Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits

Ninth Circuit rejects qualified immunity bid for San Francisco cops accused of fabricating evidence

Two San Francisco police inspectors charged with fabricating evidence and maliciously prosecuting a man who served more than 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit are not protected by federal immunity, a federal appeals court panel ruled Friday.

Courthouse News Service

Kars4Kids jingle can remain on airwaves in California after appeals court ruling

The long-running Kars4Kids' advertising jingle can stay on California airwaves - for now - after the latest court ruling Thursday. An appeals court ruled that Kars4Kids ads can stay on the air in California while the appeals process plays out, according to a Kars4Kids spokesperson. Last month, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian ruled that the ad violates the state's false advertising law and ordered the nonprofit to stop airing them in their current form.

ABC7

Judge blocks Trump’s sweeping freeze on immigration benefits for 39 countries

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from freezing work permits, green cards, citizenship applications and other immigration benefits for noncitizens from 39 countries affected by the government’s travel bans.

Courthouse News Service

California Supreme Court permits judicial scrutiny of “blanket” peremptory challenges to judges

On May 28, 2026, the California Supreme Court issued a significant decision in J.O. v. Superior Court of San Joaquin County, holding that courts may, in certain circumstances, look behind peremptory judicial disqualification motions under Code of Civil Procedure section 170.6 when those motions appear to be part of a coordinated “blanket” effort to remove a judge. 

JD Supra

Justices snub wireless giants fighting fines for selling consumer data 

Ruling against wireless giants, the Supreme Court handed the Federal Communications Commission a win on Thursday, backing a key enforcement tool for consumer protection rules regulating the airwaves. AT&T and Verizon claimed the agency had created a “penalty-now-trial-later” system that required companies to pay fines before charges were adjudicated in federal court.

Courthouse News Service

Ninth Circuit says fed rules trump California bus driver rest break regulations

California hit a red light Thursday in its attempt to get the Ninth Circuit to review the federal government’s decision that its own rules for bus drivers preempt the state’s regulations. California has its own rules for when bus drivers must take mid-shift breaks - which clashed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

Courthouse News Service

US appeals court judge charged in parking lot scuffle faces ethics inquiry

A judge on the largest U.S. federal appeals court is facing a judicial misconduct inquiry after news reports over the weekend revealed that he had been criminally charged over a parking lot dispute in Idaho in April. Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Murguia of the 9th ‌U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an order released on Monday said she had initiated a judicial misconduct complaint against U.S. Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson after he was hit with misdemeanor charges of battery and malicious injury to property on April 22.

Reuters

Court rejects appeal from ex-UC Davis fire chief accused in embezzlement case

A three-judge panel rejected an appeal from a former UC Davis fire chief accused in an embezzlement case who was seeking entry into a mental health diversion program that could have resulted in the dismissal of his felony charge. The California Third Appellate District Court summarily denied a petition filed by Nathan Trauernicht seeking to overturn a Yolo Superior Court ruling in his embezzlement case.

Sacramento Bee

L.A. County D.A. claims four in five cases in $4-billion sex abuse payout may be fraudulent

Los Angeles County's district attorney says he believes 4 in 5 claims in the largest sex abuse settlement in U.S. history may be fake - a claim that dwarfs previous assumptions over the scale of fraud within the $4-billion payout. Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman has asked the judge overseeing the bulk of the sex abuse cases to pause payments for six months while he continues his sprawling criminal investigation into the plaintiffs, lawyers and therapists behind the claims.

Los Angeles Times

LA’s DA Nathan Hochman takes on soft-on-crime judge accused of slashing charges for puppy abusers and vandals

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has escalated an extraordinary legal battle with a Superior Court judge his office has accused of repeatedly undermining prosecutors by slashing charges and handing down lighter sentences. Hochman’s office has filed motions seeking to disqualify Judge Yvette Verastegui, who serves in the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, from hearing certain criminal matters.

California Post

Man charged with murder in stabbing death of actor James Handy in Tarzana

A 44-year-old Tarzana man has been charged with murdering his mother's boyfriend, veteran actor James Handy, prosecutors announced Friday. Handy, 81, who appeared in films such as "Jumanji," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Logan" and "Arachnophobia," was found Wednesday morning in the front yard of a Tarzana home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest, police said. 

ABC7

Lakeside man, two others accused of plotting to support ISIS

The FBI arrested three men Friday, including a Lakeside man, for allegedly conspiring to support ISIS, including providing funds they believed would go toward a plot to kill U.S. servicemembers overseas. Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, is charged; along with Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas; and Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, in California's Tulare County; according to the Department of Justice.

City News Service

Orange County mother charged with her toddler's death

The Orange County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday charged a Placentia mother with her toddler's death. Prosecutors said officers found Melissa Lynn Beisel, 41, in her running shower with her 2-year-old boy's body. She faces one count of murder and one count of assault on a child. She faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life if convicted on all counts. Beisel was arrested on June 4, 2026. She's being held without bail.

CBS LA

Final Orange County DA harassment lawsuit settled for $100,000

The last of a series of lawsuits stemming from the workplace behavior of a top former District Attorney’s Office executive has been settled for $100,000, county officials announced Tuesday. Former Orange County Public Defender Mohammad Abuershaid accepted the settlement in his claim he was defamed by former prosecutor Gary LoGalbo, who was best man at the wedding of District Attorney Todd Spitzer and retired amid a scandal over harassment allegations and later died at home in November 2022.

MyNewsLA

US attorney predicts ‘people will be charged’ over California voter rolls

Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, on Monday said it is likely “people will be charged” over alleged voter fraud in California. “I expect people will be charged. But we need a wide-scale audit of the California voter roll, which is what Harmeet and I have been trying to do for the last year,” Essayli said, referring to Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, during an appearance on “The Glenn Beck Program.”

The Hill

High-end CA restaurant admits it lied to customers about fish

Dudley Market, a high-end restaurant and fish business in Venice, repeatedly violated state and federal commercial fishing laws, an investigation revealed, leaving the restaurant and its managers with over $100,000 in civil penalties, officials said. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers investigated the violations, which occurred in 2020 and 2021, according to the agency, which noted the fishing vessel owners and operators involved have been prohibited from continuing to own or operate a commercial fishing vessel in the state.

Venice-Mar Vista Patch

Policy/Legal/Politics

DA opposes release as board grants parole to man tied to 1990s Bakersfield burglary spree

A 57-year-old man who prosecutors describe as a career criminal was granted release last week, said the DA's Office. He committed multiple home burglaries in Bakersfield during the 1990s, sometimes robbing people while they slept. Steven Wade Rogers was found suitable for public release on May 27, 2026, during his second California Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) hearing, despite opposition from the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.

Bakersfield Now

Push to install license plate readers comes amid questions about how data are shared

Since its creation more than a century ago, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting has been in the lamppost business and little else. But in recent months, the little-known city agency has found itself pulled into a fierce debate over L.A.'s relationship with Flock Safety, a surveillance technology company that has been criticized for supplying data used to enable the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Los Angeles Times

Sloppy AI use gets two California lawyers suspended for six months, fined

A federal appeals court fined two Southern California lawyers $2,500 each and suspended them from practice in the court for six months Wednesday after finding that they used artificial intelligence to cite nonexistent cases to the court and then claimed they hadn't knowingly done so.

San Francisco Chronicle

City attorney has left $177M tenant aid contract unsigned for months. LA leaders want to know why

Nearly three months ago, the Los Angeles City Council voted to fund homelessness prevention programs to the tune of $177 million. Despite approval by Mayor Karen Bass, the funding still has not been cleared by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. Now, city leaders want answers about the delay.

LAist

Karen Bass' brother sues city after home burned in Palisades Fire

Mayor Karen Bass’ brother, whose Malibu home burned in the Palisades Fire, has filed a lawsuit against the city his sister leads, among other defendants, for alleged lapses that led to the deadly blaze. Kenneth Bass and his wife, Cindy, filed their suit against the city on May 18 in L.A. Superior Court, according to public filings reviewed by L.A. Material. 

L.A. Material

Rob Reiner’s son Nick seeks money from trust parents left him for his defense in their killings

Nick Reiner, son of Rob Reiner, is seeking funds from a trust his parents established. He says he needs the money for his defense against charges that he killed them. His attorneys filed a petition Monday (June 8, 2026) in Los Angeles County court, saying trustees have unjustly denied him access to the funds. Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.

Associated Press

Southern California

Inside the Police Commission's fight to retain its civilian oversight role amid LAPD defiance

Jeff Skobin was tired of asking. Last November, amid a startling increase in LAPD shootings, the Los Angeles police commissioner requested a report from the department about how its officers' use of deadly force compared with that of other large agencies. At the time, Chief Jim McDonnell promised a careful review.

Los Angeles Times

LA Council OKs $500K for outside counsel in lawsuit filed by former fire chief

The City Council Wednesday approved half-a-million dollars to hire private attorneys and defend the city against a lawsuit filed by former fire chief Kristin Crowley, who was ousted by Mayor Karen Bass in the aftermath of the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire. In a 12-1 vote, the council authorized the City Attorney’s Office to contract with Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP for a period of three years, for an initial amount of $500,000.

MyNewsLA

Trump admin yanks funding from LA homeless agency amid explosive fraud probe: ‘Necessary step’

A top Trump agency is cutting off funding to the Los Angeles agency responsible for coordinating billions in homelessness spending after accusing it of “obvious fraud,” “wanton mismanagement” and repeated failures to safeguard taxpayer dollars, Fox News Digital has learned.

California Post

950 people apply for in-house security within MTA

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority received 950 applications in the first 24 hours of starting its recruitment phase for its in-house public safety department, officials announced Friday. Metro has entered the next phase of building its public safety department by recruiting qualified law enforcement officers to serve among the first sworn personnel.

California Post

More than 250 tax-funded LA apartments sit empty under key Mayor Bass homelessness strategy

L.A. taxpayers have been paying for more than 250 empty apartments as part of an initiative Mayor Karen Bass introduced years ago to make housing readily available to unhoused people, according to official data reviewed by LAist. That’s just over a third of the units in the strategy, known as master leasing, the data show.

LAist

Bombshell new court docs blow elite water polo school sex scandal wide open: ‘He just kept doing it’

The Harvard-Westlake water polo player who was accused of racism and sexual assault by a star teammate allegedly told a Jewish peer to “die in an oven,” according to stunning new court documents. The star teammate, Aidan Romain, revised his lawsuit Thursday against the alleged bigot, Lucca van der Woude, to include the shocking new allegations.

California Post

Public Safety

Homicides are on decline in LA but shooting deaths of unhoused people remain disproportionately high

On a clear winter night in 2019, Gerardo Gaona drove a white Ford Expedition to a homeless encampment in Pico-Union, stepped out, entered a tent and fired six rounds from his 9mm handgun. Hector Valey, 24, was hit twice. Court records say he managed to make it out of the tent, dying nearby soon after midnight Feb. 23. Jorge Perez was struck in his right shoulder - his life likely spared only because the Smith & Wesson aimed at him ran out of bullets.

LAist

Routine probation check leads to $2.1M Simi Valley drug bust; 2 arrested

A joint operation between the Ventura County Probation Department and the Simi Valley Police Department led to a massive $2.1 million narcotics bust stemming from a routine probation appointment check. What we know: On May 29 at around 1 p.m., the Ventura County Probation Department and a Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD) PROS Officer contacted Jason Klausmeyer for a scheduled probation appointment. 

Fox11

DEA announces at least 7 more arrests, illegal drug seizures at MacArthur Park

Federal authorities announced Wednesday at least seven more arrests and the seizure of thousands of illegal pills at MacArthur Park amid an ongoing effort to address drug use and sales in the area. The operation involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department started around 1:30 p.m., according to the DEA. 

NBC4

California siblings planned to kill family to get rich, detectives say

A California brother and sister who are accused of killing a man for his SUV were also planning a murder spree to improve their financial situation, detectives alleged in court. John Chong Moon, 55, and Cindy Kim, 59, of La Palma thought killing their sister and her family, along with a neighbor of their mother's, would elevate them to a life of luxury, prosecutors allege. 

SF Gate

Los Angeles on pace to record 12% more anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2026 than last year, per police data

Los Angeles recorded 46 anti-Jewish hate crimes from Jan. 1 to May 31 this year, according to Dara Hamilton, a detective who coordinates hate crime response for the Los Angeles Police Department. As of the end of May, the LAPD tracked 281 hate crimes across all bias categories this year, including 50 aggravated assaults. A public breakdown of those incidents has yet to be released.

Jewish News Syndicate

Drivers question LAPD towing 72 vehicles at Los Angeles River car meetup near Cypress Park

Some drivers caught up in a weekend car meetup inside the Los Angeles River say police went too far after officers impounded 72 vehicles and issued multiple trespassing tickets near Cypress Park. The Los Angeles Police Department said its street racing task force responded around 6:30 p.m. Sunday to the 400 block of North San Fernando Road, where drivers had gathered inside the river channel.

Fox11

Suspect, officer shot in gun battle after LAPD pursuit in Boyle Heights

A police officer and a suspect were shot after a pursuit of a reported stolen vehicle ended in gunfire in Boyle Heights Tuesday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Both the suspect and officer were transported to the hospital in unknown condition. The suspect took off running after the pickup truck crashed following a chase, and that’s when officers reportedly opened fire, hitting and injuring the suspect.

KTLA

California’s new Hells Angels: Teens on e-bikes cut a path of danger

Signs of the exploding popularity of e-bikes are everywhere. Riders are showing up in massive groups at the beach, kids are popping wheelies on quiet residential roads and scores of others are showing up in emergency rooms with cuts, broken bones or worse. An 81-year-old was allegedly killed in Lake Forest after a 14-year-old crashed into him after he was spotted doing wheelies.

Los Angeles Times

Witness speaks out after teen e-bikers storm aisles inside O.C. Walmart

Shoppers at an Orange County Walmart were left shaken after a group of teens allegedly rode electric bikes and motorcycles through the store, narrowly missing customers and creating a dangerous scene. The June 7 incident occurred inside a Foothill Ranch Walmart, according to witnesses. One of the witnesses, 61-year-old Vince Vasquez, said the riders came dangerously close to striking his wife and daughter, who has autism.

KTLA

Video shows California cop accidentally shooting fellow cop in ‘horseplay’ incident

One second an officer is seen drawing his weapon from his holster like a gunslinger and pointing it straight in the direction of a dashcam in an approaching police car. Seconds later, the same officer - now with his gun holstered - is captured on the camera crouching and clutching his left shoulder in pain. The 35-second video of the shooting in the police department’s parking garage on Sept. 7 was released Wednesday.

NBC News

California’s retail crime crackdown has recovered $260M in stolen goods

California has taken a bite out of organized retail theft as a result of significant investments in enforcement and prosecution over the past two-and-a-half years, according to statistics released by Governor Gavin Newsom last week. An update from the Golden State's law enforcement agencies tallied 32,613 arrests, 25,843 cases referred for prosecution, and almost $260 million in recovered stolen goods since October 2023.

Sourcing Journal

Eric Swalwell under investigation for $300K payments to celebrity lawyer Sara Azari

California political watchdogs are investigating whether Eric Swalwell’s doomed gubernatorial campaign illegally used donor cash - a huge chunk of which came from Hollywood A-listers - to cover his legal bills after numerous women accused the ex-congressman of rape, sexual assault and other deviant behavior. 

California Post

Suspect who shot SFPD officer was released from prison 6 months ago after serving 14 years

A suspect who was released from prison six months ago has been charged with attempted murder in a shooting that left a San Francisco police officer hospitalized in serious condition. Police Chief Derrick Lew told the Police Commission the shooting of Officer Brittney Taylor last Sunday had a profound impact. "I just wanted to note this was absolutely devastating for officers and her family," Lew said.

KGO

A California housing bill would raise wages to $28. Why do some unions hate it?

When is a minimum wage hike of more than $11 per hour actually a pay cut?

That question has dominated the debate over a current California housing bill that has riven the state’s two most powerful construction worker unions and many state legislative Democrats reluctant to get on the wrong side of either group.

CalMatters

A pharmaceutical company is trying to block Colorado's first-in-the- nation drug price cap in courtcap 

Not long into a hearing Thursday over whether Colorado’s first-in-the-nation price cap on a brand name prescription drug should be struck down, the judge appeared flummoxed. As Chief Judge Daniel Domenico of the U.S. District Court in Denver struggled to piece together how the pharmaceutical market works - and, therefore, why drugs cost so much and who stands to be hurt by the price cap - he stumbled over the terminology: WACs and wholesalers and PBMs and chargebacks and rebates. Finally, he just cut right to it.

Colorado Sun

New California bill would prevent ICE arrests in and around state courthouses

Public defenders across California are working together to try to stop federal agents from arresting immigrants in and near courthouses. The California Public Defenders Association, a professional organization supporting the state’s public defenders and criminal defense attorneys, is working with state lawmakers to advance a bill that would ban civil arrests by ICE agents and other law enforcement officers within 1,000 feet of many courthouses.

Los Angeles Public Press

Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole

Gene Evin Atkins, convicted of 40 charges in 2018 Trader Joe's shootout, acquitted of first-degree murder

Gene Evin Atkins has been convicted of dozens of felony charges following a chaotic 2018 police pursuit and shootout inside a Silver Lake Trader Joe's grocery store. While the jury found him guilty of 40 counts, jurors acquitted him of first-degree murder and deadlocked on a second-degree murder charge regarding the death of store employee Melyda Corado.

Fox11

Man who murdered Orange County couple, set their home on fire sentenced to prison

A man who killed an Orange County couple and set their home on fire to cover up the murders was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Jason Phillip Blanchard, 47, accepted a plea deal in May, admitting to two counts of voluntary manslaughter for murdering Steven Lucero, 30, and Jillian Jones, 33. On June 10, 2022, Blanchard and another man, John Acosta, went to the couple’s residence at the Bit O’Home Trailer Park in Santa Ana just after 8:15 p.m.

KTLA

Ex-DEA agent receives diversion

A fired federal agent who had displayed a pattern of escalating behaviors that concerned local law enforcement received “diversion,” as his sentence at his recent hearing. James Young pleaded not guilty to 11 charges in connection to allegations of brandishing a deadly weapon, assault, road rage and domestic violence, following his October 2025 preliminary hearing. 

The Signal

Langer’s Deli to celebrate 79 years with daylong giveaway

Langer’s Deli will mark its 79th anniversary on June 17, with a daylong gift certificate giveaway for its customers. Drawings will be held every 30 minutes beginning at 8:30 a.m., with each winner receiving a $100 Langer’s gift certificate. A grand‑prize drawing for a $1,000 certificate is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Customers who visit the deli during the giveaway period will receive one free entry ticket, limited to one per person.

KTLA

The pre-Trek years: Gene Roddenberry’s career from bomber pilot to LAPD speechwriter - history of sorts

Before he built the final frontier, Gene Roddenberry lived a life that read like an adventure novel. Long before he was a Hollywood showrunner preaching a utopian future of interstellar cooperation, Roddenberry was a decorated combat pilot, an international airline captain, and a street-hardened Los Angeles police officer.

History of Sorts

Farmer donates land for a park, city sells it for data center development - $10 gift became $10M for city government, with $30M tax expected over next decade

Back in 1999, 87 acres of land in Taylor, Texas, was donated (nominal fee $10) to the city by a farmer, with a condition in the deed that it would be used for community parkland. In 2025, the land was sold for $10M to a data center developer, who has won several legal battles against the nearby residents who are trying to stop the massive construction project, reports 404 Media. Now, the disgruntled locals are planning to take their case to an appeals court.

Tom’s Hardware