Officers’ conduct was reasonable in shootout with fleeing felon
Two Stockton police officers who shot multiple rounds at a fleeing vehicle with hostages known to be inside acted reasonably based on the circumstances, the Third District Court of Appeal held yesterday, affirming summary judgment in a lawsuit against the officers by one of the hostages.
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Federal appeals court rejects qualified immunity for police officer who slammed teen into wall
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Wednesday that a Pittsburgh police officer who slammed an unarmed Black teen into a wall is not entitled to qualified immunity. The case arose in 2013 when the El brothers were stopped by Pittsburgh Police Lieutenant Reyne Kacsuta outside of a convenience store on the suspicion they had synthetic marijuana.
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Eighth Circuit hears challenge of ban on police roughing up St. Louis protesters
At a hearing before an Eighth Circuit panel Wednesday, a St. Louis city attorney pushed back on claims that it is police department custom to use excessive force including tear gas and pepper spray on protesters. Robert H. Dierker, representing the city, argued before the three-judge panel that an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry should be vacated.
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Judge may declare lack of jurisdiction without a hearing
The Court of Appeal for this district has held that a judge properly acted on his own motion in determining that the court lacked jurisdiction and was justified in making an in-chambers order denying a default judgment and directing entry of a judgment of dismissal.
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District Attorney office’s peremptory challenge to judge in habeas case was untimely although it had not yet made an appearance, Justice Lamar Baker declares
The Court of Appeal for this district held yesterday that, notwithstanding statutory language that a peremptory challenge to a judge with an all-purpose assignment in a criminal case may be filed by a party within 10 days of making an appearance, a challenge by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was tardy even though it had not yet appeared.
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Man who completed drug program not entitled to sealing of records
The Fifth District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a man who pled no contest to felony possession of a controlled substance, was placed on probation, and completed a drug treatment program as a condition of probation, is not entitled to a sealing of his arrest record.
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Seventh Circuit examines lifetime GPS tracking of sex offenders
The Seventh Circuit on Friday weighed the intrusiveness of a Wisconsin statute that institutes lifetime GPS monitoring of certain convicted sex offenders against the necessity of preventing further offenses from that particular class of criminals. The underlying suit was first filed as a federal class action by eight registered sex offenders in March 2019.
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Lawyer, slammed for insulting bench officer, seeks aid
A lawyer who was upbraided by Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal for characterizing the ruling of a San Diego Superior Court commissioner in terms of a mythological female demon with unusual sexual proclivities, and was reported by the court to the State Bar, on Friday asked the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to block disciplinary proceedings against him.
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California will not waive online bar exam, high court says
Law school graduates looking to practice in California will not be able to completely skip the bar exam, the state’s highest court said. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday shot down a request to grant “diploma privilege,” which would allow grads to work as attorneys immediately without passing the biannual bar exam.
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California court reinstates suit against Google over disclosing company information
A state appeals court reinstated a lawsuit Tuesday by current and former Google employees who accuse the Mountain View tech giant of illegally forbidding them to say anything to the news media or prospective employers about their jobs or working conditions.
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NCAA tells California Supreme Court the USOPC has no legal duty to protect athletes from sex abuse
The NCAA has filed a brief in support of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in a potential landmark California Supreme Court case, asking the court to rule that the USOPC does not have a legal duty to protect athletes from sexual abuse and harassment.
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A federal court may have declared immigration arrests unconstitutional
When police arrest people for suspected crimes, the U.S. Constitution requires them to show probable cause to a judge within 48 hours. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not do that. When ICE arrests people, it typically holds them for weeks before any judge evaluates whether ICE had a valid legal basis to make the arrest.
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Single racial slur by co-worker insufficient for FEHA suit
A single “highly offensive” racial slur made by a coworker was not enough to create a hostile work environment, the Court of Appeal has held, affirming a summary judgment in favor of an employer, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, in an action brought alleging racial discrimination and harassment.
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Supreme Court attorney proposes alternative bar license path for recent law grads
The principal attorney to Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Friday floated the idea of allowing some law school graduates who failed past bar exams to become fully licensed lawyers without attempting to pass the test again if they complete a two-year supervised practice program.
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Federal appeals court strikes down Pennsylvania transit system policy on controversial advertisements
In a victory for news organizations seeking to advertise their reporting, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled last week that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority cannot prohibit advertisements that are political in nature or discuss matters of public debate.
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COVID-19 & Justice System |
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Citing 'COVID-19 protocol,' Supreme Court closes SF offices for two days
California’s Supreme Court closed its San Francisco offices Wednesday due to “circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.” The office will remain closed through Thursday “out of an abundance of caution” to allow the state Department of General Services, which manages the building at 350 McAllister St., “to implement their COVID-19 protocols,” court officials said in a statement.
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Safely restoring access to justice remains top priority in nation’s largest trial court
As Presiding Judge-Elect Eric C. Taylor prepares to lead the nation’s largest trial court amid pandemic-related challenges, restoring access to justice safely and more widely are chief priorities during his upcoming 2-year term. “The Court is focused on a safe expansion of access to justice after a 6-month hiatus of Criminal and Civil trials and non-essential matters,” Presiding Judge-Elect Taylor said.
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Newsom signs Umberg bill to ease COVID-19 courts backlog
Senate Bill 1146 (SB 1146), by Sen. Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana), was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Friday. The new law will solidify the use of web video and other internet technologies to address the growing backlog of civil cases caused by COVID-19 courthouse shutdowns. The bill was jointly sponsored by Consumer Attorneys of California and California Defense Counsel.
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In virus era, federal judges share best practices for jury trials
As courts slowly ramp up efforts to hold jury trials in the coronavirus era, federal judges across the country are sharing best practices and guidelines suggested by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The jury subgroup of the conference’s COVID-19 Task Force this summer “put together ideas for going forward” with civil, criminal and grand jury trials, U.S. District Judge Claire Egan of the Northern District of Oklahoma said Tuesday.
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LAPD officer charged with on-duty theft at illegal marijuana grow house
A Los Angeles police officer has been charged with stealing money from an employee’s personal property while inside an illegal marijuana grow facility earlier this year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Luis Alfredo Mota was charged in case BA490166 with one felony count of second-degree burglary and one misdemeanor count of petty theft.
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DA Jackie Lacey has recused herself from the Daniel Hernandez shooting case
Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey has recused her office from reviewing the April fatal police shooting of Daniel Hernandez after the California Attorney General said her role presents a likely conflict of interest. It’s the latest turn in a high-profile case involving LAPD officer Toni McBride, daughter of powerful police union member Jamie McBride.
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False report charges against OC deputies prompt ethics questions
A flurry of recent felony charges against Orange County sheriff’s deputies - including falsifying police reports - is prompting questions about honesty and integrity lapses within the Sheriff’s Department. Last week saw a series of back-to-back charges and an arrest of current and former deputies, accused in separate cases across multiple years of burglarizing a home, stealing from a shoplifting suspect, and falsely stating in a police report that methamphetamine was booked into evidence.
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‘Desperate people’ poach starfish, mussels from California tide pools, officials say
Hordes of people are descending on fragile Los Angeles-area tide pools to scrape starfish, mussels and other sea life from the rocks, city officials say. The Los Angeles city attorney’s office announced charges Thursday against 45 people accused of overfishing, fishing without licenses and taking restricted species at White Point Beach in San Pedro.
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Man arrested for driving truck into peaceful protesters in Pasadena accused of gun crime
A man who was arrested after allegedly driving a truck through a crowd of peaceful demonstrators during a May protest has been charged with federal gun crimes, authorities said. Benjamin Jong Ren Hung, 28, of San Marino, was arrested Wednesday. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
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Amazon ex-employee charged by U.S. in merchant bribery plot
A former Amazon.com Inc. employee in India was charged by the U.S. with taking more than $100,000 in bribes to give select merchants an advantage over competitors selling goods ranging from electronics to dietary supplements. The illegal arrangement with consultants based in New York, California and Georgia who advise sellers on the online marketplace started as early as 2017, and allowed them to reap $100 million worth of competitive benefits, according to an indictment announced Friday.
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Woman suspected of selling drugs that resulted in ODs
Federal prosecutors on Friday charged a Southern California woman with selling narcotics to several individuals who suffered overdoses, including one who died. Marisol Bolanos Hernandez, 35, faces one count of drug distribution resulting in serious bodily injury, the U.S. Department of Justice said. It wasn't known if Bolanos has an attorney.
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California prosecutors urge governor to veto bill they say threatens public safety
California prosecutors are calling on Governor Newsom to veto a bill that they say would threaten public safety by allowing repeat convicted drunk drivers, elder abusers, and people convicted of weapons charges to have their cases dismissed after “successfully completing diversion instead of being held accountable.”
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Los Angeles man charged with luring two underage female residents
Ventura County deputies arrested a Los Angeles man Thursday who was accused of attempting to lure two underage Ventura County residents for sexual activity, authorities said Friday. Since July, detectives have been investigating the online activity of Bryan Cervantes, 20, of Los Angeles, who was believed to be communicating on social media with two local female juveniles, one 15 years old and the other 17 years old.
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Alleged Southern California narcotics traffickers among those charged in international crackdown targeting darknet dealers
As part of an international effort to disrupt narcotics trafficking on the darknet, members of the Los Angeles Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) Task Force today announced cases brought as a result of Operation DisrupTor.
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California man accused of driving into protesters allegedly used family vineyard as ‘tactical training camp’
A California man accused of driving into a group of protesters over the summer allegedly used his family vineyard as a “tactical training camp” and a place to store his arsenal of weapons. Benjamin Hung was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of conspiracy to transport firearms and making a false statement in acquisition of firearms, according to a statement from U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
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LA District Attorney Lacey in bitter battle with Soros-funded George Gascón
The race for Los Angeles District Attorney may be one of the most important political contests in the country this November. The LA District Attorney’s office, the largest in the country, is currently directed by District Attorney Jackie Lacey. As Los Angeles DA since 2012, Lacey is being challenged by George Gascón, who left the San Francisco District Attorney’s office to move to Los Angeles and run against Lacey.
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Here's what you need to know about the LA County District Attorney's race
The LA County District Attorney's office is the largest local prosecutor's office in the United States and the race for LA County's next top prosecutor will be on the ballot in Southern California this November. The DA oversees a staff of more than 2,000 people and the office prosecutes over 183,000 misdemeanors and felonies in an area covering more than 4,000 square miles, according to the LA County DA's website.
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Why Lacey is the right choice
Normally I do not write letters regarding any politics, but in this case I felt that I had to share my opinion with the voters. I have known Ms. Jackie Lacey (not personally) since the mid-1980s when she was the deputy D.A. in charge of the Newhall Court D.A’s office. I have known her to be highly intelligent, loyal, very pro-law-enforcement and a very highly qualified attorney to hold the post as district attorney for L.A. County.
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LA’s divisive - and defining - race for District Attorney
The two candidates running for Los Angeles district attorney are incumbent Jackie Lacey, who took office in 2012, and George Gascón, who served as San Francisco’s chief of police before taking over as San Francisco’s district attorney in 2011, when Kamala Harris became California’s attorney general.
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In D.A.’s race framed by reform, George Gascón’s police career is under a microscope
Less than two years into his career as a Los Angeles police officer, George Gascón said, he saw a suspect reach for his partner's gun as they struggled to arrest him. At the time, most LAPD officers carried their weapons in what is known as a pancake holster.
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With Lacey, Gascon billing themselves as reformers, L.A.’s DA election sets up fascinating showdown
The largest local prosecutor’s office in the United States, the District Attorney’s Office employs nearly 1,000 attorneys who prosecute more than 71,000 felony crimes - including murder, rape, gang activity, child abuse and robbery - and about 112,000 misdemeanor crimes in 78 of the county’s 88 cities that do not have their own city prosecutors.
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Deputies Shot/Related Issues |
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LA County deputies shot: Key witness sought in Compton ambush
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators want to speak to a key witness, seen on surveillance video, in connection with the ambush shooting of two deputies in Compton. In the footage, recorded Saturday night, the witness who is now being sought can be seen walking nearby on the sidewalk as the gunman runs away from the deputies' parked SUV.
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Villanueva says he won't resign, calls critics ‘downright un-American’
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva blasted the public officials who have called on him to resign Wednesday, vowing to stay on the job and calling the criticism directed at him by members of the county's Board of Supervisors and others divisive, politically motivated and "downright un-American."
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Rep. Torres says the "Eyes of History are Now Upon Us”
In what her office called a "press release," Representative Norma Torres goes to great lengths to explain that she is all things to all people. To the activists critical of law enforcement, she refers to "unchecked police aggression." To law enforcement, she says she knows how important public safety professionals are for emergency response because of her experience as a dispatcher.
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California leads all states in taking advantage of military surplus war-gear under Program 1033
With his lone rifle rack, America’s sheriff, Andy Griffith, once stood as our iconic image of local law enforcement. Now, even in rural towns, your local police department's armory may look more like a Marine Corps weapons depot than anything in Mayberry. Local law enforcement agencies have since 1993 received billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment including mine resistant vehicles, armored trucks, helicopters, M16’s and M14’s, infrared goggles, grenade launchers, and airplanes.
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'It's a get out of jail free card' | Yolo County's $0 bail criticized by DA's office
Denis Bugreyev was arrested and released on $0 bail four times in the weeks before he was suspected of nearly stabbing a woman to death, according to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. The 25-year-old West Sacramento man had been released on probation in late August for a prior felony assault conviction, said Melinda Aiello, Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney with the Yolo County DA’s Office.
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Miracle Mile 4 Justice continues conversation on racial justice and police reform
Back in early August, we reported on a forum about social justice issues held by the Cochran Ave. Baptist Church‘s social justice ministry, Miracle Mile 4 Justice. It was a wide-ranging discussion among several city officials, who - energized by recent protests and subsequent drives to reimagine local law enforcement - vowed at the time to keep the discussion going.
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Gavin Newsom signs law waiving California criminal court fees
A new California law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed late last week forbids counties from charging criminal defendants a number of fees that can keep people in debt long after they leave the judicial system. The law repeals several fees, including the public defense fee, the criminal justice administration fee, the city and county booking fees, parole supervision fees and others.
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LA Metro hotline costing taxpayers thousands per call; whistleblower alleges cronyism (Video)
Allegations of cronyism at some of the highest levels of the LA County government. At the center of it a rarely used sexual harassment hotline costing taxpayers thousands of dollars per call!
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City official uses LAPD as her ‘personal security’ at cost of $100,000 – defunds department by $150 million
Back in June, Los Angeles (LA) City Council President Nury Martinez filed a motion seeking to cut $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), yet she had an LAPD private security detail standing watch outside of her own home for nearly two months.
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Police Commission seeks more info on LAPD using facial recognition software
Los Angeles Police Commission President Eileen Decker said today that she will direct a subcommittee to prepare a report on law enforcement officers' use of facial recognition software to identify potential suspects. Decker said she wants the commission subcommittee to work with the Los Angeles Police Department to report on what oversight of the software is in place and to analyze policies other cities have adopted with regard to facial recognition.
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Vanessa Bryant sues LA County Sheriff's Dept. over photos at crash site
Vanessa Bryant is suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over photos taken at the site of a helicopter crash that left nine people dead, including her husband and 13-year-old daughter, on their way to a youth girls basketball tournament. The widow of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had filed a claim against the department earlier this year for allegedly sharing photos of the Jan. 26 crash scene in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains.
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Protests & Related Issues |
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Seattle pays ex-pimp $150,000 to offer ‘alternatives to policing
Seattle now has on its payroll a convicted pimp who once vowed to “go to war” with the city - a $150,000 “street czar” whose mission is to come up with “alternatives to policing,” reports said. Andre Taylor - who appeared in the documentary “American Pimp” about his life as “Gorgeous Dre” - is getting $12,500 per month for a year, along with an office in Seattle’s Municipal Tower, according to the contract published by PubliCola.
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‘We have not defunded anything’: Big cities boost police budgets
It seemed like a turning point. In May, a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, sparking protests against racism across the country and an unrelenting demand from protesters in city after city: Defund the police. But after months of demonstrations, that rallying cry hasn’t translated into reality.
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Handling of public protests a 'stress test' for police reform
Portland, Oregon, passed a milestone this month: 100 consecutive days of protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Violent outbursts have marked the period of unrest since George Floyd died May 25, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned the 46-year-old Black man to the ground by his neck.
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New racial justice target: Defund the police foundations
Wall Street banks and other big corporations are under pressure to cut ties with nonprofit police foundations, which racial justice activists say are increasingly funding law enforcement practices that fuel violence against Black people. Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Chevron are among the businesses that watchdogs are targeting for making donations to the privately run foundations associated with local police departments.
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Justice Dept. deems New York City, Portland and Seattle 'anarchist jurisdictions’
The Justice Department released a list of cities Monday that it has deemed "anarchist jurisdictions" under President Donald Trump's instructions this month to review federal funding for local governments in places where violence or vandalism has occurred during protests.
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Police officers, communities of color reflect on the struggle to build trust
The ambush of two Los Angeles sheriff's deputies this weekend shocked the country, but it was only the latest incident during a summer of unrest that included nightly stand-offs between police and protesters against police brutality. While the details and motive for this weekend's ambush remain unknown, the incident illustrates the fears of many of those in uniform.
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Dwindling ranks and declining public trust plague police agencies amid summer of protests
Police forces are suffering from diminishing ranks, slumping morale and declining public support as the nation nears the end of a long, fraught summer defined by protests against policing tactics and racial injustice. Agency leaders and experts say the months of demonstrations have left officers strained and departments struggling to both recruit officers and keep the ones they have.
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Some protests against police brutality take a more confrontational approach
Terrance Moses was watching protesters against police brutality march down his quiet residential street one recent evening when some in the group of a few hundred suddenly stopped and started yelling. Mr. Moses was initially not sure what the protesters were upset about, but as he got closer, he saw it: His neighbors had an American flag on display.
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Military confirms it sought information on using 'heat ray' against D.C. protesters
A spokesperson for Joint Forces Headquarters Command in Washington, D.C., confirmed to NPR that hours before federal police officers cleared a crowded park near the White House with smoke and tear gas on June 1, a military police staff officer asked if the D.C. National Guard had a kind of "heat ray" weapon that might be deployed against demonstrators in the nation's capital.
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Defund the police' activist Alyssa Milano calls 911 sparking massive police presence in her quiet California neighborhood claiming a gunman was on her property
Actress and 'Defund the police' activist Alyssa Milano was quick to call cops when she believed an armed gunman was on her Bell Canyon property on Sunday morning. The call ignited a response that included seven Ventura County Sheriffs' vehicles, one K-9 unit, a police helicopter and one Los Angeles Fire Department team that sat down the street on standby.
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ULCA PD alert public about false representation of a police officer scheme
UCLA police are warning the public about an extortion scheme active in the Westwood area. According to the UCLA Police Deparment (UCLA PD) beginning on September 17, multiple UCLA affiliates reported being called by someone claiming to be from campus police.
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Michigan attorney general reminds people to watch for phishing scams following Blackbaud security breach
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning consumers today telling Michigan residents, particularly college and other nonprofit donors, to be on the lookout for fraudulent emails and phone calls seeking personal information or suspicious donation requests.
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Vote no on ballot-box-budgeting Measure J in L.A. County
Far from being as politically and socially hidebound as they are made out to be, it’s amazing how swiftly people’s views can change when they see with their own eyes the magnitude of a problem they had overlooked before. After witnessing on video the entirely unwarranted police killing of George Floyd this year, millions of Americans - by no means all the kinds of folks who would ever march in the streets - have understood that justice has a long way to go in our country, and that the way we do law enforcement needs to change.
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Prop 25 will make us less safe
This November, voters will decide the fate of Proposition 25 and whether California embarks on a dangerous experiment using the latest trend in the criminal justice reform movement: eliminating bail. Fortunately for those of us who value public safety, voters - not state politicians - will have the final say on this misguided idea that will needlessly endanger our local communities.
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3 props address CA housing issues
Housing, one of the most salient issues in California, is a subject of three statewide propositions on the November 3 ballot. Proposition 15 would repeal some caps on commercial property taxes first imposed by 1978's Proposition 13. Proposition 19 would allow older, disabled, and some displaced Californians to move their property tax rates with them throughout the state - but would also require the inheritors of homes to live in them in order to claim lower property tax rates.
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Pandemic touted by both sides in fight over California Property Tax Reform Measure
Years in the making, a plan to tinker with California’s iconic property tax code and raise fees for commercial landlords wasn’t hatched as a pandemic fix or budget liberator. But much like any experienced politician, the group testing framework often referred to as the “third rail” of California politics isn’t letting a crisis go to waste.
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The virus made them do it
“If you want to be loved,” said the instructor on my first day in the police academy, “you should have joined the fire department.” It was almost 40 years ago that this bit of wisdom was imparted to me, and rare is the rookie cop who hasn’t heard it since or who won’t hear it in the future. Assuming, that is, there will be any more rookie cops.
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Changing views of police and race relations
Californians’ perceptions of police treatment and race relations have shifted - dramatically, in some cases - in the wake of nationwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism. But these changes are far from uniform and reflect deep cleavages in public opinion today. The September PPIC Statewide Survey asked this question about the police in Californians’ local communities: Do residents think all racial and ethnic groups are treated fairly?
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Murder defendant shot, woman killed in Fresno CA on Hwy. 180
A Fresno man who was freed of murder charges Tuesday was shot and his girlfriend fatally wounded on Highway 180 just minutes after he walked out of jail, his attorney said Wednesday. Michael Garcia, 21, had been held on $1,700,000 bail since June 2019 in the shooting death of Gregory Garza, 23.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish: Not to have Donald Trump choose replacement
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who broke gender barriers, told her granddaughter before she died that her wish was not to have her seat filled until a new president is elected. "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed," Ginsburg told Clara Spera in the days before her death, NPR reported.
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A 5-decade-long friendship that began with a phone call
In 1971, newly assigned to cover the Supreme Court, I was reading a brief in what would ultimately be the landmark case of Reed v. Reed. It argued that the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause applied to women. I didn't understand some of the brief, so I flipped to the front to see who the author was, and I placed a call to Rutgers law professor Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
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Mendocino County Sheriff requests National Guard for August complex
Mendocino County Sheriff Kendall is currently acting in Unified Command with CALFIRE and has recognized that CALFIRE has a 53% decrease in their Type 1 Hand Crews that are staffed by inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
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Shooters open fire on home of New Jersey police officers in ‘targeted attack,’ Chief says
At least one gunman attacked the home of two Camden County, New Jersey police officers and their 10-day old infant earlier this week in what the police chief has since labeled a “targeted attack,” which came days after two Los Angeles deputy sheriffs were ambushed by gunfire in their vehicles.
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NYPD cop spied on Tibet natives for China
A New York City police officer who also serves in the U.S. Army Reserve was arrested Monday on federal charges that accuse him of spying on fellow ethnic Tibetans while acting as an illegal agent for China. The 33-year-old cop, Baimadajie Angwang, who was born in the region of Tibet in China, allegedly reported to officials at the Chinese consulate in New York on the activities of other Tibetans in the New York area.
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Bloomberg pays fines for 32,000 felons in Florida so they can vote
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has reportedly raised more than $16 million in an effort to help convicted felons in Florida register to vote. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition estimated Bloomberg's fundraising push has already paid off monetary obligations for 32,000 felons, Axios reported.
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Governor again denies parole for ex-Mexican Mafia member
Rene Enriquez, a Mexican Mafia member who defected 18 years ago and helped law enforcement authorities incarcerate dozens of his onetime confederates, has been denied parole by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the fifth time in a row the state’s governor has overruled a recommendation to free him.
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District Attorney secures parole denial for convicted murderer Richard Flowers
Convicted Tulare County murderer Richard Flowers was denied parole for another three years earlier this month despite the Governor commuting his life sentence in March. On Sept. 10 via video conference, prosecutors with the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office argued against Flowers’ release and secured a three-year parole denial for the 64-year-old.
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Convictions/Plea/Sentences |
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Corona woman sent back to prison for role in celebrity-based scam
Carolyn Marie Jones, 57, was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald after she admitted violating the terms of her supervised release. Once she completes this prison stint, Jones will be on supervised release for 40 months.
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Ex-Orange County lawyer gets life for strangling, throwing ex-wife off ship
A former Orange County attorney who strangled his ex-wife and threw her off of an Italian cruise ship was sentenced Friday, Sept. 18, to life in prison without the possibility of parole, more than a decade after the woman’s body was discovered floating in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Gang member sentenced to 19 years in prison for fatal 2016 shooting of 1-year-old Compton girl: DA
A Hawthorne man who pleaded no contest to charges related to the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old girl in Compton more than four years ago has been sentenced to 19 years in state prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Denzell Davon Hull’s sentencing comes after the 28-year-old entered a no contest plea to one count of attempted murder and admitted to using a firearm as a deadly weapon, according to the DA’s office news release.
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L.A. Times shaken by a summer of turmoil and scandals
On a Friday night last month, Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine sent a short email to the newsroom, announcing sports columnist Arash Markazi had resigned. The columnist had copied information contained in seven stories from other sources, an internal investigation found. Pearlstine said “for the record” clarifications were added to each of the articles.
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Vons attempts to ban storefront group from collecting signatures
The parent company of Vons supermarkets is seeking a court order to ban a specific group of individuals who have been collecting signatures in front of the Inglewood location. The company also hopes to prevent the group from soliciting shoppers at all of their markets statewide. The defendants were identified only as John Does 1-60 in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, which was filed Thursday.
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Berkeley will be first in the nation to ban candy, soda at checkout aisles
Berkeley’s City Council has passed an ordinance that will remove unhealthy food from grocery store checkout aisles. The ordinance is the first of its kind in the U.S., supporters said. The new policy will require retailers larger than 2,500 square feet to stock healthy food at the register and in areas where customers wait in line, instead of items like chips, soda and candy.
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The cop, lawyer and Walmart executive who took on college football
In 2017, an attorney named Thomas Mars was driving around Mississippi listening to an audiobook called "The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football." He knew almost nothing about college football. He knew even less about how much the book's title would soon come to define him. Three years later, Mars has become the unlikeliest rabble-rouser in the sport.
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Secret documents show how North Korea launders money through U.S. banks
North Korea carried out an elaborate money laundering scheme for years using a string of shell companies and help from Chinese companies, moving money through prominent banks in New York, according to confidential bank documents reviewed by NBC News.
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Pandemic’s toll on public pension plans
Battered by the coronavirus pandemic and low interest rates, public pension plans are headed for a record shortfall, posing risks to the living standards of millions of employees and retirees. Although pension investments have recovered from a March low point as equity markets rebounded during the summer, they’re likely to fall short of their 2020 targets by four to five percentage points, according to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
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