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People can’t be detained just for trying to avoid police, California Supreme Court says
Police officers cannot detain someone on the street just because that person tries to avoid contact with them, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision has immediate implications for police officers working all across the state, restricting the grounds under which they can stop and hold people for questioning.
Los Angeles Times
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Evidence of another suspect was improperly excluded
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday reversed an order denying a writ of habeas corpus sought by a man who was convicted of a murder that occurred 35 years earlier, holding that it was error to exclude potentially exculpatory evidence that police had another suspect, one who had dinner with the victim on the night of slaying.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Arizona students denied relief from suspensions for pro-Palestine protests
A federal judge declined on Friday to reverse disciplinary action given to 20 Arizona State University students who were arrested and suspended for a campus protest against U.S. support of Israel's actions in Gaza. The 20 plaintiffs in the case were among more than 70 students arrested by university police Saturday during a campus sit-in objecting to the United States' continued military aid to Israel, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Courthouse News Service
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Ninth Circuit frowns at California exclusion of Orthodox Jewish schools from special education funds
A Ninth Circuit panel expressed strong reservations Tuesday about a California law that excludes Orthodox Jewish and other religious schools from receiving public funds to provide special education services to disabled students. "Standing on its own, it's pretty clearly discriminatory," U.S. Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw, a Bill Clinton appointee, observed at a hearing in Pasadena, California, where a group of Orthodox Jewish parents and schools appealed the dismissal of their lawsuit last year.
Courthouse News Service
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9th Circuit upholds California law that gives researchers access to gun owner data
California law allowing researchers to obtain records of all guns and ammunition bought in the state does not violate gun owners’ privacy or their right to keep and bear arms, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. The law, AB173, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 but blocked in November 2022 by a San Diego judge in a privacy-rights suit by gun advocacy groups.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Judge advances swath of DA’s homelessness suit against Sacramento
A lawsuit filed against the city of Sacramento by the county district attorney over the city’s failure to address its homeless situation can proceed though some of its avenues have been barred for now, a judge ruled Thursday. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho sued the Golden State's capital city this past September, claiming it had failed to enforce its own laws.
Courthouse News Service
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Justices uphold civil forfeiture standards amid abuse fears
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people whose property is seized during criminal investigations of others aren't entitled to a quicker process to seek its return, even though a majority of justices expressed concerns about the constitutionality of civil forfeiture systems in general.
Law360
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Pseudonyms for witnesses did not violate due process
Div. One of this district’s Court of Appeal held yesterday that there is no blanket right to cross examination, confrontation, or witness identity disclosure in student disciplinary proceedings where credibility of the witnesses is not central to the action, despite a recent trend in case law providing that the names and expected testimony of adverse witnesses must be provided in such actions relating to sexual misconduct.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Rebranded 'ghost gun' machine is being sold illegally in California, says county lawsuit
San Diego County is suing a company it says is flouting state law by selling milling machines primarily used to create parts used to assemble untraceable “ghost guns.” The suit accuses Defense Distributed of slapping a new name and paint job on its “Ghost Gunner” milling machine, which is barred from sale in California, instead calling the device “Coast Runner” and illegally marketing and selling in it the state.
San Diego Union-Tribune
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Excessive force claims survive in case of unarmed Black man killed by Las Vegas cops
The bulk of wrongful death claims against Las Vegas police officers accused killing a 50-year old Black bicyclist during an arrest five years ago will continue on after a federal judge ruled Tuesday that they may have used excessive force in the arrest and are not shielded by qualified immunity.
Courthouse News Service
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Felony charges against Gascón’s top advisor spark confusion, criticism in L.A. D.A.’s office
When one of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón’s top advisors was charged with 11 felonies last month, his critics were quick to pounce. Though Gascón himself has not been charged with any wrongdoing, the case against Assistant Dist. Atty. Diana Teran has set off the latest in a seemingly endless wave of controversies for the embattled progressive as he seeks a second term.
Los Angeles Times
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L.A. prosecutors say recording of racist City Hall conversation was a crime but refer case to city attorney
A crime was committed by at least one former employee of the L.A. County Federation of Labor in connection with the recording of a racist conversation that rocked City Hall, according to L.A. County prosecutors. But the prosecutors declined to file felony charges, and it will now be up to City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office whether to charge the employees with misdemeanors, according to a memo made public late Friday.
Los Angeles Times
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Prosecutors ask Ninth Circuit to reinstate arson charges against George Floyd protesters
Federal prosecutors on Monday asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a judge's ruling dismissing an indictment against two men accused of torching a police car during the 2020 George Floyd protests as the defendants accused the government in turn of selective prosecution.
Courthouse News-Service
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Burbank elementary school teacher's son charged with her murder
A 25-year-old man was charged Thursday with murdering his mother, a longtime teacher, at her home in Burbank. Kyle Lombardo was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $2 million bail while awaiting arraignment May 22 in a Pasadena courtroom in connection with the killing of his 57-year-old mother, Karyn Lombardo, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
City News Service
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UCLA bosses ignored UC policies and now engage in blame-shifting
Ten years ago, the UC system created a comprehensive guide of roles, responsibilities, and planning for the UC system and individual campuses to follow in responding to civil disobedience on campuses. These guidelines remain in effect to this day.
Wade Stern/Federated University Police Officers’ Association
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Legal aid, defense extended to detained UCLA protesters after encampment clearing
Efforts are active to provide legal aid and defense to those detained Thursday after police cleared the Palestine solidarity encampment in Dickson Plaza. According to a Thursday statement by Chancellor Gene Block, more than 200 protesters were arrested following UCLA administration’s decision to disband the encampment.
Daily Bruin
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Norwalk man mistakenly jailed for 5 days on child molestation charge, suit alleges
A case of mistaken identity landed a man in Los Angeles County jail for five days after Whittier police wrongfully arrested him on an active child molestation warrant, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week. The lawsuit alleges Victor Manuel Martinez Wario of Norwalk was falsely incarcerated in 2023 at Men’s Central Jail, where he was put at risk for attack by fellow inmates because he was forced to wear a specially colored jumpsuit indicating his status as a sex offender and a wristband worn by suspected child molesters.
Orange County Register
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Voters likely to decide changes to Proposition 47 in November elections thanks to push by county DA, Sheriff
California voters are likely to experience deja vu during the Tuesday, Nov. 5, general election as a newly proposed proposition, should it pass, would drastically amend Proposition 47, which lessened charges associated with non-violent property crimes and drug possession, will likely appear on the ballot.
Valley News
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Former Los Angeles DA Lacey endorses Nathan Hochman
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney and lifelong Democrat Jackie Lacey Monday endorsed Nathan Hochman in his campaign to unseat current DA George Gascon. “We must have leadership at the District Attorney’s Office that understands its mission is to seek justice by, among other things, sending a message that criminal behavior is unacceptable in our county. We don’t have that with the current District Attorney,” Lacey said.
California Globe
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Concerned parents calling for heightened police presence on LAUSD campuses
Parents gathered at a Los Angeles Unified School District board meeting Tuesday morning to call for an increased police presence on school campuses. The 2020 decision to slash the school police budget by a third has led to a rise in shootings and incidents regarding students with firearms at all LAUSD schools, parent Maria Luisa Palma said, adding that the number of stabbings and reports of students using drugs at school have also risen.
KTLA
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Ninth Circuit upholds, but trims, verdict in favor of former porn actress who sued nursing school
The Ninth Circuit on Monday upheld a jury's verdict in favor of a former porn actress who sued a community college for discrimination - though the federal appeals court did shave $1 million off the $1.7 million she was originally awarded. Nicole Gililland, who appeared in adult films under the name Bree Barrett, sued Southwestern Oregon Community College and its district in 2019 for breach of contract and for violations of Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination.
Courthouse News Service
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UCLA protesters equipped with heavy tools, planned to occupy building, police say
A group of 44 protesters who were arrested on UCLA's campus early Monday were equipped with bolt cutters, super glue, padlocks and other items that indicated they intended to vandalize and occupy a building on campus, police said Wednesday. The stunning new details were brought to light in a UCLA police statement which indicated the group was also carrying printed materials such as "The Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide" even as social media posts were calling for occupation of the school's Moore Hall.
ABC7
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Deputy arrested in drug smuggling investigation at LA County jail in Castaic
Internal affairs investigators arrested an LA County Sheriff's deputy in an investigation focused on how illegal drugs were being smuggled into the county's sprawling jail facility in Castaic, according to officials and several law enforcement sources. Deputy Michael Meiser was booked April 30 on an unspecified felony charge, according to jail records.
NBC4
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Jennifer Seetoo wins lawsuit against LA County involving former boss Alex Villanueva
Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Seetoo has won her lawsuit against Los Angeles County implicating former Sheriff Alex Villanueva. Villanueva was accused of discrediting Seetoo by spreading false rumors about her and denying her the opportunity to interview for a promotion. In just under two hours of deliberations, a jury awarded Seetoo just over $971,000 in damages.
Malibu Times
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Removing 750 LA County probation officers from field duties sparks court delays, diminished oversight
Rank-and-file probation officers and the union that represents them claim the loss of hundreds of staff members from field offices throughout Los Angeles County is creating frustration, long court delays and a lack of oversight for thousands of convicted criminals.
Pasadena Star News
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UCLA finally asks for FBI help - but to investigate pro-Israel supporters
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Chancellor Gene Block says the college has contacted the FBI and the LA District Attorney’s Office about investigating a group of pro-Israel counter-protesters who allegedly attacked an anti-Israel campus encampment, sparking hours of violent clashes.
WCSI
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Man who tackled Dave Chappelle at Hollywood Bowl files lawsuit against venue
The man who tackled comedian Dave Chappelle onstage two years ago has sued the Hollywood Bowl and its security team, alleging negligent security and battery. Isaiah Lee, who pleaded no contest to charges relating to the 2022 incident and was sentenced to jail because of it, alleged in a civil lawsuit that security guards employed at the venue for the “Dave Chappelle and Friends” event pulled Lee off of Chappelle and began beating him ruthlessly, spitting on him and dislocating his arm intentionally.
Los Angeles Times
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Mayor Bass and the LAPD Hotline!
911 - Have you ever had to call 911 as a resident of Los Angeles? I have, and on more than one occasion! And, as a former cop and law enforcement supporter, I’ve been underwhelmed by the city 911 system that put me on hold for over half an hour, only to have no officer ever show up at my residence in response to a 5150 female banging on my front door at 3 am in 2022.
CityWatch LA
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On the violent left, eternal recurrence
Have we learned nothing from the past? It’s not as though we need to explore antiquity for lessons in how to confront today’s issues. While such an exploration would no doubt be helpful, any effort in that direction is beyond - far, far beyond - the stunted intellectual capacities of our current crop of ruling elites, certainly to include our degreed betters running our so-called institutions of higher learning.
The Pipeline
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TikTok sues feds over ‘obviously unconstitutional’ potential ban
TikTok filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a bid to block recently passed legislation that would force the application to be divested from Chinese parent-company ByteDance or be banned in the U.S. In the suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, TikTok claims the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is “obviously unconstitutional.”
Courthouse News Service
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Campus chaos
There’s a manhunt underway in Los Angeles, one in which the police are bringing to bear all the very latest in technology in pursuit of their quarry. If you suppose it’s a serial killer they’re after, or perhaps members of the many robbery and burglary rings recently plaguing Southern California, you haven’t been paying attention to the news.
Jack Dunphy/PJ Media
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LA Sheriff's detectives raid 12 locations, recover mass amount of stolen merchandise
Early Thursday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives raided a small South L.A. market, where they discovered boxes stacked floor-to-ceiling of stolen merchandise, much of it still bearing store tags. The raid was one of 12 that happened Thursday, as part of the Organized Retail Crime Task Force's efforts to crack down on theft crews.
KCAL News
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New FBI warning as hackers strike: Email senders must do this 1 thing
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of State have issued a joint cybersecurity advisory warning of state-sponsored email hack attacks that evade authentication security measures. The attackers have been identified as APT43, a hacking group linked to the North Korean military intelligence agency.
Forbes
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Homeowners say L.A. too lenient on crime after safe stolen during home break-in
Homeowners in Playa Del Rey are frustrated and upset after thieves broke into their residence and stole numerous personal items, including a safe containing tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash, jewelry, and family heirlooms. The couple says the break-in happened around 9:30 p.m. on May 3, while they were away for the evening.
KTLA
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Los Angeles magazine, two other SoCal outlets, sold to attorneys Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas
Los Angeles magazine, a long-running institution in the city’s media ecosystem, has been purchased by attorneys Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas, the publication announced Monday. The acquisition marks a new chapter for a publication that bills itself as “Southern California’s oldest glossy and the first city magazine in America.”
Los Angeles Times
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33.9 percent pass February State Bar exam
Passing the February bar exam were 1,337 applicants for admission as attorneys - 33.9 percent of those taking the test - the State Bar of California has announced. That was a slight increase in the success rate one year ago, with 32.5 percent passing the February 2023 exam. The success rate is typically lower for the February exam than that administered in July because a higher percentage of those taking the winter test - this year, 69.7 percent - previously attained insufficient scores.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Ex-Trump lawyer Eastman should lose state law license for efforts to overturn election, judge says
A judge has recommended that conservative attorney John Eastman lose his California law license over his efforts to keep former President Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election. Eastman, a former law school dean, faced 11 disciplinary charges in the state bar court stemming from his development of a legal strategy to have then-Vice President Mike Pence interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
AP
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‘Are you a Zionist?’ checkpoints at UCLA encampment provoked fear, debate among Jews
Eilon Presman was about 100 feet from the UCLA Palestinian solidarity encampment when he heard the screams: “Zionist! Zionist!” The 20-year-old junior, who is Israeli, realized the activists were pointing at him. “Human chain!” they cried. A line of protesters linked arms and marched toward him, Presman said, blocking him from accessing the heart of UCLA’s campus.
Los Angeles Times
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