Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
Menendez brothers lose long-shot bid to win new trial
A Los Angeles judge has rejected a ‘last-ditch’ legal challenge to Erik and Lyle Menendez’s murder convictions, ruling Monday the brothers have failed to show enough evidence that their murder convictions were unjust and they deserve a new trial. LA Superior Court Judge William Ryan's decision to deny the writ of habeas corpus was detailed in a 16-page ruling that explains why he’s decided two items of alleged new evidence, upon which the brothers relied, did not meet the legal threshold for granting such a petition.
NBC4
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Judge rejects defense motion to dismiss public corruption charges against city councilmember Curren Price
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge today rejected in its entirety Curren Price’s motion to dismiss felony public corruption charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, ruling that the case will move forward with a preliminary hearing on Nov. 3. “Public officials will not violate the public trust on my watch,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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C.A. rejects conflict-of-interest claim by defendant whose lawyer faced charges
The Third District Court of Appeal has rejected the contention that a man’s convictions relating to construction fraud and embezzlement should be reversed based on his trial attorney having had a conflict of interest inasmuch as she was under criminal investigation by the county’s District Attorney’s Office and her boyfriend had allegedly threatened the defendant with harm if he did not make payments to the lawyer.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Resentencing barred while death judgment is on appeal to State Supreme Court
A serial killer who was convicted of eight murders in the course of robberies and given eight death sentences is ineligible for resentencing under Penal Code §1172.75 because his appeal is pending before the California Supreme Court, Div. Four of the Court of Appeal for this district has determined. The opinion by Justice Audra Mori, filed Thursday, affirms an order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench. She ruled that the Superior Court does not “have the right or the jurisdiction to modify this sentence,” saying that “the appropriate forum...is the Supreme Court.”
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Judge issues sharp rebukes of LAPD and federal agents after anti-ICE protests
In June, 81-year-old Robert Detrano said he was hit in the face with a spray by federal agents as he was out protesting immigration raids in Santa Ana, with no provocation or warning. “ It made me sick and made me cough, and I fell down to the ground,” the retired UC Irvine medical professor said. He still doesn't know what hit him. And he wasn't the only one.
LAist
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LA to pay $18 million to settle lawsuit in high-speed LAPD crash in Encino
The City of Los Angeles has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by two brothers who were critically injured in a high-speed LAPD crash in Encino for $18 million. Stephen and Richard Paper, now 75 and 77 years old, will receive structured payments over the next two years, according to the agreement detailed during a hearing Wednesday morning just as jurors were returning to the courtroom in Van Nuys to hear more testimony in the case.
NBC4
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DA seeks to overturn judge’s ruling sending assault suspect to mental health diversion instead of trial
Oral arguments are expected today in a high-profile case where the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to overturn a judge’s decision granting mental health diversion to a man accused of a violent, racially charged assault in Santa Monica. In July, prosecutors petitioned the California Court of Appeal to vacate Superior Court Judge Lana Kim’s March 12 ruling that allowed 27-year-old Job Uriah Taylor to enter the county’s diversion program instead of standing trial.
Westside Current
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San Fernando Valley men exported $611M worth of fraudulently obtained electronics, authorities say
Two San Fernando Valley men were arrested Tuesday on federal charges alleging they ran a Van Nuys-based company that exported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of consumer electronics and gift cards, nearly all derived from criminal activities such as identity theft, credit card theft and fraud. Saman Delafraz, 32, of Woodland Hills, and Benjamin Daneshgar, 34, of Studio City, are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
City News Service
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Prosecutor seeks nearly $80K in attorneys’ fees after dismissal from high profile cases
High-profile Los Angeles County prosecutor John Lewin is seeking nearly $80,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs even though his motion to be dismissed from one of a pair of lawsuits filed by two prosecutors was never heard. The attorney’s fees were racked up in a case where two other prosecutors allege they were wrongfully demoted for their support for resentencing of the Menendez brothers.
MyNewsLA
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Baby Emmanuel: DA’s office blasts judge’s handling of prior abuse case
The disappearance of baby Emmanuel Haro quickly brought attention to a previous child abuse case involving his father, Jake Haro. In that case, Haro was convicted of causing permanent injuries to his 10-week-old daughter from a different relationship, leaving her bedridden with lifelong injuries, according to the District Attorney’s office. Despite the severity of the abuse, the judge gave Haro a suspended six-year sentence and probation.
KTLA
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Identical twins who moonlighted as golf tee-time brokers charged with failing to report more than $1.1 million in income to IRS
Two identical twin brothers and MRI technicians have been arrested on a 10-count federal grand jury indictment charging them with deliberately failing to report to the IRS more than $1.1 million in income, including money they made from running a golf tee-time brokering business on the side, the Justice Department announced today.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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5 defendants arrested on federal charges alleging bicoastal drug trafficking organization that shipped cocaine and cash via air
Five defendants were arrested today on a 10-count federal superseding indictment alleging their participation in a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking organization (DTO) that used luxury private shipping companies to ship via air more than 20,000 kilograms (22.1 tons) of cocaine and more than $100 million in drug proceeds between Los Angeles and New York City.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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From numbers to neighborhoods: Making safety real for every Angeleno
The latest crime statistics are encouraging, in part because LAPD officers are doing a remarkable job under enormous strain. Aggravated assaults and robberies are down 8%. Burglaries and car thefts are down 12%. By almost any measure, Los Angeles is safer today than it was a year ago. But averages don’t tell the whole story.
CityWatch LA
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UC employees, not waiting on leaders, sue Trump for 'financial coercion' over UCLA cuts
A group of 21 unions and faculty associations representing more than 100,000 University of California employees sued President Trump on Tuesday, alleging he is illegally forcing "ideological dominance" over a UC education, has violated the constitution and endangered jobs by suspending research grants and seeking a $1.2-billion fine against UCLA.
Los Angeles Times
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UCLA race and equity official sounded off after Charlie Kirk’s slaying. Now he’s on leave
A UCLA official with its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office has been placed on leave amid an investigation over remarks made on social media concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk, according to social media reports and university sources. Johnathan Perkins, the director of race and equity, appeared to have published the remarks on BlueSky. The posts express satisfaction with as well as indifference to the killing of Kirk, a popular right-wing commentator and activist.
Los Angeles Times
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Police secrecy bill would shield undercover California officers in misconduct cases
California police officers accused of misconduct are already shielded by some of the strictest confidentiality laws in the country, but state lawmakers are considering adding more layers of secrecy this week. The state Legislature is weighing Assembly Bill 1178, which press advocates and police watchdogs said would drastically expand the number of officers whose personnel records were exempt from public disclosure, essentially gutting police transparency bills passed in 2018 and 2021.
Los Angeles Times
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LACo seeks dismissal of nurse's COVID vaccine religion exemption suit
Los Angeles County is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed by one of its nurses who alleges that the 16 months it took for her to get a religious exemption to the coronavirus vaccination has impacted her financially and emotionally. Sylvia Salas’ Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges religious discrimination, retaliation and failure to prevent discrimination and retaliation. In court papers filed Wednesday with Judge Michael Small in advance of a Dec. 2 hearing, county attorneys call Salas’ suit “baseless” and “ripe” for dismissal.
MyNewsLA
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Employer not liable for co-worker’s harassing off-duty, off-premises conduct but should have better protected employee
In Kruitbosch v. Bakersfield Recovery Services, Inc., the California Court of Appeal - for the first time - addressed the issue of employer liability for harassment by a non-supervisory co-worker during non-working hours and off-premises conduct. A coworker (Lisa Sanders) of plaintiff Steven Kruitbosch allegedly subjected him to crude sexual advances at his home and via his personal cell phone away from the premises of their employer, Bakersfield Recovery Service, Inc. (BRS).
JD Supra
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Here’s how an LA plan to reimburse detained immigrants for impounded vehicles might work
Los Angeles officials are considering reimbursing those taken into federal custody during immigration-enforcement operations for their vehicles getting impounded - with the Police Commission voting 4-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 16, on how it could work. The City Council is expected to at some point consider the plan.
Southern California News Group
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Veteran politician to challenge Kenneth Mejia for L.A. city controller
Isadore Hall, a former state legislator and Compton City Council member, launched a campaign Monday to challenge Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia. Mejia, a young leftist who electrified the typically staid race for controller in 2022, announced his own reelection bid earlier this month. Hall, who is backed by a slew of prominent endorsers, argues that Mejia has been more focused on “social media theatrics” than protecting tax dollars.
Los Angeles Times
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An infamous LAPD scandal, a gang shooting and a 25-year fight to prove a teen innocent
On the night Los Angeles police claim he carried out an act of gangland vengeance, Oscar Eagle could barely walk. In March 1998, Eagle was only 17 and using crutches to get around after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting. The bullet is still in his leg to this day, marked by a coin-shaped indentation on his calf. At the same time that police allege Eagle opened fire on an 18th Street gang member in an act of retribution, he says he was at an East L.A. hospital because a friend's cousin was giving birth, according to court records.
Los Angeles Times
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Appeals court rejects George Santos lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel over Cameo app videos
A copyright infringement lawsuit former Congressman George Santos filed against talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC was properly dismissed by a lower court judge, an appeals court said Monday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected the lawsuit in which Santos alleged that Kimmel deceived him into making videos on the Cameo app that were used to ridicule the disgraced New York Republican on air.
Associated Press
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Could the school have known?
A school district in California was able to dismiss a 15-year-old student’s substantive due process and Title IX sexual discrimination claims in his family’s complaint alleging he was sexually abused by his teacher, who then accused him of raping her when someone caught them in the act. No evidence showed the principal knew the teacher had any history of touching or sexually grooming students, or that she was aware of rumors about the teacher.
Courthouse News Service
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A popular L.A. sheriff touted reforms in a troubled system. Then a young FBI agent showed up
When Leah Marx began visiting Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles in 2010, it did not immediately raise alarm among the people who ran it. Most of the time, jailers just looked at her federal ID and let her in without asking why she was there. If they did, she said she was investigating a human trafficking case. It was a good-sounding story. Believable. Perfect to deter further questions.
Los Angeles Times
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Family files legal claim against city and county of LA over 13-year-old boy's murder
A family is desperately searching for justice after their 13-year-old son was murdered, allegedly by his soccer coach. They want the city and county to be held accountable, saying the coach never went through a background check that would have exposed prior sex abuse allegations. The family of a 13-year-old boy from the San Fernando Valley filed a legal claim against the city and county of Los Angeles, saying they didn't do enough to protect the boy.
ABC7
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This Orange County coastal city named safest for violent crime rate
A popular tourist destination was named the safest among Orange County coastal cities in terms of violent crime in 2024, according to the California Department of Justice. With a population of approximately 22,000 residents, Laguna Beach reported only 37 violent crimes and 210 property crimes in 2024, according to a news release from the city’s Police Department on Monday.
KTLA
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Castaic Sports Complex to be renamed in honor of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer
The Castaic Sports Complex is set to be renamed in honor of murdered Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was killed in an ambush two years ago Tuesday. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to rename the county facility the Ryan M. Clinkunbroomer Castaic Sports Complex. Sept. 16, 2023, Clinkunbroomer tragically lost his life in an unprovoked ambush at the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in the city of Palmdale.
KHTS
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L.A. County moves to keep ICE away from data that show where people drive
Los Angeles County is moving to add more checks on how federal immigration officials can access data collected by the Sheriff’s Department that can be used to track where people drive on any given day. County supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a motion, introduced by Supervisor Hilda Solis, to beef up oversight of data gathered by law enforcement devices known as automated license plate readers.
Los Angeles Times
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Lawyers who hit L.A. City with whopping bill on homeless case to get $4 million more
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a fivefold increase to its contract with a law firm that drew heated criticism for the invoices it submitted in a high-stakes homelessness case. Three months ago, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher billed the city $1.8 million for two weeks of legal work, with 15 of its attorneys billing nearly $1,300 per hour. By Aug. 8, the cost of the firm’s work had jumped to $3.2 million.
Los Angeles Times
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LAPD officers fired over a thousand projectiles at protesters in a single day of immigration enforcement unrest
Los Angeles police officers fired over 1,000 projectiles at protesters on a single day in June as demonstrators pushed back against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and decision to deploy the National Guard to the nation’s second largest city. The police department released a state-mandated report Monday on use of force against protesters that included numbers on bean bags, rubber and foam rounds, and tear gas deployed during days of protests in Los Angeles.
Associated Press
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8 arrested after $1.4 million worth of stolen items found in Southern California theft bust
Eight suspects were arrested after authorities discovered $1.4 million worth of stolen merchandise in Los Angeles. The case, which originated from a cargo theft investigation, was being investigated by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau-Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team. On Sept. 10, a search warrant operation was executed at a property on the 13000 block of Alameda Street in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles.
KTLA
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Massive West Hollywood brawl ends with stabbing, suspect at large
A woman is in critical condition after she was stabbed during a massive brawl in West Hollywood early Sunday morning, authorities said. The incident was reported at about 3:30 a.m. on Santa Monica Boulevard, between San Vicente and Robertson Boulevards, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Between 20 and 30 individuals were involved in a fight in that area.
KCAL News
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Fullerton police arrest three suspects in armed jewelry robbery
Fullerton police have arrested three men in connection with a targeted armed robbery that occurred in May, authorities announced this week. On May 10, 2025, officers were called to the 2700 block of W. Orangethorpe Avenue after multiple victims reported being held at gunpoint and having high-end jewelry stolen while walking to their vehicle. The suspects fled the scene at high speed before officers arrived.
KTLA
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Slain LACFD engineer’s brother now lone plaintiff in suit vs. LA County
The brother of a Los Angeles County Fire Department engineer who was slain by an engineer colleague at the Agua Dulce station house is now the sole plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against Los Angeles County and the estate of his sibling’s killer. On Friday, Chatsworth Superior Court Judge Gary Micon named Brent Carlon, brother of the late Tory Carlon, as the successor in to his 85-year-old mother, Bonnie Carlon, who resigned from the family trust in September 2024 due to her dementia. She died Aug. 11.
MyNewsLA
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Q&A: UCPD Chief of Police Craig Valenzuela discusses vision for campus safety
Craig Valenzuela, a UCLA alumnus and former Los Angeles Police Department commander, was appointed UCPD’s chief of police in July. He stepped into the role Sept. 1. Valenzuela will be the fourth person to lead the department in under two years, after it came under fire for its role in policing campus protests.
Daily Bruin
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BWC: Suspect leads LAPD cops on foot pursuit through Kohl’s, tries second escape at hospital
A man was arrested after attempting to flee police twice during a theft investigation at a Kohl’s store in the San Fernando Valley, KABC reported. The Aug. 1 incident unfolded as LAPD officers were conducting extra patrols on at the store due to a recent theft report, according to the department. While inside, they spotted a man holding a large quantity of jeans. When officers approached and spoke to him, the man allegedly tried to run.
Police1
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UC regents allow campus police to replenish military-grade equipment
University of California police departments are replenishing their inventories of military-grade equipment, including drones, ammunition and pepper ball rounds. UC’s Board of Regents on Wednesday approved the requests from police departments at the system’s Irvine, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco campuses. Such requests are required to be made public under Assembly Bill 481, a state law passed in 2021.
EdSource
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AG rules against Central Basin’s Gary Mendez: Agency’s majority built on corruption, not trust
Los Cerritos Community News has been sounding the alarm on Central Basin for years, and the rot just keeps spreading. What was once billed as an emerging regional water agency building reserves while serving millions has now sunk deeper into scandal, with four of its directors under clouds of illegitimacy, corruption, or both.
Hews Media Group
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As RFK pushes MAHA, federal cuts shut down California health and nutrition programs
Earlier this year, Selena Peña spent her days helping Kern County residents learn how to lead healthier lives through nutrition and fitness classes. She was part of a public health team focused on reducing high rates of obesity and heart disease. But in July the county eliminated the program, citing the loss of $12.5 million in federal public health funding. It was early in a series of cascading cuts to Kern’s health programs this year. Other counties are making similar decisions.
CalMatters
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California lawmakers pass bill barring authorities from wearing face masks
California state lawmakers have passed legislation that would ban most law enforcement officers from covering their faces while carrying out operations, a response to recent immigration raids in Los Angeles. But even if the governor signs the measure into law, it’s unclear whether the state could enforce it on the federal agents who have been carrying out those raids.
Associated Press
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Man pleads no contest in shooting death of off-duty Monterey Park police officer
One of two men charged with the shooting death of an off-duty Monterey Park police officer during what authorities called a botched daytime robbery attempt in a parking lot in Downey pleaded no contest Friday, Sept. 12 to voluntary manslaughter. Gerardo Magallanes, now 21, is facing 24 years and eight months in state prison in connection with the Aug. 8, 2022, slaying of off-duty Officer Gardiel Solorio, 26, according to Deputy District Attorney Geoff Lewin.
City News Service
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Kash Patel criticized for his actions and posts during Charlie Kirk shooting investigation
FBI Director Kash Patel’s activities during the investigation of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination raise questions about his decision-making during a crisis, four former FBI officials and two administration officials told NBC News. From the shooting Wednesday to a suspect’s arrest Friday, Patel took steps that gave pause to some federal and local officials and raised questions about his judgment, the sources said.
NBC News
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Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times
President Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit late Monday against the New York Times and some of its most prominent reporters for articles and a book making the case that he built his fortune and reputation in part through fraud. The suit also cites an interview that the Times conducted ahead of last year's elections. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, who served as chief of staff during Trump's first term, warned that he believed Trump met the definition of fascist.
NPR
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Google, Amazon, Microsoft back Cox in Supreme Court case over $1bn copyright verdict
Google, Amazon and Microsoft have joined the US government in urging the Supreme Court to reverse a $1 billion copyright ruling against Cox Communications, warning that the decision threatens internet service providers with liability for user misconduct. Along with Mozilla and Pinterest, the tech giants filed a joint brief (which you can read in full here) supporting the ISP’s appeal of a previous verdict that held it liable for subscribers’ piracy activities.
Music Business Worldwide
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