 

The Counterfeit Report

California bill would decriminalize fare evasion on public transit; calls current enforcement “discriminatory"

A proposal quietly making its way through the California legislature would decriminalize serial fare evasion on the state's financially strapped public transit systems. Advocates said it was a positive sign to improve racial equity among transit riders. Opponents argue it would lead to more crime and homelessness on the state's transit systems, many of which are facing budgetary problems because of lower post-pandemic ridership.

Golden Gate Media

AB 3070: Prohibiting attorneys from removing juror may have negative impact, criminal lawyers say

A California Law intended to combat racial discrimination in jury selection is under scrutiny for its potential negative impact on convictions and public safety. Assembly Bill 3070 was signed into law in January 2022 and it has since sparked controversy among legal experts, with criminal law attorney Nicole Castronovo raising concerns about its unintended consequences. "I think this law was well-intentioned, but I don't think it was well thought out," said Nicole Castronovo.

Fox11

City manager chastises parks commission over memorial for man killed by police

A memorial bench dedicated last weekend in memory of a Long Beach man who was killed by police in 2013 has sparked anger within the ranks of the Long Beach Police Department, and it’s led city management to author a letter telling city commissioners to deny similar memorial benches in the future. Friends and family gathered July 16 for the unveiling of a memorial bench at Seaside Park in Central Long Beach for Donte Jordan, who was shot and killed by Long Beach police officers in November 2013.

Long Beach Post

North Hollywood print shop wrecked in raid by LAPD SWAT team, but LA won’t pay for damage

The first sign of trouble was the police helicopter thumping above Carlos Pena’s print shop in North Hollywood last August, an officer barking orders over a loudspeaker. Alarmed by the commotion, Pena peeked out the door - and was yanked from the business by a fugitive who barricaded himself inside the NoHo Printing & Graphics shop on Lankershim Boulevard. Pena, 56, was ordered by deputy U.S. marshals to stand aside. 

Orange County Register

Tale of the tape: L.A.'s City Hall leak scandal is about love and marriage, not politics

So, it turns out that the biggest scandal to rock L.A. politics in a century involved matters of the heart, not politics. The secret audio recording of the City Council, which captured incendiary racist remarks made by several in attendance, leaked last October. It sparked protests in the streets, ended the careers of a slew of top pols, and had President Joe Biden himself wagging a finger of shame at City Hall.

Los Angeles Magazine

California Democrat opposed stronger fentanyl penalties. Now he wants $5B to fight overdoses

A top California Democrat who opposed a Republican-led push to create stronger penalties for fentanyl dealers is seeking billions of state dollars to combat overdose deaths. Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, is seeking $5.2 billion in bond funding for what he calls a “comprehensive approach, instead of a bill-by-bill approach” to California’s fentanyl overdose crisis.

Sacramento Bee

California effort to curb police use of Google data stalls

After a man was shot dead outside a bank in Paramount in 2019, Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives turned to Google for help identifying suspects. Through a search warrant, detectives directed the tech giant to provide cellphone location data for people who were near places the man visited on the day he was killed. The data Google provided eventually led detectives to two suspects who are now in prison for the murder.

Los Angeles Times

How a Supreme Court immigration case could help California regulate social media

Proponents of social media regulation in California and elsewhere recently received important support from an unlikely place: a U.S. Supreme Court decision on immigration law. United States v. Hansen involved the prosecution of a fraudster who tricked migrants into believing that he could arrange legal residency for them in the United States. 

CalMatters

Los Angeles City/County

BLM protesters settle part of their suit against former DA Jackie Lacey

Three Black Lives Matter demonstrators confronted at gunpoint by former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s late husband have settled their part of the case against county’s top prosecutor. In court papers filed Thursday with Judge Theresa M. Traber, the plaintiffs’ attorneys state that in light of their clients’ acceptance of Jackie Lacey’s compromise settlement offer - the terms of which were not divulged - the only remaining causes of action are against the estate of David Lacey for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

City News Service

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall goes on lockdown days after County completed transfer of hundreds of kids

The Los Angeles County Probation Department said in a statement Friday night that a gun was found at around 10 a.m. at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. The department said the firearm was found in “an area only accessible to staff.” “No youth had access to it, and nobody was injured,” the department said in a statement emailed to LAist. The L.A. Times reported that the firearm was found in a location that youth could access, citing anonymous sources.

LAist

Violent arrest in Whittier raising questions about LASD deputy's use of force

Troubling video of a violent traffic arrest in Whittier is raising questions about whether a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy went too far in making an arrest. Emmett Brock's attorney says his client was pulled over and then wrestled to the ground after he flipped off the deputy. The deputy later reported the initial traffic stop was made because of an air freshener hanging from the mirror that was obstructing his view.

ABC7

How one public defender’s office is embracing tech to better serve its clients

Representing 140,000 clients a year means a tremendous amount of legwork and paperwork for the 1,000 attorneys and 5,000 support staff at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. But over a century after its founding as the first such agency in the United States, LACPD is moving into a new future thanks to a push to digitize documents and rely more on automation and artificial intelligence. 

Route Fifty

“Open letter” penned by “Lancaster deputy” circulates, Sheriff Luna visits Lancaster and Palmdale personnel, work slow downs are rumored at multiple stations in solidarity of LASD Antelope Valley

The power struggle continues at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regarding the recent controversial events in Lancaster and Palmdale, and the subsequent release of a 2022 Use of Force video of a deputy punching a woman holding an infant during a traffic stop in spring of last year. Sheriff Robert Luna held a press conference last week, one hour after releasing the controversial video of the Palmdale incident.

The Current Report

Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez remains hospitalized after self-inflicted gunshot wound

Miami Dade Police Director, Freddy Ramirez is recovering at a Tampa Hospital. "He is awake and talking," according to Stedman Stahl, president of the largest police union, the Police Benevolent Association. On Tuesday the Miami-Dade Police Department provided an update on the condition of MDPD Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez. 

CBS News Miami

A politician allegedly said he wanted to shoot up Anaheim City Hall. Officials kept it quiet

Two years ago, an Anaheim City Council member was embroiled in a scandal over violent and misogynistic texts he wrote, which leaked to a local blog. City leaders, expressing shock, denounced Jordan Brandman’s texts, and some residents called on him to resign. He stepped down in disgrace nearly two months later, in August 2021.

Los Angeles Times

A politician’s downfall reveals a Disney exec and a secret ‘cabal’s’ power over Anaheim

As an Anaheim City Council member, Jordan Brandman enjoyed relationships with lobbyists and corporate power brokers that went well beyond cozy. He was so close to Disneyland’s director of external affairs that they affectionately called each other “twin” and traded messages saying they loved each other. A lobbyist representing the city’s police officers union managed investments for Brandman, more than quadrupling the money he had put in.

Los Angeles Times

Convictions/Sentences/Pleas/Appeals

Real estate developer sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for paying $500,000 cash bribe to corrupt L.A. politician and official

A real estate developer was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for paying a $500,000 cash bribe to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar and his special assistant in exchange for their help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of the developer’s downtown Los Angeles development project.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

'Secretary’ to Mexican mafia shot caller found guilty of RICO conspiracy for participating in armed robbery and shooting

A federal jury today found a La Verne woman guilty of federal criminal charges related to her role as a “secretary” to an imprisoned Mexican Mafia “shot caller” who controlled Latino gangs in Pomona, including facilitating an armed robbery and shooting, as well as distribution of narcotics and extortion.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Man pleads no contest in burglaries at homes of Usher, Adam Lambert

A Beverly Hills man pleaded no contest Monday to a series of burglaries that included break-ins at the homes of singers Usher and Adam Lambert. Benjamin Eitan Ackerman’s attorney, Gary Jay Kaufman, said his client “has accepted responsibility for what he did” and is “contesting and proceeding to trial on the charges that he is innocent of,” referring to the three remaining burglary charges against the 37-year-old defendant.

MyNewsLA

Newport Beach attorney pleads guilty to scamming $8.7 million from investors

A Newport Beach attorney pleaded guilty Monday, July 24, to swindling investors out of more than $8 million to finance a lavish lifestyle of jewelry, cars, gambling, and a six-month stay at a luxurious Las Vegas resort. Sara Jacqueline King, 39, who operates King Family Lending LLC and is a partner in the King Reuben law firm, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 10 years for money laundering at sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 8 in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

Orange County Register

Crime

New video shows moments after alleged kidnapping of girl holding ‘help me’ sign comes to dramatic end

A good Samaritan called 911 after seeing two simple words scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper. Those words ended a kidnapped teen's frightening ordeal from Texas to Long Beach, and new details are emerging about the troubling case. Cell phone video showed the moments after the alleged kidnapping came to a dramatic end. Police surrounded the suspect's gray Nissan. He was placed under arrest while the 13-year-old girl was rescued and taken to safety.

Fox11

Gunman in Monterey Park mass shooting sent ‘manifesto’ to law enforcement, sheriff says

The gunman who opened fire during a Lunar New Year celebration near Los Angeles in January, killing 11 people and injuring others, sent writings to law enforcement, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. When asked whether authorities had discovered a motive in the Monterey Park attack, Luna said the gunman, Huu Can Tran, had sent a “manifesto” to law enforcement that was still being examined.

CNN

Elderly woman brutally beaten as East L.A. rape suspect remains at large

An elderly woman was hospitalized after possibly being assaulted by the same suspect wanted for a series of attacks targeting older women in East Los Angeles. The victim, 84-year-old Angelica Fieros, was hospitalized after being attacked, beaten and mugged on July 15, just outside her front door. The suspect, believed to be 21-year-old Sergio Andrew Garcia, stole her purse, keys, and vehicle before fleeing the scene during the early-morning attack.

KTLA

He built a booming black market empire inside L.A. County jails. It ended with his murder

Michael Torres was an unlikely chief executive. He had a fifth-grade education. On paper, at least, he was indigent. And he was serving a prison term of 133 years to life for attempted murder, conspiracy and witness tampering. Yet Torres, 59, ran one of the most intricate and lucrative black market businesses in Los Angeles County: the jails. 

Los Angeles Times

Daniel Duggan: Ex-US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots fights extradition to the US

Former Marine Daniel Duggan once flew Harrier jets for the United States, taking off and landing on Navy carriers during international missions as part of Marine Attack Squadron 214, based in Yuma, Arizona. That was over 20 years ago, but his activity since leaving the service is now the subject of a US indictment that alleges he used his specialist skills to teach Chinese pilots how to land planes on aircraft carriers, claims he denies.

CNN

Prosecutors: Sam Bankman-Fried is harassing key witness at upcoming FTX trial

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is harassing a key witness against him at his upcoming trial by giving a newspaper personal things she wrote while she was the chief executive of his cryptocurrency hedge fund trading firm, prosecutors say. They asked a judge late Thursday to order trial participants not to make statements that might taint the yet-to-be-chosen jury in a criminal case over allegations that Bankman-Fried and other top executives cheated investors and looted FTX customer deposits, in part to fund lavish lifestyles.

CBS News

US banks are abruptly freezing accounts, halting withdrawals without warning or explanation: report

US banks are increasingly closing customers’ accounts and freezing withdrawals without warning, according to a new report. A growing number of people say they’re abruptly losing access to both their checking and savings accounts, reports CBS Los Angeles. The report cites the sudden account closure of Elad Nehorai, who received an ominous alert while logging into his Bank of America account.

Daily Hodl

Attorney General Bonta issues warning against unlawful employer-driven debt arrangements

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a legal alert to remind all employers of the state-law restrictions on employer-driven debt. Employer-driven debt is a term referring to debt incurred by individuals through employment arrangements. This can include arrangements where an employer provides training, equipment, or supplies to a worker, but requires the worker to reimburse the employer for these expenses if the worker leaves their job before a certain date.

Attorney General Rob Bonta Press Release

Corrections

Newsom’s $380M San Quentin State Prison revamp is underway. Here are some of the details

Lawmakers and activists initially balked at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to use $380 million to build a “rehabilitation campus” at San Quentin, California’s oldest state prison. The proposal lacked details, they said. But after some negotiation, the revamp is moving forward. The prison, once home to the country’s largest death row, will become the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, part of Newsom’s push to rethink incarceration.

Sacramento Bee

State pension funds invest millions in blacklisted Chinese companies

The New York State public employee retirement fund says it promotes "human rights" with its investments. But a Washington Free Beacon review found New York and other states invest millions of taxpayer dollars in Chinese companies that develop sensitive military technology and help the communist regime surveil and imprison Uyghur Muslims.

Washington Free Beacon