Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
SCOTUS declines to block use of force lawsuit against former LAPD officer who fatally shot knife-wielding man
The Supreme Court refused Monday to block an excessive force lawsuit against a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who shot and killed a knife-wielding man whose speeding truck had slammed into several cars near downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Times
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State Supreme Court refuses to review ex-con’s officer murder case
The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case of an ex-con who is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of a Los Angeles Police Department officer during a traffic stop in Lake View Terrace nearly 43 years ago.
MyNewsLA
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LA denied new trial in ex-LAPD commander’s retaliation suit
A judge has denied the city of Los Angeles’ motion for a new trial in the case of a former Los Angeles Police Department commander who was awarded $5.7 million by a jury in her retaliation suit. Former Cmdr. Nicole Mehringer was found passed out and drunk in a police vehicle that crashed into a parked car while she was accompanied by a subordinate in 2018 in Glendale.
MyNewsLA
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Man wins $6.5 million in 2020 clash with officers after Lakers NBA finals victory
A jury has awarded $6.5 million to a man who said he was seriously injured by mounted LAPD officers during celebrations after the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 NBA championship victory. The plaintiff, Pablo Vera, alleged in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that he was peacefully celebrating near Staples Center on Oct. 11, 2020, when mounted LAPD officers struck him multiple times with batons, breaking his forearm and causing injuries that required surgery and years of physical and emotional recovery that continues to this date.
City News Service
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Evidence properly barred that man hit by bus was drunk
Div. Seven of the Court of Appeal for this district has affirmed a $6.5 million judgment against the Los Angeles County’s public transit agency stemming from the death of pedestrian struck by a bus, rejecting the contention that the trial judge erred in barring any evidence that the decedent was drunk at the time he attempted to cross Sunset Boulevard at an unmarked intersection despite the approaching vehicle.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Inglewood wins a legal victory under World Cup spotlight
The World Cup was supposed to be a moment of unalloyed triumph for the city of Inglewood and the owner of SoFi Stadium, its signature sports venue. But the estranged partners have been embroiled in a long-simmering legal dispute, and now the city has emerged with a victory in court.
Politico
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Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii’s ‘vampire rule’ for gun owners
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Hawaii gun restriction that limits when people can carry firearms on certain private properties open to the public, saying it infringes on the right to bear arms. On a 6-3 vote, the court invalidated the measure that requires people with concealed carry permits to seek permission from a property owner before entering.
NBC News
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Appeals court blocks California law hiding child gender transitions from parents
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction on Friday to stop California from enforcing a law to keep parents uninformed about a child’s gender identity. The state law prohibited schools from sharing gender expression details, like whether a student uses a different name or self-identifies with a different sex, unless the student consented.
Associated Press
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No liability for arrest at Riverside courthouse
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed a summary judgment in favor of the County of Riverside and a sheriff’s deputy in an action brought by a woman who contends that the law enforcement officer unlawfully and arbitrarily ordered her to leave the environs of the courthouse and physically assaulted her.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Supreme Court sides with Texas man who challenged law barring drug users from having guns
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a Texas man who challenged a federal law that bars certain drug users from having firearms. In a unanimous decision in the case U.S. v. Hemani, the justices found that Ali Hemani's prosecution for having a firearm while he was an unlawful drug user is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.
CBS News
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In rare move, full appeals court agrees to hear case challenging Trump’s ‘Article II’ firings
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Wednesday granted two former Justice Department employees’ request to expedite the appeal of their 2025 firings, which the Trump administration has argued were exempt from civil service rules. Megan Jackler and Brandon Jaroch were removed from their positions as immigration judges last year, with Article II of the Constitution cited as the sole justification for their termination.
Government Executive
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Suit over bullying revived under delayed discovery rule
A lawsuit over the alleged harassment and intimidation of members of the women’s swimming and diving team at the University of California, Berkeley by the then-chief coach over the period from 2000-2020 is not time-barred despite a two-year statute of limitation on personal injury actions, Div. One of the First District Court of Appeal has held, declaring applicable the delayed discovery rule.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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18 ex-Cal swimmers' coaching abuse lawsuit wins appeal
A state appeals court has allowed a collective of former Cal swimmers to move forward with its lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents for allegedly ignoring years of abuse allegations against longtime women's swimming coach Teri McKeever. Cal fired McKeever on Jan. 31, 2023, after a law firm it had hired substantiated claims from dozens of swimmers that the coach had abused them for years - claims that her attorney once argued were a result of gender bias.
SF Gate
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Supreme Court faces new wave of cases over state election laws
After hearing multiple election-related cases this term, the Supreme Court could add more to its plate for the fall as the political parties continue to fight over whether various voting rules prevent election chicanery or disenfranchise voters. The justices will be deciding in the coming days whether to review laws in Arkansas and Texas that voting rights groups say are illegally making it harder for people with limited English proficiency to vote.
USA Today
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Ninth Circuit once again considers California ban on rifle sales to young adults
A Second Amendment argument over the sale of long guns to young adults in the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday revolved around the customs and practices of firearm sales to young militia men during the country’s founding. Invoking the images of young men taking up arms during the American Revolution, attorney William Bergstrom argued on behalf of two gun retailers that California’s prohibition on the sale of semiautomatic centerfire rifles to 18- to 20-year-olds and its prohibition of long gun sales to 18- to 20-year-olds without a hunting license violate the Second Amendment.
Courthouse News Service
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Excuse for late-filing of claim against district was lame
A bench officer did not abuse her discretion in denying relief from the requirement of presenting a claim to a governmental entity before suing it where the plaintiff’s lawyer declared that he didn’t know, until it was too late, that the Metropolitan Water District is an independent entity, the Court of Appeal has held, rejecting the excuse that the MWD’s website doesn’t make its status clear and its third-party administrator didn’t mention it.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Ninth Circuit rules in favor of Alaska Airlines flight attendants fired for their faith
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of two flight attendants, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, who were wrongfully terminated from their positions at Alaska Airlines, and discriminated against by the flight attendants’ union, because of their faith-based responses on an employee-only online network.
First Liberty Institute
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Jurors at standstill in Palisades fires arson trial expected back in court
A mistrial was declared Friday after jurors indicated they cannot reach unanimous decisions on arson charges in the federal trial over the January 2025 Palisades wildfires. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang announced the decision Friday morning, a day after the jury told the court there were deep divisions among the panel of eight women and four men that could not be resolved after hours of deliberations.
NBC4
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Irvine man accused of beating duckling to death charged with animal cruelty
The Orange County District Attorney's Office charged the 71-year-old Irvine resident accused of beating a duckling to death with a plastic recycling bin last month. "I've been very patient and wondering and hoping that justice could finally be served in this because I haven't forgotten anything," neighbor Ninette Infante said.
CBS LA
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Simi Valley Target attack: Man charged with attempted murder after random assault on shopper
A chaotic scene unfolded at a Simi Valley Target on Wednesday when an unprovoked assault forced an emergency evacuation. What we know: The incident happened at the Target located at 51 Tierra Rejada Rd. According to police, a man entered the store and immediately began "choking" a female customer standing at a checkout counter.
Fox11
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4 arrested, $1.4 million worth of narcotics seized in Ventura County drug bust
Four suspects were arrested after authorities seized $1.4 million worth of illicit narcotics in a large-scale Ventura County drug bust. On June 18, the Ventura County DA’s Office announced that it would be taking over prosecution of the case. The four men were charged with 17 federal counts in connection with the large-scale narcotics trafficking operation involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.
KTLA
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At least 23 lifeguards secretly recorded in OC locker room, ex-State Parks boss charged, DA says
A former California State Parks superintendent in Orange County has been released on bond after being accused of secretly recording lifeguards in a men's locker room, authorities said. Prosecutors allege 59-year-old Kevin Pearsall placed a hidden camera in the men's locker room at the Bolsa Chica headquarters during the summer of 2024.
ABC7
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OC district attorney suspends controversial DNA harvesting program amid budget cuts
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer quietly sunset a controversial DNA collection program last month amid budget cuts at the county government after years of questioning in courts over whether it was constitutional or not. The program - colloquially known as “Spit and Acquit” - was started by Spitzer’s predecessor Tony Rackauckus in 2007.
Voice of OC
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Trump administration charges 455 people, including doctors, with $6.5 billion in healthcare fraud
In the Trump administration’s latest effort to crack down on fraud, the Justice Department on Tuesday unveiled charges against 455 people for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes. The defendants, who included 90 doctors and other healthcare professionals, were involved in $6.5 billion worth of fraud that involved false claims and resulted in significant harm to patients, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
CNN
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Prosecutors union escalates fight with district attorney’s office
A fight between the union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors and the District Attorney's Office has escalated, with the union filing a labor charge accusing county officials of failing to negotiate in good faith during contract talks. The Association of Deputy District Attorneys, which represents more than 800 prosecutors, announced Thursday that it filed an unfair labor practice charge against Los Angeles County and the District Attorney's Office after more than a year of negotiations.
Westside Current
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Ex-LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley sues Mayor Karen Bass for defamation after Palisades Fire feud and dismissal
Mayor Karen Bass put her desire to be reelected ahead of the truth when it came to the failures leading up to the Palisades fire - scorching former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley in her alleged path of lies - according to a new defamation lawsuit brought against Bass by Crowley. Crowley served as Fire Chief in Los Angeles from March 2022 to February 2025, and was in charge during the devastating fires in January 2025.
California Post
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City of LA to spend at least $120K for a lawsuit filed by its own councilman
The city of Los Angeles will pay for legal services to fend off litigation filed by its own city councilmember against the LA Ethics Commission. The LA City Council Wednesday approved the proposal to hire outside counsel after Councilmember John Lee sued the Ethics Commission, which had found Lee violated ethics law in December 2025 for accepting lavish gifts without reporting them.
NBC4
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LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho resigns amid FBI investigation
The superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District resigned Sunday night, nearly four months after the FBI served search warrants at his home and the LAUSD's headquarters as part of an ongoing investigation. An LAUSD spokesperson confirmed to Eyewitness News that the district received a letter of resignation from Alberto Carvalho.
ABC7
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Staggering number of Berkeley Law students claim they’re disabled as ‘emotional disorders’ skyrocket
An eye-popping number of students at the elite UC Berkeley School of Law claim to have a “psychological” or other mental disabilities, according to university data - leading critics to accuse pupils of trying to game the system to gain an advantage in school. There are 378 law students in UC Berkeley’s Disabled Students’ Program, approximately a third of enrollment.
California Post
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LA cops escalate war with the city after jaw-dropping ‘blunder’
Los Angeles’ powerful police union is demanding City Hall slam the brakes on a controversial LAPD oversight overhaul that would expand political influence over police policy, accusing city officials of breaking labor laws and misleading the City Council.
California Post
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California commission pushes state funding for public defenders
A new commission made up of legislators, public defenders, academics and advocates seeks to push California - one of just two states that don’t pay for basic public defense - to begin providing resources and enforcing minimum standards for county public defender systems.
CalMatters
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Cameras in the courtroom?
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced legislation “to televise Supreme Court proceedings, a step long resisted by the high court’s justices but sought by open government advocates,” according to Bloomberg. The legislation, which was approved with bipartisan support, “would force the justices to accept cameras unless a majority of them determine video coverage would interfere with the due process rights of a party to a case.”
SCOTUSblog
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L.A.’s plaintiff-friendly courts a top U.S. spot for big money lawsuits
Los Angeles County Superior Court remains one of the busiest venues for civil litigation in the nation, with caseloads over the last four years driven by complex litigation against Catholic Church entities and cases involving public utilities and government agencies. That’s the description of the court’s civil docket painted by data from reports released this week by the legal analytics platform Lex Machina.
Legal Newsline
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$50.3 billion county budget approved amid legal and healthcare funding risks
County supervisors approved a $50.3 billion budget Monday, increasing spending by $1.5 billion while warning that the county is facing rising service costs, federal funding uncertainty, and billions of dollars in legal liabilities. The budget, which takes effect July 1, grew from an initial $47.9 billion proposal released in April.
Westside Current
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Sheriff’s, probation litigation cost LA County taxpayers $1 billion, study finds
As Los Angeles County considers adopting a $50.3 billion budget while dealing with federal spending cuts, wildfire recovery and other fiscal strains, a new report is highlighting how many taxpayer dollars have gone to legal costs involving law enforcement and jails.
Capital and Main
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City council advances ballot measure to exempt Palisades Fire victims from “mansion tax”
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward with a ballot measure that would exempt certain homeowners affected by the January 2025 Palisades Fire from paying the city’s Measure ULA real estate transfer tax when selling their properties.
Palisades News
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Suspect shot, killed after stabbing LA County sheriff's deputy in Lancaster area
A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was injured and a male suspect was killed in a deputy involved shooting Saturday afternoon in an unincorporated area of Lancaster, authorities said. A Lancaster sheriff's station deputy was responding to a call of a man brandishing two knives near Lancaster Boulevard and Sierra Highway.
ABC7
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California officials use license plate readers, drones to crack down on porch pirates
With the help of license plate readers and drones, some law enforcement agencies in Southern California are becoming more aggressive in their fight to catch porch pirates. CBS California Investigates also obtained data from the Los Angeles Police Department that showed, between August 2024 and October 2025, there were 668 cases of petty theft from residential porches.
CBS News
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Parole board orders rescission hearing for convicted murderer James Dennis Lynch
The California Board of Parole Hearings has ordered a rescission hearing for James Dennis Lynch, the convicted murderer, rapist, and torturer responsible for the 1996 killing of 75-year-old Stockton resident Hilda Armanino Boggiano. Lynch was convicted in connection with the brutal attack that shocked the Stockton community and has remained incarcerated for nearly three decades.
Ron Freitas News Release
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California agencies disciplined officers for biased conduct, but they rarely lost their jobs
In April 2023, the FBI discovered that Rafael Silva, an officer with the Delano Police Department in California’s Central Valley, had made violent threats against transgender people on TikTok. Under a pseudonym, Silva posted several comments that the FBI found imminently dangerous. One read, “You ain’t safe. We finna change your pronouns soon. Was/were.”
KQED
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New laws going into effect in July 2026 across California
Starting on July 1, new laws will go into effect, impacting Californians in various ways, including higher minimum wages and how food and beverage goods are labeled for consumers. Local jurisdictions, such as Los Angeles County, will update their minimum wage ordinance, with their hourly pay rates exceeding that of the state’s requirement. Currently, Californian’s minimum wage is $16.90 per hour for most economic sectors.
NBC4
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Trump officials refuse to sign document affirming end of slush fund
A U.S. Justice Department attorney on Friday notified a federal court judge that Trump administration officials deemed “unnecessary” a requirement that they sign a document under penalty of perjury affirming that a proposed anti-weaponization fund was dead. On June 12, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema gave three senior administration officials one week to sign a document attesting they had abandoned plans for the fund.
Courthouse News Service
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CA state worker telework bill gains momentum in Legislature as RTO deadline looms
Even though Samantha Arens is on maternity leave, she still made the trek to the Capitol Annex Swing Space Tuesday - with her 4-month-old daughter June in tow - to urge California lawmakers to support a bill that aims to protect state workers’ ability to telework. Arens, a mother and senior attorney at the California Energy Commission, said that if Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-day, in-office requirement goes into effect next week, “that’s going to throw a nuclear bomb” into her family’s schedule.
Sacramento Bee
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Multiple states sue over California’s plastics packaging law
Multiple states and the National Association of Wholesaler‑Distributors are challenging California’s Plastics Act, which went into effect on May 1. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Sacramento, targets the 2022 law, which requires companies to reduce single-use plastics and ensure that all packaging is recyclable or compostable by 2032.
KTLA
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Convicted serial arsonist loses latest appeal in LA County case
A German national convicted of setting dozens of fires in Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley has lost his latest appeal. In a ruling released late Thursday, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected Harry Burkhart's contention that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli erred in rejecting his bid for a mental health diversion program that could have eventually resulted in the dismissal of the charges against him.
City News Service
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Moorpark man in incest case gets less time than sought by family, DA
For the family of Makayla Settles, even the maximum allowable sentence was not enough. The 18-year-old was sexually assaulted by her father and died by suicide five months later, leaving a lasting void in the lives of everyone who loved her. But instead of sentencing Stephen Chavez to three years in state prison, as the prosecutor and family requested, a Ventura County Superior Court judge sentenced him to one year in Ventura County jail followed by three years of probation.
Ventura County Star
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Russian-born billionaire back on the hook in winery fight between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
A European billionaire who purchased a 50% stake in a French winery formerly owned by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is back on the hook in a lawsuit over the winery’s ownership following the Hollywood actors’ tumultuous divorce. Pitt sued Jolie over the sale of her share of Château Miraval to Yuri Shefler, a Russian-born billionaire living in Geneva, Switzerland, in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2022.
Courthouse News Service
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Firm’s firing of conflicted lawyer disrupts disqualification
The Fifth District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a trial judge rightly denied a motion seeking the disqualification of a firm that had hired an attorney who had represented an opposing party in ongoing litigation, declaring that the prompt termination of the associate was sufficient to avoid a conflict where substantial evidence supported a finding that the lawyer had not shared any confidential information.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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