Courts & Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
US Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex marriage right
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid by a former Kentucky county official to overturn its landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, as the justices steered clear of the contentious case some 3-1/2 years after its conservative majority reversed abortion rights. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, turned away an appeal by Kim Davis, the former Rowan County clerk who was sued by a gay couple after refusing to issue any marriage licenses following the 2015 decision that recognized a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
Reuters
| | |
Ninth Circuit: Police didn't violate civil rights of 12-year-old killed in hostage standoff
A Ninth Circuit panel has agreed with a lower court that police in Henderson, Nevada, didn’t violate the civil rights of a 12-year-old boy killed during a hostage standoff. That boy, Joseph Hawatmeh, was killed outside the apartment building where his mother and one of their housekeepers had been murdered. In a unanimous decision released Friday, the three-judge panel upheld a trial judge’s dismissal of a claim brought by the boy’s father and siblings that police officers violated Joseph’s Fourth Amendment right to be free of excessive force when they shot him as they opened fire on a vehicle in which he was being held hostage.
Courthouse News Service
| | |
Los Angeles County must face journalist’s challenge to retaliatory investigation, court rules
A federal judge in California has ruled that Los Angeles County must face journalist Maya Lau’s lawsuit alleging that the county unlawfully investigated her in retaliation for her reporting about police misconduct. In a recent 10-page order, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett of the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California denied the county’s attempt to dismiss the First Amendment lawsuit, concluding that “Lau has plausibly alleged that [the county] violated her rights.” The judge added that “a reasonable jury could find that, by referring Lau for criminal prosecution, [the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s] conduct had the objective effect of chilling speech.”
Reporters Committee
| |
California Supreme Court strikes down warning on LAPD citizen complaint forms
A warning that people see before filing complaints against Los Angeles police officers creates a barrier to free speech, the California Supreme Court ruled today in a long-running lawsuit over the language. The high court ruled 6-1 in favor of the city of Los Angeles and against the union that represents its police officers in finding that the admonishment describing penalties for filing false has the potential to deter “citizens from filing truthful (or at least not knowingly false) complaints of police misconduct”.
CalMatters
| |
Tribal officers not shielded from state enforcement action
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held Friday that tribal officials are not shielded by qualified immunity as to a state enforcement action seeking damages against them, in their personal capacities. The State of California is asserting violations of cigarette taxation laws due to the tribal leaders’ approval, as governing board members of the tribe’s business council, of the sale of tobacco products that purportedly do not comply with U.S. regulations.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
| |
Judge refuses to drop murder charges involving 4 Pepperdine students killed on PCH
A judge declined to dismiss murder charges Monday against a driver accused of fatally hitting four Pepperdine University sorority sisters two years ago as they crossed Pacific Coast Highway while he was driving on the roadway at more than 100 mph. Fraser Bohm, 24, is charged with four counts of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence stemming from the Oct. 17, 2023, crash on a stretch of PCH in Malibu known as “Dead Man’s Curve,” where he plowed into parked cars, killing the women.
Los Angeles Times
| |
Man could face third trial for same murder after judicial misconduct voids conviction
A murder conviction was thrown out Wednesday by the California Court of Appeals after Superior Court Judge Emily Cole admitted to texting a former colleague in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, criticizing the prosecution’s tactics during Travis Rockhill’s second trial. “The apparent purpose of Judge Cole’s ex parte communications was to assist the prosecution in obtaining a conviction,” wrote Associate Justice Natalie Stone in her unanimous ruling.
Courthouse News Service
| |
Rams' Alaric Jackson sued by woman over sex video
A Philadelphia woman alleges Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson recorded her without her consent during sex, repeatedly refused to delete the video and taunted her with it, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, said that the woman, who is not named, reported the incident to the NFL, which investigated Jackson and suspended him.
ESPN
| | |
Woman charged with helping driver escape after fatal hit and run in Santa Monica
A 42-year-old woman has been charged with aiding a 38-year-old driver who evaded police and fled California after he allegedly killed two people and seriously injured two others in a fatal hit and run in Santa Monica last month. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman and Santa Monica Interim Police Chief Darrick Jacob announced earlier this week that detectives located Alex Kristopher Kirksey in Chicago, where he was arrested and extradited back to Los Angeles County to face felony charges.
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
| | |
Federal prosecutors recommend time served for ex-Anaheim Chamber CEO
The U.S. attorney’s office is urging a federal judge to sentence former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce chief executive Todd Ament to one day in jail, or time served, based on his cooperation with the FBI in a political corruption probe. In connection with the investigation, Ament pleaded guilty to four felonies, including wire fraud related to a retail cannabis scheme in Anaheim, shortly after it publicly surfaced in 2022.
Daily Pilot
| |
Baldwin Park officer charged with stealing from police union
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office charged a Baldwin Park officer who allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the city's police union. Andre Villalobos faces 29 felony counts of grand theft and one count of commercial burglary. Prosecutors also charged him with two counts of possession of a destructive device or explosive after investigators found two flash-bangs at his home.
CBS LA
| |
Defense lawyers seek Bill Essayli’s ouster, again
Defense attorneys are taking another shot at ousting Trump administration appointee Bill Essayli as the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. In a motion filed late Monday night, attorneys from the federal defenders office asked U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright to reverse part of a ruling he issued last month that stripped Essayli of his title as acting U.S. attorney but allowed him to keep supervising that office in his capacity as first assistant U.S. attorney.
Politico
| |
Woman accused of leading authorities on 173-mile SoCal pursuit before escaping into Mexico is arrested
A Simi Valley woman who allegedly drove a minivan across four counties Monday, leading law enforcement on an hours-long chase before finally driving into Mexico, was arrested Tuesday, officials said. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman in a statement as 29-year-old Alyssa Wilson. A department spokesperson said that investigators were sent to San Diego to take custody of Wilson on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Times
| |
Man charged with lewd act on girl at Hollywood restaurant
A Los Angeles man has been charged with a forcible lewd act on a young girl whom he allegedly approached at a Hollywood restaurant and took to an area out of the public’s view last week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. David Josue Lopes, 38, pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of forcible lewd act on a child under 14, along with allegations of aggravated kidnapping and infliction of bodily harm on a child under 14, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
mynewLA.com
| |
Newsom's former chief of staff charged in fraud case
A former chief of staff to Gov. Gavin Newsom is alleged to have conspired with others to divert thousands of dollars from a political campaign to an associate’s personal use, as well as to create false contracts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced the charges against Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Desert Sun
| |
Southern California pastor arrested on allegations of lewd acts with a child
A Southern California pastor was arrested on allegations of sexual assault involving a juvenile. The suspect was identified as Quintilo Sagrero, 68, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Sagrero was the Pastor of the Templo Pentecostal El Camino Church located on the 1500 block of East Alondra Boulevard in Compton. The alleged sexual assaults occurred on Oct. 7, authorities said.
KTLA
| | |
In L.A., federal prosecutors are charging more protesters. A surprising number of cases are falling apart.
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have taken a hard line against alleged violence at protests, charging nearly 100 protesters since June in cases that could result in long prison sentences. But a fifth of those cases have been dismissed or resulted in acquittals in what some former federal prosecutors and free speech advocates say is a rare rebuke of the U.S. attorney’s office’s mission and credibility. Last week, Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced charges against 12 defendants stemming from June 8 protests across Southern California.
NBC News
| | |
LA County’s juvenile hall staffing crisis isn’t simply a numbers issue, monitor testifies
On most days now, L.A. County’s largest juvenile hall has “adequate numbers” of probation staff, yet it still struggles to provide the services and activities required by law, according to the independent monitor overseeing the county’s compliance with a series of reforms. Michael Dempsey, executive director of the national Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators and a court-appointed monitor for the last five years, testified in court Friday, Nov. 7, that the issue is not just how many probation officers show up for work, but rather who they are and how they’re deployed.
Los Angeles Daily News
| | |
California lawmaker proposes splitting state in two, calls Prop. 50 approval ‘a major catalyst’
After Proposition 50, which paves the way for Democrats to pick up five additional congressional seats in next year’s midterms, was approved by California voters last week, one Republican state lawmaker is pushing a plan that could split the Golden State into two. Assembly Joint Resolution 23, introduced by Assemblyman James Gallagher (R–East Nicolaus) in September, proposes to create a new state comprised of 35 inland counties, including most of Northern California, the Sierra Nevada, the Central Valley, and the Inland Empire.
CBS47 and KSEE24
| | |
Lawmakers & DA tout law expanding scope of California Criminal Threats laws
Local lawmakers and prosecutors Monday touted a newly signed state law that officials say closes a loophole that prevented prosecution against those who threatened mass violence against entities and buildings, rather than individual people. Senate Bill 19, also known as The Safe Schools and Places of Worship Act, was signed into law last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It was authored by Assemblywoman Darshana Patel, D-San Diego, and state Sen. Susan Rubio, D- Baldwin Park.
City News Service
| |
Coalition seeks Riverside County Sheriff oversight ballot initiative amid jail deaths
A coalition of Riverside County advocacy groups wants voters to decide whether an independent sheriff's accountability committee should be established to provide civilians an opportunity to investigate jail deaths, possible misconduct and propose changes. If successful, a measure could be on the ballot in 2026. The county's Board of Supervisors refused to pursue such an effort earlier this year.
Desert Sun
| |
Justice Department sues Gov. Gavin Newsom for California’s race-based redistricting Plan enacted with Proposition 50’s passage
The Justice Department announced today that it filed legal action against Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber for the State of California’s newly adopted redistricting plan enacted with the passage of Proposition 50. The lawsuit alleges that the plan mandates racially gerrymandered congressional districts in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California
| | |
The LAPD is hiring more officers than it can afford. Some at City Hall are miffed
L.A.’s elected leaders took a dramatic step to cut police spending this year, chopping in half the number of officers that Mayor Karen Bass had been hoping to hire. In May, the City Council voted to give the LAPD just enough money to recruit 240 officers this year, down from the 480 requested by Bass. They did so not just to close a $1-billion budget shortfall, but also to prevent other city workers from being laid off. But on Tuesday, council members learned that the LAPD is on track to blow way past its budget allocation by adding 410 officers by summer 2026, the end of the fiscal year.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
ICE agent points gun at woman who recorded him, California police officer intervenes
A police officer intervened when he saw a man - who later identified himself as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent - point a gun at a driver in Santa Ana, California Sunday afternoon, officials said. Video that captured a portion of the encounter was posted on social media, and shows a plainclothes ICE agent with a gun interacting with police. The incident unfolded around 12:18 p.m. when an officer with the Fullerton, California Police Department saw two cars stopped at an intersection.
ABC7
| | |
California school district agrees to gender ideology opt-out
The Encinitas Union School District in California voluntarily dismissed its appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and agreed to let parents opt their students out of gender ideology material, the First Liberty legal nonprofit said on Monday. The move left in place a lower court’s ruling requiring the district to give parents three days’ notice before teaching such material in mentoring programs.
World
| |
Judge denies Rose Bowl temporary restraining order blocking UCLA from SoFi Stadium deal
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a request from the Rose Bowl Operating Co. and the City of Pasadena seeking a temporary restraining order in their attempt to keep UCLA football games at the Rose Bowl, saying those entities had not demonstrated an emergency that would necessitate such an action. Judge James C. Chalfant said previous cases in which the New York Yankees, New York Jets and Minnesota Twins were barred from moving games did not apply to this situation because those teams were scheduled to play in a matter of days or weeks and UCLA’s next scheduled game at the Rose Bowl after its home season finale against Washington on Nov. 22 isn’t until the fall of 2026.
Los Angeles Times
| |
L.A. County Supervisors to consider Immigration Emergency Declaration
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider declaring a local emergency in response to federal immigration enforcement actions at Tuesday’s meeting, an extraordinary use of emergency powers that could position the nation’s most populous county in direct confrontation with federal authorities. The proposed proclamation would formally declare that federal immigration policies constitute “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons” in Los Angeles County, according to the meeting agenda.
Pasadena Now
| |
LA reforms rent control for first time in 40 years, lowering rent hikes for most tenants
After more than two years of discussion and debate, the Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to significantly lower annual rent increases in most of the city’s apartments. L.A.’s current rent control rules guarantee landlords the right to raise rents at least 3% every year. Increases can be as high as 10% in some apartments during periods of high inflation.
LAist
| |
Los Angeles City Council approves a plan to address overspending
Three months into the fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to address a projected budget gap of $263 million caused by unexpected spending in several city departments and other costs. In a unanimous vote, the council authorized the allocation of $14.19 million to cover immediate expenses, such as $1.36 million for outside counsel through December, and nearly $6 million for costs related to cleanup of fire debris and repairs to stormwater infrastructure.
City News Service
| |
LA seeks to block contempt-of-court hearing in city's homelessness settlement with downtown group
Los Angeles is seeking to block a federal court hearing in which a judge will consider holding the city in contempt of court. The matter stems from a long-running legal settlement over the city's response to the region’s homelessness crisis. A day after the judge scheduled the hearing in U.S. District Court, the city filed a request with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to block it from happening. The contempt hearing is currently scheduled to begin Wednesday.
LAist
| |
LA County investigating State Farm's handling of wildfire claims
Los Angeles County attorneys Thursday launched an investigation into State Farm over their handling of insurance claims filed by policyholders affected by January's wildfires following growing complaints from residents about delays, underpayments and denials of legitimate claims. The investigation is expected to focus on potential violations of California's Unfair Competition Law. County Counsel stated that it has formally notified State Farm, the largest insurer in California, that if it is engaging in any unlawful or unfair business practices, the company must immediately stop such conduct and follow state laws.
City News Service
| | |
Number of fentanyl deaths in Orange, LA counties sharply drops as law enforcement pushes against the crisis
The number of people dying in Orange County from fentanyl had its sharpest drop since the crisis with that opioid began about a decade ago, mirroring a regional trend, statistics from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department show. The 407 deaths in 2024 was a 34% drop from the year before - and 43% less than the worst year, 2021 - when fentanyl killed 717.
Los Angeles Daily News
| | |
Eaton Fire sampling shows asbestos, other contaminants, residents say (Video)
The Altadena community says the local government should require much more testing. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.
NBCLA
| | |
Red light running: Neglected lawlessness has turned LA’s intersections into killing fields
Los Angeles is facing a public safety crisis in the form of an epidemic of red light running and other traffic violations, which are dramatically increasing fatalities and injuries on city streets. This isn’t just about reckless drivers; it reflects failures in collective responsibility and governance that demand urgent, forceful attention. Traffic collisions are, by and large, preventable. Numerous studies have established that, just as they have ascertained that federal, state, and local officials know how people get into traffic collisions, and where they are most likely to occur.
City Watch
| |
Trump administration moves again to dismantle top US consumer watchdog
The Trump administration has launched its most direct attempt yet to shut down the top US consumer watchdog, arguing the current funding mechanism behind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is unlawful. Attorneys for the administration claimed in a court filing that the agency “anticipates exhausting its currently available funds in early 2026”, setting the stage for it to be dismantled.
The Guardian
| |
City Council committee advances measure to limit LAPD's less-lethal weapons at protests
The Los Angeles City Council will consider an ordinance that would prevent the LAPD from using crowd control weapons against peaceful protesters and journalists. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who represents District 13, is pushing for regulations that would prohibit the Los Angeles Police Department from using “kinetic energy projectiles” or “chemical agents” unless officers are threatened with physical violence.
Los Angeles Times
| |
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office awarded $2.2 million OTS Grant for DUI and vehicular homicide prosecution and training
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) - through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration i has awarded a $2.2 million grant to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for DUI and vehicular homicide prosecution and training. “Cars are all too frequently deadly weapons wielded by impaired drivers, resulting in hundreds of deaths by DUI in Los Angeles County each year,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
| | |
California Highway Patrol leads major bust of organized retail theft targeting Home Depot
The California Highway Patrol Valley Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) recently led a major investigation into a sophisticated fraud and theft operation targeting The Home Depot. The primary suspect has been linked to hundreds of incidents across California, resulting in more than $900,000 in losses. Through a coordinated, multi-agency investigation with the Sacramento Police Department and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, several individuals involved in this organized criminal enterprise were identified.
Sierra Daily News
| | |
Federal defense lawyers ‘face financial ruin’ after months without pay, memo says
California defense attorneys facing the threat of eviction. Some paying for case-related expenses out of pocket. Others forced to stop taking federal court appointed cases to ensure financial survival. Defense attorneys laid out the dire circumstances in a Tuesday memo to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, noting that court-appointed private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants have been working without pay since funds ran out in July.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
California revokes 17,000 driver's licenses. But the state disputes it is over immigration concerns
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses given to immigrants after the Trump administration raised concerns about people in the country illegally receiving licenses to drive a semitruck or a bus. But Gov. Gavin Newsom said that isn’t the reason. Newsom said the revocations are for violations of state law, but he didn’t provide specifics.
Associated Press
| | |
States’ death penalty policies are heading in sharply different directions
States are moving in sharply different directions on the death penalty, with some looking to broaden when and how executions occur while others try to scale them back or end them entirely. Lawmakers in more than half of the states have introduced over 100 bills this year to either expand or limit capital punishment, to alter execution protocols, and to change how death sentences are imposed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit that studies capital punishment.
Stateline
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Five MS-13 members found guilty of committing string of six grisly murders to advance Their standing in the criminal street gang
Five members of the transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) were found guilty by a jury today of committing six murders to advance their standing in the gang - killings in which the victims varyingly were strangled, shot, stabbed with knives or a machete, beaten with a baseball bat, then, in some cases, had their bodies thrown off a cliff or down a hill in the Angeles National Forest.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California
| | |
Ex-Manson Family member Patricia Krenwinkel denied parole again by Governor Gavin Newsom
Patricia Krenwinkel, a former member of the notorious Manson Family cult responsible for a series of gruesome murders in the late 1960s, has once again been denied parole by California Governor Gavin Newsom. This decision marks another chapter in the long and controversial journey of one of the most infamous individuals involved in one of America’s darkest criminal cases.
CalCoast Times
| | |
CDCR seeking incarcerated man who walked away from Francisquito Conservation Camp
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are searching for a person who walked away from Francisquito Conservation Camp in Los Angeles County on Nov. 9, 2025. At approximately 10:00 p.m., staff was notified camp participant Alejandro A. Tobarfuentes was discovered missing from the camp. Staff immediately initiated an emergency count, confirming Tobarfuentes was not at the camp.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
| | |
California State Prison, Sacramento investigating riot
Approximately 20 incarcerated persons were involved in a riot at California State Prison, Sacramento on Monday, Nov. 10. Officers immediately responded, using utilizing chemical agents, non-lethal force options, and warning shots to quell the incident. Upon gaining compliance, four incarcerated individuals were transported to an outside medical facility for further treatment. Four improvised weapons were discovered at the scene. No staff were injured.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
| | |
California inmate attacked and killed by two other prisoners: CDCR
A homicide investigation is underway after a California prison inmate was allegedly attacked and killed by two other inmates, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The incident happened on Nov. 10 at around 10:20 a.m. in the exercise yard at Calipatria State Prison. According to officials, 31-year-old Alex Mercado was attacked by 26-year-old Eric Gonzalez and 27-year-old Javier Torres.
FOX11
| | |
Jon Coupal: What is going on in L.A. County government?
The word steward has a variety of meanings. In faith communities, stewardship means exercising prudence and thoughtful oversight of the financial resources of a place of worship. In the business world, a steward is someone who has the responsibility to manage another’s assets with a legal, moral and ethical obligation to act in the best interest of the beneficiary above their own. The same applies to roles like a trustee managing a trust, a board member overseeing a company or nonprofit, or an investment steward responsible for plan assets.
Los Angeles Daily News
| | |
What did and didn’t happen in the Rebecca Grossman Case: How prosecutors buried Scott Erickson’s testimony to frame a false narrative
From the moment Los Angeles County prosecutors arrived at the intersection of Triunfo Canyon and Saddle Mountain, the outcome was already decided. Rebecca Grossman was to be the villain, the symbol, the scapegoat. The facts - messy, contradictory, inconvenient - were optional. For more than four years, the District Attorney’s Office, led by George Gascón and fronted in court by Deputy DA Jamie Castro and Ryan Gould, constructed a narrative so airtight it couldn’t withstand oxygen.
The Current Report
| | |
Hydee Feldstein Soto: I am committed to protecting all Angelenos
The recent editorial (“Los Angeles city attorney to press: drop dead,” Nov. 6) attacking me with inflammatory rhetoric - accusing me of “hating the press” and wanting journalists “shot by the police”- is both wrong and a dangerous distortion that undermines the very public safety it pretends to champion. Hyperbolic claims such as these do nothing to advance public information, much less thoughtful discourse on civil liberties or law enforcement. Instead, they fan the flames of division in a city already grappling with complex challenges.
Pasadena Star-News
| | | | |
