Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits

No immunity for D.A. investigator accused of lying in report

An investigator with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is not entitled to qualified immunity relating to accusations that he fabricated evidence in an extortion case involving a wealthy couple who accused an attorney of trying to shake them down for money, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Judge grants wife of Weezer bassist mental health diversion in criminal case

The wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner was found to be eligible for a mental health diversion program by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, which could lead to the dismissal of her two felony charges linked to an encounter with police where she was shot. Jillian Shriner was originally booked on suspicion of attempted murder after she was shot earlier this year by Los Angeles Police Department officers during a search for hit-and-run suspects in her Eagle Rock neighborhood.

KCAL News

Ninth Circuit rejects free speech challenge to SEC “No Admit, No Deny” rule but warns against unconstitutional restraint of speech

For more than five decades, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) “no admit, no deny” (NAND) settlement policy has been a cornerstone of its enforcement program. Rule 202.5(e) of the SEC’s Rules of Practice permits defendants and respondents in federal court and administrative proceedings to consent to a judgment without admitting the allegations, provided they likewise do not deny those allegations.

JD Supra

Judge blocks feds from tying funding to food stamp data

A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the government from withholding funding from states that refuse to provide the personal information of people who receive food stamps. U.S. Senior District Judge Maxine Chesney granted a temporary restraining order to all but one state suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its demand that states turn over certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) records to the government.

Courthouse News Service

California S.C. erred in denying killer’s habeas petition

The Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals held yesterday that the California Supreme Court acted unreasonably in summarily denying a petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by a convicted murderer who claims that the prosecutor in his case falsely represented to the jury at trial that a star witness did not receive benefits in exchange for his testimony, where the convict submitted a declaration swearing that a deal was made.

Metropolitan News-Enterprise

CA owes $5M in legal fees after losing lengthy disability discrimination case

An appellate court ordered California to pay over $8 million in damages and legal fees this week to a former state employee and her attorneys after she won a disability discrimination case, which the state declined to settle on multiple occasions. In 2022, a jury awarded Diana Bronshteyn, a Los Angeles County resident, $3.3 million for the Department of Consumer Affairs’ failure to make accommodations based on her needs as someone with fibromyalgia.

The Tribune

Company wins $1.9 million verdict in Baldwin Park cannabis corruption scandal

A company that purchased a cannabis license connected to a bribery scheme set up by Baldwin Park officials has won a $1.9 million verdict against the city, its former city attorney, a City Council member and a former councilmember. Following a five-day trial in the civil case, a jury determined that former City Attorney Robert Tafoya, Councilmember Manny Lozano and former Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco committed fraud and are personally liable for $1.6 million of the total.

Pasadena Star News

California issues historic fine over lawyer’s ChatGPT fabrications

A California attorney must pay a $10,000 fine for filing a state court appeal full of fake quotations generated by the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT. The fine appears to be the largest issued over AI fabrications by a California court and came with a blistering opinion stating that 21 of 23 quotes from cases cited in the attorney’s opening brief were made up. It also noted that numerous out-of-state and federal courts have confronted attorneys for citing fake legal authority.

CalMatters

Car wash owner in Van Nuys files $50M claim against DHA

A 79-year-old car wash owner who says he was injured when agents body slammed and subjected him to other violent treatment during a Sept. 9 immigration raid at his business in Van Nuys announced a $50 million damages claim Thursday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and related federal agencies.

City News Service

Amazon will pay $2.5 billion to settle FTC suit that alleged ‘dark patterns’ in Prime sign-ups

Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission, which alleged that the company has “knowingly duped” millions of people into enrolling in its Amazon Prime membership program by using what the FTC has described as “dark patterns,” or, "manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs.”

Wired

Man charged with animal cruelty for viciously killing dog during West Hollywood burglary

A 27-year-old man has been charged with felony animal cruelty, first-degree residential burglary and vandalism for allegedly breaking into his former roommate’s home and violently beating the victim’s small dog and throwing it off the balcony onto a nearby construction site, where it was found dead. “The level of animal cruelty in this case is deeply disturbing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. 

L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release

Man who fired a gun into ABC affiliate office had note to 'do the next scary thing,' prosecutors say

A man suspected of firing a gun into the ABC affiliate's office in California's capital had written notes in his car that were critical of Donald Trump's administration and a calendar reminder on his fridge to “do the next scary thing," prosecutors said Monday. Nobody was hurt in the shooting Friday into the lobby of the studios of ABC10 near downtown Sacramento.

Associated Press

Driver accused of plowing into crowd outside East Hollywood nightclub pleads not guilty

An Orange County man pleaded not guilty Monday to more than three dozen counts of attempted murder, among other charges, alleging he drove his car into a crowd outside an East Hollywood nightclub. Fernando Ramirez, 29, of San Clemente, was charged July 22 with 37 counts each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He could face a life prison sentence if convicted as charged.

City News Service

Policy/Legal/Politics

FBI fires agents seen kneeling in iconic photo during George Floyd protests five years ago

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has fired as many as 20 FBI agents, including a group associated with a 2020 incident in which agents were photographed kneeling with demonstrators at the height of protests over the police killing of George Floyd, two people briefed on the matter said. The latest round of dismissals at the bureau came at the end of a review by the FBI’s inspection division and recommendations evaluated by the bureau’s general counsel’s office, one person briefed on the matter said. 

CNN

L.A. advances ban on renting RVs to homeless residents on public streets

The Los Angeles City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance aimed at outlawing “vanlording,” the practice of leasing recreational vehicles to unhoused residents on public streets - a phenomenon long visible in Venice and increasingly across the San Fernando Valley. The measure, introduced by Councilmember Traci Park in 2023, amends city law to explicitly prohibit leasing or renting RVs for residential use in the public right-of-way.

Westside Current

Ventura County DA & public defender explain latest Supreme Court decision on immigration enforcement

In a recent decision, the United States Supreme Court agreed with the federal government that where a person works, the language they speak, how they look, and their geographic location may be enough to briefly detain someone suspected of being in the country illegally. This decision immediately stopped a lower court from limiting U.S. immigration officers from making investigative stops in Southern California, including Ventura County.

Vida

UCLA enacts new campus protest rules, several that mirror Trump's demands

As UCLA grapples with sweeping government attacks on its research funding and policies, the university on Friday released new campus protest rules - several in sync with Trump administration demands to crack down on demonstrators - but others that expand free speech zones and allow activities the White House wants to prohibit.

Los Angeles Times

They met at a festival. He was a sheriff's deputy - and a stalker, her lawsuit claims

Briana Ortega had been home for all of three minutes when she heard a fist pounding against her door. She opened it to find a Riverside County sheriff's deputy "claiming a black man with dreadlocks had jumped over her backyard fence" and was trying to break into her La Quinta home, according to court records. Almost immediately, Ortega, 29, suspected Deputy Eric Piscatella was there for other reasons. 

Los Angeles Times

Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments 9.18.25

Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointment of 15 Superior Court Judges: two in Alameda County; one in Contra Costa County, one in Kern County, one in Los Angeles County, one in Marin County, one in Mendocino County, one in Orange County, two in Riverside County, one in San Bernardino County, two in San Francisco County, one in Santa Cruz County, and one in Siskiyou County.

Governor Gavin Newsom Press Release

California mom appeals to Supreme Court in religious-based vaccine dispute after son is banned from school

A California mom says the state is forcing her to choose between her Christian faith and her son’s education, and she’s asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in. The emergency application, filed Sept. 11 and formally docketed Friday, was submitted to Justice Elena Kagan, who handles emergency matters from the 9th Circuit. Kagan could decide on her own or refer the case to the full court, a move that could make the mother’s fight a national test case over faith and vaccines in a majority conservative bench.

Fox News

Celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos claims victory after $100K malpractice verdict is overturned

A Los Angeles jury said this summer that attorney Mark Geragos - famous for representing entertainers and Erik and Lyle Menendez - must pay $100,000 to a youth basketball coach over the lawyer's role in a 2018 scheme to extort money from Nike. But this week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge overturned the six-figure verdict and entered a judgment in favor of Geragos, ruling that he no longer has to pay a dime to the local coach, Gary Franklin.

Los Angeles Times

Trump taps 'Tough Patriot' - L.A. lawyer known for crypto, guns - as 9th Circuit judge

He's never held public office or donned a judge's robes, but an arch-conservative Los Angeles County attorney is racing toward confirmation on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, accelerating the once-liberal court's sharp rightward turn under President Trump. A competitive target shooter with a background in a cryptocurrency, Eric Tung was approached by the White House Counsel's Office on March 28 to replace Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta, a Bush appointee and one of the court's most prominent conservatives, who is taking senior status.

Los Angeles Times

Southern California

'Outdated, unclear and contradictory' alerts hampered Eaton Fire evacuations

An after-action report released Thursday about the Eaton and Palisades fires details how the unprecedented January firestorms unfolded and the failings of L.A. County’s emergency response. It also lays out recommendations for changes and reforms. At a news conference Thursday, county leaders and one of the report’s authors repeatedly emphasized that there was no single point of failure that led to the deaths of 31 people and devastation, but rather, a number of failures caused by a lack of preparation, coordination and resources.

LAist

General managers of two LA city departments fired without warning

Mayor Karen Bass fired Jaime Pacheco-Orozco and Carolyn Hull, the general managers of L.A.’s Department of Aging and Department of Economic and Workforce Development, respectively, on Thursday, according to multiple sources inside the city government. In budget negotiations earlier this year, Bass announced her intentions to consolidate the Departments of Aging, Economic and Workforce Development and Youth Development into the Community and Family Investment Department.

LAist

Can one of L.A.'s tallest towers survive a huge quake? L.A. County won't tell the public what its report found

Ever since the county of Los Angeles purchased one of downtown L.A.'s tallest skyscrapers, questions have mounted over whether the building could be vulnerable to major damage in the event of a massive earthquake. County officials agreed to study the matter. But officials are now refusing to disclose a preliminary report that could shed light on the seismic safety question of whether the county should embark on costly retrofits to make it more reliable after a big earthquake.

Los Angeles Times

Website from LA Controller's Office tracks city spending on homelessness

Los Angeles is working to update its website where the public can view the city’s spending on homeless services, including Mayor Karen Bass’ signature Inside Safe program. The updates were prompted by a request from a federal judge who for years has urged the city and county of L.A. to maintain websites that detail homelessness spending for accountability and transparency reasons, according to court documents.

LAist

Jail watchdog that exposed grim conditions faces elimination under L.A. County plan

An oversight body that has documented and exposed substandard jail conditions for decades would cease to exist if the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moves forward with a cost-cutting plan. L.A. County could save about $40,000 a year by eliminating the Sybil Brand Commission, according to an August report prepared for the supervisors by the board’s Executive Office.

Los Angeles Times

LA County sheriff sued

The backstory: Coretta Simo Love Monk’s California ID said she was female. She had been living as a woman for years. She had breasts. When she was arrested in September 2023, she asked jail guards to place her with other women. But the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jailed her with men and forced her to shower with them. In custody, she attempted suicide.

LAist

Chiquita wants county development fees back 

Chiquita Canyon Landfill is seeking $9.5 million from Los Angeles County, claiming county officials “prejudicially abused their discretion” by refusing to give Chiquita Canyon its money back, which the landfill was charged for an expansion it couldn’t complete. After granting the landfill permission to expand through a conditional use permit, both L.A. County and the Regional Water Quality Control Board “took actions that individually forced Chiquita to close” on Jan. 1, according to the landfill’s lawyers. 

The Signal

Innocent man who spent 38 years in prison gets $25M for wrongful conviction in Inglewood murder

An innocent man who spent 38 years behind bars in California was awarded $25 million in what his lawyers called the largest wrongful conviction settlement in state history. The settlement was reached in August, according to court documents made public on Monday. Maurice Hastings, 72, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole in connection with the 1983 sexual assault and murder of Roberta Wydermyer, who was killed by a single gunshot to the head.

Associated Press

LAX has fallen in global airport rankings. Will a pre-Olympics transformation help?

Earlier this summer, a sewage blockage at Los Angeles International Airport shut down the restrooms and customs facility at Terminal 7. More than 12,000 international travelers arriving in Los Angeles, some for the first time, had to be shuttled elsewhere through LAX for processing, adding extra time at the airport already notorious for traffic.

Los Angeles Times

Public Safety

Person of interest named in unsolved murder of nursing student (Video)

Authorities released the surveillance images of a man who may be connected to the woman’s death. Investigative Reporter Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.

NBC4

LAPD handled far fewer calls during immigration protests

LAPD officers responded to fewer calls for service in June than in May and July, likely the result of weeks of deployments of hundreds of officers for crowd control - tied to protests over more aggressive federal immigration enforcement, the department said Tuesday. Call-for-service data analyzed by NBC4 Investigates showed the LAPD logged 106,942 calls in June, a 21% reduction from the 136,405 calls recorded in May. The number of calls rose to 129,878 in July.

NBC4

LAPD warns Encino shoppers of purse theft crews

At a Wednesday night community meeting, West Valley Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Tim Walia warned residents about what he described as a trend of seemingly coordinated purse thefts in the area. Walia said so-called “distraction teams” are working in groups, with one person diverting a victim’s attention while another grabs their belongings. In some cases, thieves take only a wallet rather than the entire purse, delaying the moment when victims realize they’ve been targeted.

Valley Current

Swastika stickers placed on Teslas in L.A. County spark concern

Two incidents, one in the San Fernando Valley and the other in West Hollywood, is raising alarm among residents and drawing condemnation from city leaders after swastika stickers were discovered on two Teslas months apart. One case occurred at a popular shopping center near Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, where a man wearing a distinctive hat was captured on a car’s dash camera placing a sticker on a parked Tesla.

KTLA

A man secretly recorded women undressing in Target fitting rooms, authorities allege

A Thousand Oaks man was arrested after sheriff's deputies reviewed surveillance video that showed him secretively recording a woman in the fitting room of a Target store, authorities said. And officials said she was not the only alleged victim. Jack Crawford, 25, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of filming multiple women over the span of two months in the dressing rooms of the Target store in the 2700 block of Teller Road in Thousand Oaks, according to a release from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Los Angeles Times

6 arrested for string of jewelry store burglaries in LA, Orange and Riverside counties

Six people were arrested in connection with a series of burglaries and smash-and-grab robberies across Southern California in September, according to Riverside County authorities. Deputies were called to the 72800 block of Highway 111 in Palm Desert on August 9 at around 2:15 p.m. after they were made aware of a robbery that happened at a jewelry store in the area, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. 

KCAL News

California Governor and Democrats celebrate bills calling ICE agents ‘Donald Trump’s secret police’

“Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today,” California Governor Gavin Newsom posted to his X page Saturday morning. “You’re welcome, America.” Gov. Newsom was self-indulgent today having signed five bills that he claims will push back against President Donald Trump’s federal government “secret police” tactics, referring to federal immigration arrests of criminal illegal aliens. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli showed “zero tolerance for direct or implicit threats against government officials.”

California Globe

California law forbids ICE from making arrests at courthouses. Officers are showing up anyway

During the last Trump administration, California Democrats were so concerned about ICE making arrests at superior court buildings and potentially discouraging witnesses from testifying that they passed a law to forbid that kind of enforcement. Picking people up at a courthouse can have a “potential chilling effect” on witnesses, victims and even suspects who are afraid to show up for court, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said earlier this summer. 

CalMatters

America’s love-hate relationship with California echoes in this poll

How divided are America’s feelings about California? Ponder a curious poll of 1,000 American adults conducted for Clever Real Estate, which asked about various traits of the 50 states. My trusty spreadsheet’s review of this popularity contest dug into the nation’s love-hate relationship with the Golden State. For example, the survey took a curious route to gain insight into “desirability” - asking folks to rank states as both “most” and “least” desirable.

Orange County Register

Meta remains on the hook in false advertising suit

Plaintiffs who sued Meta over deceptive advertisements scored a partial win Monday against a motion to dismiss their complaint. U.S. Senior District Judge Jeffrey S. White denied Meta’s motion to dismiss the breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, finding that Meta’s Terms of Services and Community Standards created an obligation for Meta to take action against deceptive advertisers.

Courthouse News Service

Homeowners celebrate after state Supreme Court hands 'monopoly' corporations major loss: 'Equivalent to daylight robbery’

Two years ago, a controversial solar net-metering policy that limited potential energy savings went into effect in the Golden State. Now, residents are celebrating after the California Supreme Court sent the regulation to an appeals court for reexamination. As detailed by PV Magazine, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted a net-metering policy, known as NEM 3.0, that slashed the export rate credited to rooftop solar owners by 80%, effectively raising the average solar customer's bill by $63 each month.

The Cool Down

Corrections officers at Norco prison make plea to state to keep it open

Correctional officers at the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco have started writing Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to keep the prison open, presenting it as an option to alleviate the overpopulation in county jails. California began placing some convicted felons in county jails in 2011, after the Supreme Court ruled that the overcrowding in state prisons resulted in cruel and unusual punishment. Now, according to the lawsuit Bonta brought against Los Angeles County on Sept. 8, the county’s jails are overcrowded and uninhabitable.

Los Angeles Times

Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole

Domestic terrorist sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for firebombing university police car and attempting to firebomb Oakland federal building

Casey Robert Goonan was sentenced today to 235 months in federal prison for committing a series of arsons and firebombings at the University of California, Berkeley and the Oakland federal building in June 2024. Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release

Former Riverside County deputy gets 1 year in jail for voluntary manslaughter in love triangle case

An ex-Riverside County sheriff's deputy who tried to arrest, but then killed, a man over conflicts stemming from their attachments to the same woman was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail and 10 years' felony probation. An Indio jury in June convicted Oscar Rodriguez, 44, of voluntary manslaughter and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation for the 2014 slaying of 39-year-old Luis Carlos Morin of Coachella. Jurors acquitted Rodriguez of first-degree murder.

City News Service

Israeli man avoids jail time for swinging pipe at pro-Palestinian UCLA protesters

A man who prosecutors said was part of a wild mob that attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on UCLA’s campus last year was granted diversion Monday, meaning he will avoid jail time. Edan On, 19, was charged with misdemeanor assault this year for swinging a pipe at members of the encampment in May 2024.

Los Angeles Times

LA County man pleads guilty to delivering deadly dose of fentanyl via drone

A Los Angeles County man has pleaded guilty to using a drone to deliver fentanyl and other drugs to people, including one woman who died of a fatal overdose in 2023. Christopher Laney, now 36, entered his plea on Monday. His charges, distribution of fentanyl and intent to distribute methamphetamine, carry a sentence of between five and 60 years in federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice shared in 2024, when he was charged.

KCAL News

Woman convicted 6 years after Old Town Camarillo bar fight

A 38-year-old Camarillo woman was convicted in a bar assault on Wednesday, a verdict that comes more than six years after the violent incident occurred. Danielle Marie Dixon was convicted on felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury in connection with the Jan. 27, 2019, assault in Old Town Camarillo, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

KTLA

Judge strikes Trump’s defamation suit against the New York Times

Just days after President Donald Trump hit The New York Times with a $15 billion defamation lawsuit, a federal judge dismissed the complaint on Friday, calling it “decidedly improper and impermissible.” In a four-page decision, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday chided Trump’s attorneys for not following federal rules requiring “a short and plain statement of the claim.”

Courthouse News Service

What is the Smith-Mundt Act? Republicans eye rolling back the clock on misunderstood Cold War state media law

Senate Republicans this week said they were taking steps to restore a legal blockade against the dissemination of federally run media material within the U.S., framing the effort as a reaction to “government influence” in media. In the days following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, lawmakers and conservative media figures have dialed in on the Smith-Mundt Act, a Cold War-era law that was amended in 2013, as they suggest that media narratives played a role in the shooting. 

Courthouse News Service

Defense in Vatican 'trial of the century' asks prosecutor to recuse himself for questionable conduct

Defense lawyers in the Holy See’s “trial of the century” asked the Vatican prosecutor to recuse himself from the appeals trial Monday, arguing he was implicated in questionable behavior according to years of private WhatsApp messages that have shaken the proceedings. The chats show Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi has a personal interest in the outcome that should preclude him from heading the prosecution, the lawyers said in separate motions on the opening day of the appeals trial.

Courthouse News Service

Judge limits the Angels’ legal options in Tyler Skaggs wrongful death case

An Orange County Superior Court judge Monday ruled that attorneys for the Angels will be limited in their attempts to blame others than a former public relations director for the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Attorneys for the team argued Monday before Orange County Superior Court Judge Shaina Colover that the Major League Baseball franchise had new evidence indicating the pitcher received narcotics from other sources and that disputed Skaggs’ cause of death during a road trip to Texas in 2019.

City News Service