Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
Ninth Circuit revokes 'commandeering' judge's fluoride ruling
A Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday rebuked a federal court for “commandeering” a lawsuit brought against the Environmental Protection Agency over its purported failure to prohibit potentially risky concentrations of fluoride in drinking water.
Courthouse News Service
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Suspect in alleged hate crime against L.A. rabbi freed after state high court bail ruling
A rabbi was on his way home from a religious study hall in the heavily-Orthodox Pico-Robertson section of Los Angeles in late April when he said he noticed a van driving slowly behind him. The young father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the driver seemed to follow him down an alley off Pico Boulevard. Moments later, he said, the man leaped out of his van.
Los Angeles Times
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Superior Court recognized for integrating technology
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has been awarded the 2026 Justice Chin Technology Innovation Award in recognition of CourtHelp, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that assists court users in navigating the website and services. The award was presented by retired California Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin during the statewide Judicial Branch Technology Summit.
California Courts Newsroom
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Ca. Supreme Court won’t review case of man convicted of officer’s murder
The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case of a man convicted of murdering a Pomona police officer and wounding another officer following a short pursuit over eight years ago. Isaias De Jesus Valencia, now 47, is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the March 9, 2018, killing of Greggory Casillas in Pomona.
MyNewsLA
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Justice Department sues UCLA for the third time, alleges antisemitism against students
The Trump administration on Tuesday sued the University of California alleging that UCLA is “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitic harassment of Jewish students, marking the government’s third lawsuit against the UC system this year and a sharp escalation of federal civil rights pressure on the nation’s largest public research university.
Los Angeles Times
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Court sides with Trump administration in dispute over immigration judges, declines to hear Florida suit against other states over immigrant driver’s licenses
The Supreme Court on Tuesday morning reversed a ruling by a federal appeals court that had revived a dispute over a policy governing speaking engagements by immigration judges. In a list of orders from the justices’ private conference last week, the court also declined to serve as the court of first review for Florida’s contention that California and Washington are allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain commercial driver’s licenses.
SCOTUSblog
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Malibu, LA County enter tolling agreement to advance fire recovery
On Friday, May 22, the city of Malibu announced that it has entered into a tolling agreement with the County of Los Angeles, pausing litigation over claims against the County brought in the City’s February lawsuit arising from the Palisades Fire. Malibu has taken the step in light of recent action by the County and cooperative efforts between the City and County, while fully preserving Malibu’s legal rights.
Canyon News
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ICE guidance making it easier to deport victims of crime paused
The Trump administration’s policy narrowing the protections offered to immigrants petitioning for visas based on being victims of crimes was halted by a federal judge, who also certified a class of immigrants detained by ICE who have these visas pending.
Bloomberg Law
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Judge erred in taking over case on water fluoridation
A District Court judge overstepped his authority in conducting a second bench trial on an issue already addressed at the initial trial, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday, vacating an order to the government to revamp its regulations which, it was determined, call for fluoride to be dumped in public water supplies at a level potentially injurious to children.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Ninth Circuit bucks at Roblox bid for arbitration in parent's fraud suit
Roblox asked the Ninth Circuit on Friday to overturn a trial judge’s decision denying arbitration over a father’s claims that he was misled by the popular gaming platform into believing it’s safe for his children. The three-judge panel in Pasadena, California, appeared mostly skeptical about Roblox’s argument that it somehow had preserved its right to compel arbitration - and keep the case out of open court - even though the company first unsuccessfully sought to get the class action claims thrown out on the merits.
Courthouse News Service
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Facts distinguished in cases involving officer posing as inmate, eliciting admissions
Rights were not trammeled in the case of a man who admitted in a jail cell to an undercover police officer, posing as a suspect in a homicide who was recently released from prison, that he had committed a murder, even though his Miranda rights were invoked prior to the disclosure, Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal held yesterday, differentiating the facts from those presented in a Feb. 10 decision.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Courthouse named in honor of parents who litigated
The building at 350 W. First Street in the Los Angeles Civic Center will today be named the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse in honor of the parents of an 8-year-old girl on whose behalf they successfully challenged the establishment of “Mexican schools” in Orange County. In Mendez v. Westminister School District, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Feb. 18, 1946, held.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Melania Trump wins dismissal of Michael Wolff’s anti-SLAPP suit
Trump biographer Michael Wolff has lost his anti-SLAPP lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump after a federal judge ruled the claim was “preemptive.” Wolff, a journalist who has written four books about President Donald Trump since he first took office, filed the lawsuit in October 2025 in hopes of staving off a billion-dollar defamation threat from Melania Trump - who demanded an apology for Wolff’s comments on the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
Courthouse News Service
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MS-13's 'Salvadoran rules' led gang to cut out man's heart, prosecutors say at L.A. trial
Angel Guzman had been locked up for years, awaiting trial in one of the most grisly gang murder cases in Los Angeles history, when prosecutors say he chose a new tattoo. The black image, inked across his chest, showed a human heart gripped by long, clawlike fingers. To federal prosecutors, the tattoo was evidence of the crime Guzman stood accused of committing
Los Angeles Times
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Prosecutors questioned on plans for the upcoming Palisades Fire arson trial
The federal judge overseeing the upcoming trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, who’s accused of causing the January 2025 wildfires in the Pacific Palisades, said Wednesday she was concerned the government’s theory of the case at trial could confuse jurors or even lead to a legally-questionable verdict. Prosecutors allege Rinderknecht ignited the first of the two fires, called the Lachman Fire, and should be held responsible for the destruction caused by the second fire, the deadly Palisades Fire, which began six days later.
NBC4
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Two CDAA-supported bills to reform mental health diversion advance in the legislature
Two measures supported by the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) - AB 46 (Nguyen) and SB 1373 (Grove) - have passed out of the Senate this week, advancing efforts to strengthen and clarify California’s mental health diversion law. CDAA thanks Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen and Senator Sharon Grove for their leadership in authoring these bills, and Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho for sponsoring AB 46.
CDAA Press Room
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Former MGA entertainment employee charged with stealing over $1 million in diecast collectibles from Chatsworth factory
A former employee of MGA Entertainment has been charged with stealing diecast model car collectibles valued at over $1 million from the company’s factory in the San Fernando Valley. “My prosecutors do not come to play: If you steal collectible toy cars or any cargo from our businesses or ports, you will be fully prosecuted,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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Man charged with criminally threatening to kill victim on Santa Monica Third Street Promenade
A 49-year-old man has been charged with battery and threatening to kill a stranger who had been enjoying an early evening stroll with his significant other along the Third Street Promenade. “Our communities should be safe places for everyone to live, work and enjoy without fear,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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Los Angeles man charged in Southern California catalytic converter theft spree
A Los Angeles man has been charged in connection with a string of catalytic converter thefts across Ventura County, prosecutors announced Friday. Efran Esau Flores Alvarez, 20, is facing nine felony grand theft charges after investigators linked him to a series of thefts reported in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley between March 20 and April 23, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
KTLA
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Orange County DA investigating Garden Grove chemical crisis
The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced on Saturday that it has launched an investigation and established an anonymous tipline and online reporting form to gather information about the failed chemical storage tank in Garden Grove that has put 50,000 people in five communities under evacuation orders.
City News Service
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Career prosecutors accuse LA city attorney of dropping cases to help donors
As she runs for re-election, L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto faces turmoil and claims of unethical behavior from career prosecutors in her office who have accused her of favoring political donors in criminal cases and questioned her administrative decisions and demeanor. The allegations have been laid out in emails and a memo obtained by LAist, as well as a sworn declaration to a court.
LAist
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Leaked files, 'nuclear verdicts,' bruising attacks: Inside the L.A. city attorney race
The Los Angeles city attorney is often described as the most powerful elected official almost no one’s ever heard of. The office prosecutes most misdemeanor crimes, defends the city against costly lawsuits and serves as the public’s chief lawyer at a time when L.A. faces frequent attacks from a hostile White House.
Los Angeles Times
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California judges are testing a new AI clerk, and you won’t know if it’s looking at your case
Two of California’s largest courts are testing an AI tool that can draft orders and produce research memos. Judges so far are using it primarily for civil cases, but documents obtained by CalMatters indicate the possibility of expanded applications in criminal cases, where people’s freedom and access to justice are on the line.
CalMatters
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Biden sues to stop Justice Department from releasing interview recordings
Former President Joe Biden is suing to block the House Judiciary Committee from obtaining, and potentially releasing, audio recordings and transcripts of conversations in 2016 and 2017 with the ghostwriter of his memoir. The court case is part of a simmering debate between the Trump administration and Biden regarding how much privacy the former president is due.
CNN
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‘Facing an existential threat’: How Uber is navigating clashes with trial attorneys, assault lawsuits and competition
Eighteen years ago, two computer engineers said to be frustrated by their experience ordering a taxi in Paris hatched a wild idea: a mobile app that would allow users to hail a ride from their smartphones. Their startup, known as Uber, initially clawed its way to success with a growth-at-all-costs strategy that sometimes involved operating without municipal consent, ignoring court orders and clashing with local regulations.
Los Angeles Times
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The troubled judicial candidacies of Troy Slaten and Dieter Carlos Dammeier
Running for Los Angeles County Superior Court Office No. 131, we have public defenders Donna Tryfman and David Ross and Administrative Law Judges Troy Slaten and Dieter Carlos Dammeier (on the ballot as Carlos Dammeier). All candidates were rated “Qualified” by the LA County Bar Association, which means that, “the candidate must possess professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament indicative of fitness to perform the judicial function satisfactorily.”
Southern California News Group
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DOJ says it scrubbed news releases about Jan. 6 criminal cases from its website
The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, calling the information about the prosecutions "partisan propaganda.” The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to revise the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Associated Press
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LA says it needs six more years, more staff for mobility projects that got $100M from state
Los Angeles won more than $100 million from California in 2022 and 2023 to improve crosswalks, bike infrastructure and general mobility in historically underinvested communities. But it just doesn’t have enough people to implement the three projects in time, city officials have said. To retain the entirety of the grant funding, the city has requested a six-year time extension on state-mandated deadlines to complete the pre-construction phases of the projects in Boyle Heights, Skid Row and Wilmington.
Boyle Heights Beat
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How private money helps bankroll the LAPD and gives boosters access to top officials
The check was relatively small - just $15,000 - but within the Los Angeles Police Department it seemed to go a long way. The funds came last year from the LAPD Valley Bureau Foundation, a nonprofit that supports police causes in the San Fernando Valley. The organization has donated sporadically in recent years, according to Police Commission records, mostly bankrolling holiday parties and other smaller events aimed at boosting officer morale.
Los Angeles Times
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Reality check: Will online attention translate to real-life votes for Spencer Pratt in Los Angeles?
The viral, AI-generated video opens with the iconic Hollywood sign on fire and features Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wearing makeup to look like the Joker. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris feast with elites while a Batman-like figure moves through city streets fighting armed agents.
NBC News
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Iranian hackers blamed for breach of Los Angeles transit system that took weeks to recover
Security researchers say a March breach of the Los Angeles transit system (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or LACMTA) was the work of Iranian-backed hackers. Israeli startup Gambit Security said in a report on Tuesday that the hackers work for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and State Security (MOIS).
TechCrunch
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Why Don’t We’s Jack Avery speaks out on ex-girlfriend’s alleged plot to murder him via hitman
Former Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery has spoken out after his ex-girlfriend was charged over a conspiracy plot to murder him. Earlier this week, the TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, who shares a child with Avery, was charged in California for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and solicitation to commit murder. Her father Francisco Gonzalez was also charged, as was the surf instructor Kai Cordrey.
NME
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LAPD releases bodycam video of deadly BMW pursuit shooting in East LA
Police have released body camera video showing a deadly officer-involved shooting at the end of a pursuit in East Los Angeles last month. The incident happened the morning of April 8. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers were attempting to stop the driver of BMW that was reported stolen when the pursuit began.
ABC7
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Woman kills man, drives his body around before arrest, police say
A woman was arrested for killing a man inside a car in the Los Angeles area, authorities told NBC4 Investigates Tuesday. The investigation began Monday night when the woman flagged down officers in Mid-City near Sawyer Street and Holt Avenue at around 10 p.m. and sought medical help for her date, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
NBC4
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Wild video shows SUV smash into Simi Valley shop before attempted murder arrest
A frustrated customer was arrested after allegedly ramming an SUV through a Simi Valley business early Wednesday morning, then crashing into patrol vehicles and confronting officers with a knife, according to the Simi Valley Police Department. The violent crash into the business, Donut Plus, happened around 3:33 a.m. in the 1700 block of Erringer Road, and the entire incident was caught on dramatic surveillance video.
KTLA
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Much of Newsom's $2.5B wildfire relief package still untouched, records show
Sixteen months after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $2.5 billion package of relief funds and other measures for the victims of the January 2025 wildfires, state records show most of the fund remains unused, few of the dollars reached victims directly and some of the money was diverted for law enforcement unrelated to the response to the fires.
NBC4
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Major West Coast airports brace for utter chaos as new DHS chief reveals massive shake-up plans
The United States’ head immigration official is leaning toward pausing international air traffic to several West Coast airports in a controversial and chaotic move. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, fresh off his stint in the Senate before taking over from Kristi Noem, said he is “drawing up plans” to end customs processing in sanctuary city airports.
California Post
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Tom Steyer's weird pay for play relationship with wild influencers probed by California AG
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is “looking into” a barrage of complaints about governor candidates paying influencers for endorsements without those internet personalities disclosing they were paid. “Unlike any complaint, we’ll review it to determine what role we have and what we should be doing and if we should be taking action,” Bonta said during an interview with KCRA 3 News.
California Post
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In homeless crisis, California ‘is waging a war on R.V.s’
On any given night in California, estimates suggest, roughly 34,000 homeless people will take shelter in their vehicles. Tori Larett, a homeless rights lawyer in Sacramento, thinks the real number is double that. For half of them, their home is a recreational vehicle, converted bus or travel trailer parked on the street.
New York Times
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Fact-checking the cost of California's free diaper program (Video)
A CBS News California fact-check found the state's free diaper program won't cost taxpayers 50 cents per diaper, as viral posts claimed. But the Newsom administration still won't release the Baby2Baby contract or competitive bid records.
CBS News
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Google urges DC Circuit to overturn search monopoly remedies
Tech giant Google opened the latest chapter in its ongoing legal battle against the Justice Department over its dominance in internet search on Friday, urging the D.C. Circuit to overturn a federal judge’s illegal monopoly ruling and related data-sharing remedies to increase competition.
Courthouse News Service
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Ex-Arcadia mayor to plead guilty in Chinese informant case
The former mayor of Arcadia is expected to plead guilty Friday to a federal charge for secretly working to illegally promote the interests of China prior to her election to the city council. Eileen Wang, 58, of Arcadia, stepped down as the city’s mayor and resigned from the council when felony charges were announced May 11.
MyNewsLA
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What to know about the 5 people convicted in connection with Matthew Perry’s death
The wide-ranging prosecution of those involved in the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry has come to a close with the sentencing of his personal assistant, the last of the five people who pleaded guilty to playing various roles in supplying the actor with ketamine, the drug that killed him at age 54 on October 28, 2023. Here's a look at each defendant.
Associated Press
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Oxnard man sentenced to nearly 5½ years in prison for trafficking at least 1,700 animals into the United States from Mexico
A Ventura County man who smuggled at least 1,700 reptiles from Mexico to the United States over a six-year period was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison. Jose Manuel Perez, 34, of Oxnard, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin. Perez pleaded guilty in August 2022 to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Culver City restauranteur sentenced to nearly 3½ years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $4 million in COVID business loans
A Culver City restauranteur who owns a hospitality company that has developed restaurants and hotels in California, Tennessee, and Kentucky was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million COVID-19 economic-relief loans.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Disorder in the court
For the time being, I remain a reluctant resident of California. Family circumstances rearranging in the coming years may inspire us to reassess things, and the Dunphy family may one day join the thousands of others who have chosen to flee the state where I was born, where my father was born, but it has become a one-party state controlled by leftists who seldom bear the consequences of their utopian schemes.
Jack Dunphy/PJ Media
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Today’s bans on DIY repairs of everything from cell phones to tractors grew out of Hollywood’s fear of videotaping
If you have ever tried to repair something, realized that it was beyond your financial or technical means, and ended up buying a new one, you are not alone. Repairing electronics and household appliances has not been a real option in the United States for decades now, particularly for items that have proprietary software in them. Absurd situations have proliferated. It can cost about the same to buy a new printer as it does to replace the ink cartridge.
The Conversation
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