Courts, Rulings & Lawsuits | |
|
Court strikes down assault weapon & magazine bans in Illinois
A federal judge on Friday struck down an Illinois law banning many semi-automatic firearms, saying it ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution's right to bear arms. U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn of the Southern District of Illinois ruled following a non-jury trial that the law was not "consistent with the nation's history and tradition of firearm regulations," a standard for gun laws established by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022.
Reuters
| |
|
Former LAPD commander wins round in retaliation suit
A former Los Angeles police commander won a round in court Friday in her lawsuit against the city and the LAPD, which allege she was fired after being found passed out and drunk out in a police vehicle that crashed into a parked car while she was accompanied by a subordinate in 2018 in Glendale. Cmdr. Nicole Mehringer alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court that the LAPD’s justification for taking her job away was a pretext.
MyNewsLA
| |
|
U.S. appeals court stops work on modular shelters on the VA’s West L.A. campus
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an emergency stay stopping work on the installation of more than 100 units of modular housing on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles campus. The stay blocks purchase of the modular units and prohibits a development team assembled by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter from accessing three parking lots on the 388-acre campus to begin the site preparation.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Ninth Circuit vacates nonprofit denial for Christian university in Arizona
The Ninth Circuit on Friday morning vacated the U.S. Department of Education’s denial of nonprofit status to a Christian university in Arizona, reversing an earlier summary judgment decision that had affirmed the denial. Nearly a year after it heard arguments, a three-judge panel found the Department of Education applied the wrong legal standards when it denied nonprofit status to Phoenix-based Grand Canyon University.
Courthouse News Service
| |
|
Ninth Circuit restores suit over transfer-threat to inmate
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held Friday, in a 2-1 decision, that a trial judge erred in finding that qualified immunity protects a prison official against a First Amendment retaliation claim by an inmate over statements by the officer that she was planning on transferring the convict because he “must not be very happy” given his many letters complaining about prisoner treatment.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
| |
|
Sparks fly as justices spar with feds over deportation deadlines
The impassioned national debate over deporting noncitizens bled into the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with several justices scolding the federal government’s tongue-in-cheek approach to decisions with decadeslong consequences. “Is the fellow barred from the country for 10 years or not?” Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Donald Trump appointee, asked the government’s lawyer.
Courthouse News Service
| |
|
Circuit upholds 45-year sentence for Army soldier who plotted satanic neo-Nazi ambush
The Second Circuit on Tuesday upheld a 45-year prison sentence for Ethan Melzer, a former U.S. Army private who pleaded guilty in 2022 to plotting a mass casualty attack on his own unit for a satanic, jihadist neo-Nazi cult. Melzer appealed his sentence arguing that U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods put too much stock in Melzer’s “dislike of ‘Judeo and Christian values’” and gave him an unfairly long sentence as a result of constitutionally protected beliefs.
Courthouse News Service
| |
|
Ousted DA George Gascón’s legacy includes costly lawsuits from prosecutors alleging mistreatment
When George Gascón steps down as district attorney next month, he will leave behind not only a legacy of unpopular criminal justice reforms but also a raft of lawsuits filed by top prosecutors in his office that could cost Los Angeles County millions of dollars. Two dozen deputy district attorneys are pursuing civil lawsuits alleging they faced retaliation when they defied the progressive Gascón and his lofty reform policies.
Orange County Register
| |
|
The ‘unseen heroes’ who stood against Gascón’s damaging policies
When George Gascón swept into office four years ago, he did so with community support for what he called “reforms.” Experienced prosecutors recognized them for what they were: abstract promises and untested experiments. Gascon’s “reforms” crashed and burned, in part because he refused to seek buy-in from or heed the advice of the seasoned attorneys within his office. His failures weren’t purely academic; they pushed our communities to their breaking point.
The Acorn
| |
|
9 Defendants in UCI pro-Palestine protest opt for diversion programs
Nine defendants charged in connection with unrest on the UC Irvine campus in May stemming from a pro-Palestinian encampment opted Wednesday for diversion programs, while one defendant’s arraignment was rescheduled for next month. The court appearances came one day after leaders with the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined the defendants and other activists at a news conference calling on prosecutors to drop charges against 50 people arrested in the crackdown.
MyNewsLA
| |
|
California teen pleads guilty in Florida to making hundreds of "swatting" calls
A Lancaster, California teen accused of making hundreds of false bomb threats, mass shooting threats and "swatting" calls across the country has pleaded guilty in Florida to four counts of making interstate threats to injure another person. "For well over a year, Alan Filion targeted religious institutions, schools, government officials, and other innocent victims with hundreds of false threats of imminent mass shootings, bombings and other violent crimes. He caused profound fear and chaos and will now face the consequences of his actions," U.S. Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
CBS News Miami
| |
|
California see-saws back to tough on crime with passage of Proposition 36
Crime has been a see-saw issue in California for most of the last 40 years. Leniency was the vogue for awhile recently. But now the balance is back to getting tougher, as polls this fall showed many voters believed property crimes have vastly increased since the 2014 passage of Proposition 47. The clearest manifestation of this was the strong performance of Prop. 36 on this month’s ballot, drawing a huge 70 to 30 percent majority.
Riverside Press-Enterprise
| |
|
California Attorney General Bonta says felons should not own guns
California Attorney General Bonta last Friday, as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, filed a brief with an en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of the U.S. government’s defense of a federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits felons from possessing firearms. The case, United States v. Duarte, presents the question of whether federal law that prohibits the possession of firearms by individuals convicted of felonies violates the Second Amendment.
CA Department of Justice
| |
|
Mayor Bass says L.A. needs to pass sanctuary city law
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass only recently realized that L.A. doesn’t have a sanctuary city law on the books, she told KNX News’ Craig Fiegener. Former Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an executive directive declaring L.A. a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, but it was never voted into an enforceable law. Bass said that needs to change before Donald Trump is sworn in as president.
KNX News
| |
|
Many ‘undercover’ officers in lawsuit over LAPD photos are just regular cops, city admits
After arguing for more than a year that hundreds of undercover LAPD officers were at risk because their photos were mistakenly made public, the city of Los Angeles has suddenly reversed course, conceding that most of those involved are not working in the most sensitive police roles.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Trump wants to expand the federal death penalty, setting up legal challenges in second term
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump signaled he would resume federal executions if he won and make more people eligible for capital punishment, including child rapists, migrants who kill U.S. citizens and law enforcement officers, and those convicted of drug and human trafficking. “These are terrible, terrible, horrible people who are responsible for death, carnage and crime all over the country,” Trump said of traffickers when he announced his 2024 candidacy.
NBC News
| |
|
NLRB tosses 40-year stance on manager unionization threats
Employers are no longer categorically allowed to tell workers that unionization will negatively impact their relationship with management, a split National Labor Relations Board ruled, overturning a nearly 40-year-old precedent in a case against Starbucks Corp. The coffee giant made a series of illegal threats to its workers during a union election drive at its Seattle Roastery, the board ruled Friday.
Bloomberg Law
| |
|
Summary judgment motion deadlines modified by new legislation
Have you ever wondered why most motion dates under the California Code of Civil Procedure are based on “court days,” while motions for summary judgment, some of the most difficult and time-consuming motions, are based on “calendar days?” The most obvious problem with this wording is that a judge received a timely reply brief only five days before the hearing, making it difficult to adequately prepare and provide a written tentative ruling for the attorneys.
Daily Journal
| |
|
Dordulian Law Group attorney Kathleen Cady named Victims’ Rights Advocate among 2024 ‘Persons of the Year’
Dordulian Law Group, a California sex crimes firm, is proud to announce that Kathleen Cady, attorney and member of the firm’s SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts), has been named the Metro News-Enterprise’s 2024 Victims’ Rights Advocate. WHAT/WHO: Dordulian Law Group attorney Kathleen Cady has been named 2024 Victims’ Rights Advocate for selflessly devoting “untold hours to her attempts, on a pro bono basis, to vindicate victims’ rights,” Metro News-Enterprise Co-Publisher Jo-Ann W. Grace said.
Dordulian Law Group News Release
| |
|
ADDA President Michele Hanisee on the John Kobylt Show (Audio)
Michele Hanisee discusses the unseen heroes who stood against George Gascón’s damaging policies and defended justice in Los Angeles County.
LA ADDA
| |
|
Nathan Hochman says he'll eliminate Gascón's 'pro-criminal policies' on first day in office
Just a week after being elected as LA County's new district attorney, Nathan Hochman is looking to hit the ground running. Hochman will be sworn in as DA on December 2. The former federal prosecutor defeated incumbent George Gascón by a landslide. The Associated Press called the race at 1 a.m. Nov. 6 with Hochman leading 60% over Gascón, who had only secured 39.9% of the vote.
Fox11
| |
|
Hochman’s victory: The end of Gascón’s dangerous gamble on LA’s safety
Los Angeles County just dropped the gavel: George Gascón is out. After years of skyrocketing crime, disillusionment, and distrust among millions of residents which resulted in two recall attempts, Angelenos have had enough. In his reelection, incumbent District Attorney George Gascón suffered a landslide defeat by former US Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman.
California Globe
| |
|
In an AP interview, the next Los Angeles DA says he’ll go after low-level nonviolent crimes
The incoming district attorney for Los Angeles County, Nathan Hochman, said in an interview with The Associated Press that his first task upon taking office is to eliminate the “pro-criminal blanket policies” of one of California’s most high-profile progressive prosecutors, George Gascón. That means bringing back gang-related sentencing enhancements, allowing prosecutors to file juvenile charges more freely, and having prosecutors attend parole hearings with victims’ families again, where they can help argue against the release of convicts, Hochman said.
AP
| |
|
DA Elect Nathan Hochman names prosecutor Steve Katz Chief Deputy DA
Los Angeles County District Attorney-elect Nathan Hochman has tapped veteran prosecutor Steve Katz as his chief deputy, Hochman announced Monday. Katz has been with the District Attorney’s Office since 1990 after graduating from the UCLA School of Law in 1989. His experience includes numerous assignments throughout the county as a trial prosecutor and a calendar deputy, 83 jury trials and nine years in office management, according to Hochman’s announcement.
MyNewsLA
| |
|
New LA DA Nathan Hochman speaks out on Menendez brothers' fight for freedom
As calls grow for the Menendez brothers to be released from prison, the incoming Los Angeles County district attorney says he has a lot of evidence to review before showing his support. Nathan Hochman won last week's election for DA, beating incumbent George Gascón in a landslide, will take office in December. The election came weeks after Gascón announced his recommendation that the Menendez brothers be resentenced and eligible for parole immediately.
ABC News
| |
|
New LAPD chief says people aren't calling the police enough - and that needs to change
Crime is trending down in Los Angeles, with homicides alone on track to fall 15% compared to last year, but newly sworn-in LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell is concerned that statistics aren’t telling the full story. Speaking ahead of the ceremony Thursday to mark his arrival as the city’s 59th chief of police, McDonnell voiced concern about the perception of disorder - and the reality that crimes are going unreported because some believe nothing will be done to investigate.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Can MacArthur Park be saved? A look to the past points the way forward
Late one morning on a sun-drenched November day, I was exploring the western edge of MacArthur Park when I came upon a social worker who was looking for a client. We got to talking about the tree-shaded, grassy slopes; the Levitt bandstand that hosts summer concerts; the soccer field where youngsters still gather; and the lovely view across the lake toward the once-grand Westlake Theatre building and the downtown L.A. skyline.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Long Beach police pulling officers from patrolling Metro trains, stations
The Long Beach Police Department is ending its contract with Metro to stop providing officers to the trains and stations, the law enforcement agency confirmed Wednesday. Starting on Dec. 30, Long Beach officers will no longer patrol Metro trains as the transportation agency is expected to launch its own police force. While it will likely take about five years for Metro to have its police agency, the Long Beach Police Department may not be able to wait as it struggles with staffing shortage.
NBC4
| |
|
‘Five little queens’ will be nine, as Measure G backers claim victory
Proponents of expanding the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors tried in 1962, in 1976, in 1992 and again in 2000. Each time, voters said no, even as the county’s population swelled. The last thing people wanted, it seemed, was more politicians. Now, in a historic shift, a proposal to add four more members to the five-member board as part of a massive overhaul of the county government’s structure has passed.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Results of new California propositions on Nov. 5 ballot
With about 78% of state ballots tallied for the Nov. 5 election, California voters restored longer prison sentences for some drug and property crimes, allowed the state to borrow billions to address the threats of climate change and to repair schools, and granted a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Prop. 36, passed: The measure pushed by some district attorneys and moderate Democrats, but opposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will partly undo sentencing changes that voters passed in 2014 with Prop. 47.
CalMatters
| |
|
Pamela Price ousted as Alameda DA in latest loss for California progressives
Alameda County voted to recall District Attorney Pamela Price from office, according to the Associated Press, in the latest blow to progressive crime policies in California. Price is the second San Francisco Bay Area prosecutor to be ousted in the last two years after San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin as voter sentiment increasingly favors tough-on-crime policies.
Politico
| |
|
California voters reject rent control for a third time
Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have expanded rent control laws there, the third time such a proposal has failed in the famously progressive state. The measure known as Proposition 33 appeared headed for a sound defeat following Tuesday’s vote, with more than 60% of voters opposing the proposal at the latest count.
Realtor.com
| |
|
California voters took the law into their own hands this election to shut down soft-on-crime experiments
Californians took the law into their own hands this Election Day, using their collective voice to shut down the soft-on-crime experiments that have plagued the Golden State over the last decade, including voting out a handful of elected district attorneys acting like public defenders that championed anti-public safety policies.
Los Angeles Daily News
| |
|
Four people arrested for staging fake bear attacks with bear costume in Lake Arrowhead
Four people from Los Angeles County are facing insurance fraud and conspiracy charges after staging fake bear attacks with a bear costume, the Department of Insurance announced Wednesday. Initially the suspects - Ruben Tamrazian, 26, of Glendale, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, of Glendale, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village - had requested insurance payout for their car, 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, after claiming a bear had entered the car and caused interior damage to the vehicle in Lake Arrowhead on Jan. 28.
NBC4
| |
|
Fake nurse worked at multiple hospitals in L.A. County, police say
Police have arrested a woman who they say has been posing as a nurse and working at hospitals throughout Los Angeles County without a license. The Burbank Police Department announced Thursday that Amanda Leeann Porter, 44, of Virginia, allegedly posed as a registered nurse at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and oversaw dozens of patients for an entire month.
KTLA
| |
|
64 arrests made, illegal guns recovered in Southern California law enforcement ‘surge’
A two-week law enforcement “surge” operation in San Bernardino County resulted in dozens of arrests and the recovery of several illegal guns and stolen vehicles, officials announced Wednesday. The surge operation, conducted by the California Highway Patrol, led to 64 arrests, the recovery of 11 stolen vehicles, and the seizure of five illegal firearms.
KTLA
| |
|
Carjacking suspect in Beverly Hills crashes into building near Rodeo Drive holiday lights show
The Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the Rodeo Drive area after an SUV crashed into a building near the city's holiday light show Thursday night. Detectives said 22-year-old Pittsburgh resident James Portul allegedly carjacked a woman's black BMW X3 at around 7:05 p.m. in the 400 block of North Bedford Drive and drove towards the light show.
KCAL News
| |
|
UCLA slammed for ‘chaotic’ response to protest melee in UC independent review
UCLA failed to protect students from a protest melee this spring because a “highly chaotic” decision-making process, lack of communication among campus leaders and police, and other shortfalls led to institutional paralysis, according to a University of California independent review released Thursday.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
Failed experiment': Experts reveal why Soros-backed policies took beating in deep blue state
The progressive crime agenda, largely pushed by liberal megadonor George Soros, suffered a major defeat in deep blue California this week after voters soundly rejected progressive prosecutors and policies, which experts tell Fox News Digital represents a major sea change.
Fox News
| |
|
California's gas prices to increase 65 cents per gallon with passing of new fuel standards
Gas prices are going down, but maybe not for long. The national average is $3.09, down 10 cents from a month ago. In California, the average is $4.68, down 16 cents from a month ago. San Francisco is the most expensive in the Bay Area, but it's down nearly a quarter from last month. California's gas prices are on the verge of a major increase.
KGO
| |
|
FIFA and IOC hold different track records with Trump ahead of World Cup and Olympics in US
The two biggest events in world sports are coming to America. And if President-elect Donald Trump is not thinking about them yet, organizers of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics certainly are. The World Cup and the Summer Games are rare globally shared cultural moments with potential for unifying people. But there are questions around issues like granting visas and providing security that will cross Trump’s desk. And that requires diplomacy.
AP
| |
|
President-elect Trump hits back at Gov. Newsom over plans to ‘Trump-proof’ California
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for a special legislative session to protect the state’s progressive policies on climate change, reproductive rights and immigration ahead of Trump’s presidency. Using a derisive word for Newsom on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused the governor of “trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California” and said that's why "more people are leaving than are coming in.”
KCRA
| |
|
The number of judges in California Superior Courts
Section 69560 provides that, if the Legislature diminishes the number of judges of the superior court in any county or city and county, the offices which first become vacant, to the number of judges diminished, is deemed to be abolished. Article 3 deals with the number of judges of the superior courts in Sections 69580 to 69619.6. Section 69614 added 50 additional judges allocated to the various superior courts pursuant to the uniform criteria described for determining the need for additional superior court judges.
California Globe
| |
|
Oakland must stop using 'San Francisco Bay' airport name
The Port of Oakland is prohibited from employing its new “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” moniker while San Francisco’s trademark suit progresses. San Francisco convinced Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson that the neighboring airport would use its trademark in a way that falsely implies affiliation with San Francisco International Airport and irreparably harm the city, according to an order issued Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
Bloomberg Law
| |
Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
|
He helped the FBI take down Councilmember Jose Huizar. Now, he’ll avoid jail time
He kept thousands of text messages. He took photos of bribe money. He recorded his boss, then-Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar, demanding that money in a City Hall bathroom. George Esparza, a central figure in Huizar’s sprawling pay-to-play operation, provided federal prosecutors with a huge trove of evidence for their investigation into bribes from downtown real estate developers seeking city support for their projects.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
The sad, desperate, Hispandering end of Kevin de León’s career
He preened, he hugged, he shook hands and hobnobbed with legends and politicians. Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León was in full campaign mode two days before Tuesday’s election, when voters would decide whether he deserved a second term. The setting wasn’t a restaurant or a neighborhood street: It was the VIP section of a dedication ceremony in Boyle Heights for a towering set of murals featuring the late Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela.
Los Angeles Times
| |
|
‘I don’t think it was extremely difficult’: 17-year-old girl becomes youngest to pass California Bar Exam
At 17, Sophia Park of California’s Tulare County is the youngest to pass the state’s Bar Exam, having taken the title from her own older brother. The California General Bar Exam is no easy task. In fact, it has a pass rate of only 51%. But it was no problem for the Parks. Sophia Park’s brother, Peter, passed it last year at 17 years and 11 months old. And now Sophia, at 17 years and 8 months, is the current record-holder in the state.
KSEE/KGPE
| | | | |
