Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
Sheriff's union granted intervention in personnel records suit
The union representing Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies as well as the Professional Peace Officers Association, have been granted requests to become parties to a lawsuit previously filed by Sheriff Robert Luna concerning subpoenas for deputy personnel records issued by the Civilian Oversight Commission. During a hearing Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jerrold Abeles said both the PPOA and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs have stakes in the litigation's outcome.
Calo News & City News Service
| | |
Malibu Creek whistle-blower seeks new trial
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective who alleged that he suffered retaliation for trying to warn the public about shootings in Malibu Creek State Park prior to one that ultimately proved fatal is now seeking a new trial after a Superior Court judge dismissed his lawsuit last month. In an Aug. 12 filing, attorneys for James Royal said they will ask the court to set aside a summary judgment in favor of Los Angeles County and grant a jury trial, on grounds including irregularities in the proceedings caused by the defendant and errors in law.
Camarillo Acorn
| | |
They were convicted of gang crimes. New California Supreme Court rulings trim their sentences
The California Supreme Court handed down two decisions last week that could impact decades of sentencing for gang-related offenses and allow thousands of people to petition courts to reexamine their cases. Both rulings turned on a 2021 law that raised the standard of evidence for proving that someone broke a law as part of “criminal street gang activity.” In different ways, the Supreme Court chose to apply the new standard to past convictions.
CalMatters
| | |
C.A. revives action against school district for abuse at optional overnight science camp
The Sixth District Court of Appeal has resurrected a lawsuit filed by a student against a school district based on allegations of sexual abuse by a counselor during an optional elementary school overnight science camp outing, finding that the trial court improperly found that the body was immune from liability as a matter of law under a statute providing that those attending “field trips” waive all claims for injuries relating to the excursion.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
| | |
Most Trump tariffs are not legal, US appeals court rules
A divided U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday that most of Donald Trump's tariffs are illegal, undercutting the Republican president's use of the levies as a key international economic policy tool. The court allowed the tariffs to remain in place through October 14 to give the Trump administration a chance to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision comes as a legal fight over the independence of the Federal Reserve also seems bound for the Supreme Court, setting up an unprecedented legal showdown this year over Trump's entire economic policy.
Reuters
| | |
Ongoing legal battle over California’s climate-related disclosure laws
On August 13, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied a motion for preliminary injunction to enjoin California Senate Bills 253 and 261. The Chamber of Commerce and five co-Plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction to halt California’s landmark climate reporting laws on three separate grounds: (i) the laws violate the First Amendment, (ii) the Constitution and federal law preempt SB 253 and SB 261 and (iii) the two laws violate the dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
| | |
Judge rules Trump illegally deployed National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles
A federal judge in California ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration violated a 19th-century law barring the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities when it mobilized 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June. "The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles," U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said in a 52-page filing.
NBC News
| | |
Appeals court revives lawsuit against Ojai council member
A lawsuit accusing an Ojai City Council member of violating California's open meeting law by disclosing confidential information from closed council sessions can proceed under an Aug. 19 appeals court decision. Leslie Rule could still appeal the lower court's dismissal of the case to the Supreme Court of California, but that court accepts only a small fraction of the cases it's asked to hear. Rule did not respond to interview requests, and her attorney declined to comment.
Ventura County Star
| | |
From Lamborghinis to jail: Ex-LAPD cop accused of crypto heist with reputed Israeli mob figure
L.A. County prosecutors accused former LAPD Officer Eric Benjamin Halem of masterminding a home invasion robbery with a man with reputed ties to the Israeli underworld. About $300,000 worth of cryptocurrency, cash and jewelry were stolen from the victim, according to prosecutors. One of Halem's alleged co-conspirators, Gaby Ben, was a close business associate of Moshe Matsri, whom authorities describe as an L.A. leader of the Israeli underground.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
D.A. charges Valencia mom with misdemeanor
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office filed a misdemeanor charge against a mother who was arrested after her 6-year-old girl was found running by herself near a major intersection around 10 p.m. Wednesday. The D.A.’s Office released the criminal complaint filed Friday against Michelle Negrellos, 28, of Valencia, which alleged a misdemeanor violation of California Penal Code section 273a(a), child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, which was filed at L.A. County Superior Court in Santa Clarita.
The Signal
| | |
L.A. cracks down on Hollywood party houses and illegal short-term rentals. Violators to pay hefty fines
The city of Los Angeles is expected to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines after settling multiple lawsuits against the owners of illegal short-term rentals and party houses in the Hollywood area who were accused of creating chaos for neighboring residents. “With excessive noise, disruptive behavior, obstruction of the public right of way, litter and vandalism, party houses are well-known to impact neighborhood quality and threaten public safety,” L.A. City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a news release Tuesday.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
Man charged for towing government SUV during Tatiana Martinez's arrest
A South Los Angeles tow truck driver has been arrested and charged with theft of government property, after allegedly towing a federal law enforcement vehicle during the arrest of TikTok influencer Tatiana Mafla-Martinez. Bobby Nunez, 33, is accused of interfering with a federal operation in downtown Los Angeles when he towed away an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) SUV that was being used to block Martinez's vehicle during her arrest on August 15, according to a press release by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Newsweek
| | |
CSU professor indicted, faces 20 years in prison for assaulting federal agents
Cal State University Channel Islands professor Jonathan Anthony Caravello has been indicted by a federal grand jury for throwing a tear gas canister at federal agents conducting a raid at a Glass House Farms marijuana facility in Camarillo, CA. He has been indicted for a violation of 18 USC111, “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.” During the raid, Professor Caravello, a philosophy and math lecturer, was detained and arrested.
California Globe
| | |
LAPD ends protection of former Vice President Kamala Harris amid criticism over diverting cops, sources say
The Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday discontinued its protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris after heavy criticism within its own ranks that officers were being diverted from crime suppression, sources told The Times. LAPD Metropolitan Division officers had been assisting the California Highway Patrol in protecting Harris and were visible until Saturday morning outside her Brentwood home.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
Newsom promised real progress on mental health with CARE Court. Here’s what the numbers show
Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped up to a lectern on a March day three years ago and proposed a new solution to one of the state’s most difficult problems: How to help the thousands of Californians sleeping on the streets while suffering from severe mental illness. After all, he said, everything the state has done before has failed. One of the state’s prior attempts - a treatment referral program called Laura’s Law - helped just 218 people during the 2018-19 fiscal year, he said.
CalMatters
| | |
LA DA urges California's Newsom to fund new tough on crime proposition
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has called on California Governor Gavin Newsom to fund a new proposition aimed at cracking down on repeat offenders. Proposition 36, which was passed by a landslide in the 2024 general election, increases sentences for certain theft and drug crimes. However, its supporters warn that the law cannot be properly enforced without additional funding.
Newsweek
| | |
City attorney seeks $6 million for legal bills to defend $2 billion in untracked homeless funds
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is asking the City Council to approve a nearly sixfold increase in its contract with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, raising the deal from $900,000 to almost $6 million to cover mounting legal costs in a homelessness case that has already revealed billions in untracked spending. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto submitted the request Monday, with the item scheduled for Wednesday's council agenda.
Westside Current
| | |
Why a court order barring ICE from targeting people based on their race isn't being enforced
Federal agents are violating a court order that prohibits them from racially profiling Latinos and other Southern California residents as the directive winds its way through an appeals process, immigrant advocates and local officials say. U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden-era appointee, imposed the temporary restraining order in Los Angeles more than a month ago, but arrests in locations frequented by Latino workers, such as Home Depots and car washes, have become daily occurrences.
NBC News
| | |
California judge who threatened to shoot lawyers gets slap on the wrist
It is one of the most disturbing judicial misconduct cases in recent memory, yet the California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP) decided last week that Judge Enrique Monguia’s behavior merits nothing more than a public admonishment. That decision is not only disappointing - it is dangerous. It signals to the public, to lawyers, and to litigants that even repeated threats of violence, blatant bias, and callous treatment of vulnerable parties can be brushed aside with a scolding rather than real accountability.
USA Herald
| | |
State legislators heed LA mayor and council, spurn McCourt on gondola legislation
Frank McCourt will have to pursue his proposed Dodger Stadium gondola without legislation that would have limited potential legal challenges to the project. After The Los Angeles Times reported on the legislation, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council publicly opposed it, asking a state Assembly committee to strip the language that would have benefited the gondola project or kill the bill entirely.
Los Angeles Daily News
| | |
Public defender's office seeks removal of Trump's top federal prosecutor in L.A.
The federal public defender's office in Los Angeles filed a motion Friday to disqualify acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, arguing that the Trump administration's pick to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Southern California is unlawfully occupying his post. Essayli, a former Riverside County assemblyman, was appointed by U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi in April, and his term was set to expire in late July unless he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate or a panel of federal judges.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
Gov. Newsom wants to expand CHP crime crackdown statewide: Is it working?
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expanding California Highway Patrol crime suppression teams into more cities across the state, citing what he calls significant progress in curbing criminal activity. After launching targeted deployments in crime-plagued cities like Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino throughout 2024, Newsom is now pushing the strategy statewide - from the Bay Area to the Central Valley and Southern California.
NBC Bay Area
| | |
Fresno murder, mutilation victim’s family speaks out against Prop 57
The convicted killer in a 2021 murder is now released to take in-person classes on a college campus. Sergio Bonboster was stabbed to death nearly four years ago, but his brother Ramon Rodriguez remembers it like it was yesterday. “When we pulled up, everybody was just shaking their heads - ‘it’s him,’” Rodriguez said as a tear rolled down his cheek. Investigators say a 17-year-old girl stabbed him 19 times in October 2021.
KSEE/KGPE
| | |
A judge said CNN 'simply lied' about Alan Dershowitz's impeachment defense of Trump, and he could use that to challenge landmark SCOTUS precedent
Famed criminal defense lawyer and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz lost out again in his defamation lawsuit against CNN, this time as a federal appellate court affirmed the case's dismissal. But a concurrence from one of the judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, agreeing that CNN "simply lied" about Dershowitz's Ukraine impeachment defense of President Donald Trump, could serve as fuel for "further review" and a possible challenge to the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1964 defamation ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan.
Law & Crime
| | |
Rob Bonta’s fantasy sports quagmire
Rob Bonta has concluded fantasy sports betting websites are illegally operating in California. But whether the state attorney general actually enforces that opinion is putting him in a political vise grip. Whatever path Bonta chooses, he risks upsetting a powerful ally: He must either frustrate tribal casinos, who’ve contributed heavily to his campaign - or break with Gov. Gavin Newsom, his longtime Democratic ally and a defender of fantasy sports.
Politico
| | |
DOJ staffer reportedly fired for flipping off the National Guard
“Today, I took action to terminate a DOJ employee for inappropriate conduct towards National Guard service members in DC,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a Friday X post. She also linked to an article about the incident published by The New York Post this week. According to the Post, the staffer was named Elizabeth Baxter and worked for the U.S. Department of Justice’s “4CON” building in the NoMa district of Washington D.C. It was the same building where paralegal Sean Charles Dunn - a man accused of throwing a Subway sandwich at a Border Protection officer - works in.
KNX News
| | |
LA County to pay $20 million to relatives of Palmdale boy tortured, murdered by parents
Relatives of a 4-year-old Palmdale boy who was tortured and murdered by his parents in 2019 are poised to receive a $20 million payout to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that alleged Los Angeles County social workers ignored repeated reports of abuse. Noah Cuatro’s great-grandmother, Evangelina Hernandez, filed the civil suit against the county in 2020 on behalf of the boy’s sister and two brothers.
Los Angeles Daily News
| | |
Feds in LA launch animal abuse task force
Federal officials in Los Angeles Wednesday announced a new task force to prosecute animal abuse cases, including "animal crush" videos that depict extreme cruelty. The federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2019. "Animal abuse is among the most heartbreaking and despicable type of crimes that law enforcement sees," Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement.
City News Service
| | |
L.A. has enough rental subsidies to end veteran homelessness. Why aren’t they being used?
Los Angeles housing authorities have more than enough federal rental subsidies to provide housing for all of the county’s estimated 3,400 homeless veterans. But more than 4,000 HUD-VASH vouchers remain stuck in a complicated bureaucracy while units built expressly for veterans can stay vacant for a year or more. “There are certainly enough available vouchers to eliminate veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County,” said Emilio Salas, executive director of the county housing authority.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
LA County supervisors take up relief for renters after fires and ICE raids
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposed $10 million program to provide rental assistance to tenants affected by January’s destructive fires, as well as recent Trump administration immigration enforcement efforts. Who should apply: If the plan is approved by the board, the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs would have 60 days to set up a new Emergency Rent Relief Program.
LAist
| | |
LA exploring waiving impound fees for cars belonging to detained immigrants
The city of Los Angeles Wednesday took another step toward possibly waiving towing and impound fees for cars that belong to people detained by federal agents amid ongoing immigration enforcement in Southern California. After the LA city council unanimously approved the plan to explore the fee waiver, the Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation will be directed to study the feasibility and submit their recommendations within 15 days while the city drafts an initiative on how to retrieve impounded cars at no cost.
NBC4 & City News Service
| | |
United States sues Southern California Edison Co., seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages for Eaton and Fairview fires
The United States filed two lawsuits today seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages against Southern California Edison Co. (SCE), alleging the company’s negligence caused the deadly Eaton and Fairview fires, which burned tens of thousands of acres of National Forest System lands, killed a total of 21 people, and destroyed thousands of buildings.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
| | |
Domestic violence victim uses hand signal to get help from Alhambra police
A woman used hand signals to escape a domestic violence suspect at a Los Angeles County 7-Eleven, police say. The Alhambra Police Department said someone called 911 after noticing the woman asking for help by using hand signals behind her back at the 7-Eleven located on Fremont Avenue and Montezuma Avenue. Officers arrived and found the woman standing next to Glendora resident John Palombi.
KCAL News
| | |
Newsom deploys crime teams statewide as White House mocks 'copying Trump agenda’
Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., announced on Thursday his plan to deploy California Highway Patrol "crime-suppression teams" across the Golden State to prevent crime and promote public safety. "While the Trump administration undermines cities, California is partnering with them and delivering real results. With these new deployments, we’re doubling down on these partnerships to build on progress and keep driving crime down," Newsom said in a statement.
Fox News
| | |
New enforcement targets people living in cars, RVs on California streets
For months, cities around the state have ramped up enforcement against people sleeping in tents on the street. Now, some are focusing on a new target: People who live in vehicles. Wayne Gardiner, 58, watched his home of 20 years roll onto the back of a flatbed tow truck in San Jose on a recent Monday afternoon. Then he realized he’d forgotten something inside.
He threw open compartments in the bottom of the RV as fast as he could, looking for the pressure-washing tools he uses for cleaning jobs to make extra money.
CalMatters
| | |
California Highway Patrol to protect Kamala Harris after Trump pulls Secret Service detail, sources say
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will receive protection from the California Highway Patrol after President Trump revoked her Secret Service protection, law enforcement sources said Friday. California officials put in place a plan to provide Harris with dignitary protection after Trump ended an arrangement that gave his opponent in last year's election extended Secret Service security coverage.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
Thrown out: Judge grants motions to dismiss defamation cases against AP, Puck News
After waiting more than month for a decision, Judge William Scott Henry of Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit granted two motions to dismiss on a pair of defamation suits against The Associated Press and Puck News. The cases were brought by Navy veteran Zachary Young in the wake of his successful defamation case brought against CNN in the same court and before the same judge.
MRC
| | |
Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and Steve Ballmer face a crisis of trust
The Los Angeles Clippers are staring down a scandal that could define their future. Reports allege Kawhi Leonard pocketed $28 million from Aspiration, a tree-planting company funded by team owner Steve Ballmer, without lifting a finger. If true, it wasn’t just a bad endorsement deal; it was a backdoor way to dodge the NBA salary cap.
2 Urban Girls
| | |
Musk targets Apple, OpenAI with antitrust lawsuit
Elon Musk’s X Corp. and its AI subsidiary, xAI LLC, are suing Apple and OpenAI over what they call anticompetitive behavior. In a complaint filed in a Texas federal court Monday, the plaintiffs allege Apple and OpenAI have formed an exclusive partnership that unlawfully stifles competition in both the smartphone and generative AI chatbot markets, harming innovators like xAI and its chatbot, Grok.
Courthouse News Service
| | |
California lawmakers kill plans to curb AI-manipulated prices
A crackdown on predictive software that sets prices and can rip you off seemed to be brewing in the California Legislature earlier this year, but today lawmakers eased up, voting to kill bills that would have kept software from setting the price of apartment rentals and other goods and services. Another bill, which sought to bar the use of personal information to set prices, was reined in to apply only to grocery stores.
CalMatters
| | |
Las Vegas police use 'grappler' tool to disable fleeing car during chase
Newly released aerial video shows Las Vegas authorities using a tool known as a "grappler" to disable a car driven by a suspected carjacker during a police chase last month. The incident occurred Aug. 18 after the suspect allegedly carjacked his ex-girlfriend by pushing her out of her vehicle, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
ABC7
| | |
Attempted homicide of a California medical facility prison psychiatrist under investigation
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating an attack on a psychiatrist at California Medical Facility (CMF) as an attempted homicide. On Aug. 29, 2025, at approximately 12:48 p.m., incarcerated person Jose L. Ramirez allegedly attacked a psychiatrist during a one-on-one meeting. A correctional officer immediately responded to quickly quell the attack, and an improvised weapon was found at the scene.
CDCR News Release
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
Man pleads guilty to pointing laser at LAPD helicopter during protests against immigration raids
A 21-year-old transient from Riverside County pleaded guilty Thursday to aiming a laser pointer at a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter that was monitoring immigration raid protests in downtown Los Angeles. Dominic Rios, whose last known address was in Hemet, was arrested July 7 after investigators filed a complaint. Sentencing was scheduled in Los Angeles federal court on Dec. 4, at which time Rios will face up to five years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
City News Service
| | |
Newsom offers clemency to 5 inmates serving life without parole
Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted the sentences of five inmates serving life without parole for murder, saying Friday that they deserve a chance at freedom after transforming their lives. In all, the governor pardoned 23 people and commuted the sentences of 10 others. Newsom’s office said that many of those offered clemency had experienced childhood trauma and mental health struggles that impacted the choices they made.
Los Angeles Times
| | |
Matthew Perry death investigation: Hollywood “Ketamine Queen” pleads guilty to charges
The North Hollywood woman known as the "Ketamine Queen" pleaded guilty to five federal criminal charges, including the fact that she supplied the drugs that caused the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry in 2023. On Wednesday morning, Jasveen Sangha pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
KCAL News
| | |
Appeal denied in pair of Santa Clarita stabbings, one of which was fatal
A state appeals court panel upheld a man’s conviction for a pair of stabbings in Santa Clarita five years ago, including one that left a man dead. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected the defense’s claim that some evidence was wrongly excluded at Steven Daniel Trujillo’s trial about his history of mental health and substance abuse, along with the defense’s contention that he received ineffective assistance from his attorney.
City News Service
| | |
Nine years later, California court saga over $23,420 housing fee remains unsettled
Nine years ago, in preparation for his retirement, engineer George Sheetz bought a plot of rural land in El Dorado County and applied for a county permit to place a manufactured home on his parcel. Little did he know that what he thought would be a routine administrative transaction would turn into a legal dispute that would wind its laborious way through California courts, reach the U.S. Supreme Court - where he won a unanimous ruling - and is now back in California’s judicial system with the eventual outcome still uncertain.
CalMatters
| | |
$50 million suit against crypto ‘godfather’ reads like a movie plot, featuring corrupt LA deputies
Event promoter Ryan Chapell wouldn’t budge - then the guns came out. Chapell refused to refund half the $50,000 that self-proclaimed crypto “godfather” Adam Iza had paid for his 21st birthday gala. Things went downhill from there. Iza allegedly turned loose his hired thugs, gun-toting, badge-wearing Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who took Chapell’s cellphone at gunpoint and stole thousands from his online bank account, and then framed Chapell on drug charges and falsely obtained a search warrant to trash his West Los Angeles home ostensibly in search of fentanyl and cocaine.
Orange County Register
| | |
Newsmax sues Fox News, calling it a monopoly that abuses its power
Christopher Ruddy’s pro-Trump channel Newsmax on Wednesday filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fox News, accusing the Rupert Murdoch-owned broadcaster of illegally blocking competition in the right-wing pay-TV market. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida against the Fox News Network and its parent company, Fox Corp, accused Fox of engaging in “an exclusionary scheme to increase and maintain its dominance in the market for US right-leaning pay TV news.”
CNN
| | |
Requiring intent to harm for record-sharing breach is error
Div. Three of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held that a trial judge erred in granting a motion for partial judgment notwithstanding the verdict as to the willful intent element required for an award of treble damages in a case asserting a claim against an Orange County Sheriff’s Department employee who shared the plaintiff’s mental health records relating to a temporary involuntary commitment with the patient’s sister.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
| | |
The name is the ballgame: Long Beach Baseball Club announces team-naming contest
Long Beach’s newest proposed sports franchise is taking submissions for an original team name that will creatively represent the city. Long Beach Baseball Club (LBBC), the prospective 13th member of independent Pioneer Baseball League (PBL), will be accepting ideas online through Sept. 12. Residents of all ages are invited to participate in the naming process, with the chance to win prizes like team swag, season tickets and player meet and greets.
Signal Tribune
| | | | |
