Courts, Rulings & Lawsuits | |
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Ninth Circuit finds that convicted felons also have Second Amendment rights
A Ninth Circuit panel Thursday ruled that a blanket prohibition on convicted felons possessing firearms violates their Second Amendment rights, at least when it comes to nonviolent offenders who served out their sentence. In a split decision, the three-judge panel threw out firearm possession conviction of a Los Angeles member of a street gang who had five prior felony convictions and was later sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for being a "felon-in-possession.
Courthouse News Service
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Villanueva to sue Los Angeles County over ‘Do Not Rehire’ designation
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is planning to sue the county after an oversight panel suggested he be placed on a “Do Not Rehire” list. As the Los Angeles Times noted earlier this year, the former sheriff’s attacks on Inspector General Max Huntsman prompted a county oversight panel to find that Villanueva “violated several policies against discrimination and harassment” and “should receive a ‘Do Not Rehire’ notation” in his file.
KTLA
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Cursory acceptance of juror dismissal was insufficient
Div. One of the First District Court of Appeal held yesterday that reversal of a conviction is required where the trial judge cursorily denied a motion challenging as racially discriminatory the prosecutor’s exercise of a peremptory strike against a prospective juror - a Black woman in her 30s - without any discussion of reasons and the prosecutor’s purported justifications for the strike were troubling, unsupported by the record or insignificant.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Beverly Hills must turn over messages in DuPont case
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anne Richardson ruled on May 13 in favor of DuPont Clinic, granting the discovery motion that was filed in response to the city of Beverly Hills’ anti-SLAPP motion. According to court records from May 13, the city must turn over employees’ personal communications relating to DuPont Clinic, including “personal emails, text messages, messaging applications, social media accounts and any other personal communications responsive to DuPont’s requests.”
Beverly Press
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Record insufficient to challenge assault weapon ban on Second Amendment
Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held that a criminal defendant challenging his conviction for possession of an assault weapon on Second Amendment grounds failed to demonstrate error where the issue was not raised at the trial court and the defendant did not sufficiently brief on the underlying history and facts to enable the court to engage in the relevant analysis under current U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Supreme Court pumps the brakes on additional hearing requirements for ‘innocent owner’ claims
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that car owners who have a vehicle seized are not entitled to quick post-deprivation hearings to get their property back faster. The court split along ideological lines, with the conservative majority saying the ruling balanced the interests of the government and individuals facing forfeiture.
Courthouse News Service
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Juror dismissal not required despite statements of bias
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a decision not to dismiss a juror for cause who admitted under intense questioning that “[p]robably I would not be a good juror” and that it would be difficult to consider the charges - attempted sexual enticement of a minor - without being biased was not an abuse of discretion where the juror made an unequivocal commitment to be impartial in an earlier written questionnaire.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Supreme Court denies California’s appeal for immunity for COVID-19 deaths at San Quentin prison
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal from California corrections officials who sought immunity from lawsuits claiming they acted with deliberate indifference when they caused a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at one of the world’s most famous prisons four years ago. The justices turned down the appeal without comment or dissent. The lawsuit stemmed from the botched transfer of infected inmates in May 2020 from a Southern California prison to San Quentin, which at the time had no infections.
AP
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Candidate’s wife did not necessarily become ‘limited-purpose public figure’
An Orange County attorney was not a “limited-purpose public figure” by virtue of her husband being a candidate for the state Assembly when allegedly defamatory remarks concerning her were published, Div. Three of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held. It reinstated her stricken cause of action for defamation explaining that if she is properly regarded as having been a private individual, her inability to demonstrate actual malice is of no consequence.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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D.A. removes Rebecca Grossman’s prosecutors, outraging parents of murdered boys
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has taken the highly unusual step of removing the prosecutors who convicted Rebecca Grossman of double murder, outraging the parents of the two young boys she killed in a Westlake Village crosswalk. Dist. Atty. George Gascón’s office replaced prosecutors Jamie Castro, Ryan Gould and their supervisor, Garrett Dameron, after claiming a conflict of interest in the Grossman case.
Los Angeles Times
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Prosecutors who convicted Rebecca Grossman of murder suddenly removed from case (Parents interviewed)
The LA County District Attorney's Office reassigned Friday the two deputy DAs who successfully prosecuted Rebecca Grossman for the murders of two boys whom she struck and killed in a crosswalk in Westlake Village. The prosecutors, Ryan Gould and Jamie Castro, were "walled off" from the Grossman case after they filed a motion that could lead to the removal of one of Grossman's attorneys, James Spertus, due to a potential conflict of interest, according to several law enforcement sources.
NBC4
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Are they on the case or not: Gascon’s office doesn’t answer Grossman/Teran questions
Exactly contrary to what George Gascon’s chief deputy district attorney Joseph Iniguez said Monday, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys Ryan Gould and Jamie Castro have in fact been pulled off the sentencing and the fighting of the expected appeal in the murder conviction of Rebecca Grossman, said the deputy’s union.
California Globe
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Suspect in shooting of LA County deputy at West Covina stoplight pleads not guilty
The man charged in the shooting of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department motorcycle deputy who was struck by gunfire at a West Covina stoplight pleaded not guilty Monday to attempted murder and other charges. Raymundo Duran, 47, of Covina, remains jailed without bond in the April 22 shooting of Deputy Samuel Aispuro, who was in uniform on his department motorcycle when he was shot in the back.
NBC4
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Moorpark man to stand trial for allegedly bludgeoning to death pro-Israeli counterprotester Paul Kessler
A Ventura County Superior Court judge declared on Wednesday that there was enough evidence to hold for trial a Moorpark man accused in the death of counterprotester Paul Kessler last year. Judge Ryan Wright decided that Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 51, would stand trial after listening to 18 witnesses over a two-day preliminary hearing, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office.
Los Angeles Times
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24-year-old man charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing 7-year-old brother
A 24-year-old California man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his 7-year-old brother. According to a Tuesday, May 14, news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Cristian Gutierrez is accused of stabbing his younger brother at their home on the 9500 block of BenHur Avenue in Whittier, Ca, on the night of Thursday, May 9.
People
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Secret FBI files: Former L.A. city attorney lied to federal investigators and likely obstructed justice
Then-Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer lied to government investigators and probably obstructed justice during a massive federal inquiry into a fraudulent lawsuit orchestrated by his office, according to an affidavit by an FBI agent that was made public on Tuesday. Feuer, who has not been charged with any crimes, maintained his innocence this week.
Los Angeles Times
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More than 1,200 city-owned homeless housing units remain vacant two years after $800 million buying spree
It’s an odd location for the City of Los Angeles to have spent nearly $50 million to purchase a brand new, five story luxury apartment building for the homeless. The neighborhood around 1654 West Florence Avenue in South LA consists of empty, dilapidated storefronts and abandoned, crumbling apartments.
Westside Current
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Congress investigating UCLA over treatment of Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
A congressional education committee has chastised UCLA for its response to a pro-Palestinian encampment and the violent instigators who attacked it, calling on the university to turn over documents regarding an “inadequate response to antisemitism and failure to protect Jewish students.”
Los Angeles Times
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Do cops trust UCLA? Not so much…
Earlier this week, as initially reported by KFI-AM, the OES contacted a number of different agencies to inquire about “renting” officers for 30 days. The officers would work a 12 hour shift alongside the UCLA police department to help keep the campus calm. The local chiefs refused, citing the absence of a coherent plan as to what the officers would actually be asked to do and that the request originated from OES and not UCLA itself.
California Globe
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BAILED OUT?: LA County Board of Supervisors wants taxpayers to fund legal aid for UCLA pro-Hamas occupiers
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion aimed at helping individuals with legal aid who were arrested during the University of California, Los Angeles, anti-Israel encampment. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath filed the motion during the board’s May 7 meeting, which directed the LA County Public Defender to “direct resources and services toward the defense of the UCLA students and affiliates that were arrested on the evening of Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and morning of Thursday, May 2, 2024.”
Campus Reform
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Self-checkout machines face ban in California with new bill aimed at curbing theft
A new California bill has the potential to ban self-checkout options in grocery stores in an attempt to curb retail theft. Senate Bill 1446, introduced by Democratic state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, would “prohibit a grocery or retail drug establishment from providing a self-service checkout option" unless conditions such as ensuring that no more than two self-service checkout stations are monitored by one employee are met, according to a summary of the proposed legislation.
Washington Examiner
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S.F. program gives homeless people free booze. Here’s why the city says it’s helpful
For a small slice of San Francisco’s homeless population that struggles with severe alcohol addiction, nurses offer treatment not in a pill, but in a shot of vodka or a glass of beer. It may sound counterintuitive, experts say, but it helps keep people off the streets and out of emergency rooms, jails - or the morgue.
San Francisco Chronicle
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LA DA's soft-on-crime approach appears to be to blame for deputy's near fatal shooting by violent gang member
Raymundo Duran, a 47-year-old gang member, allegedly shot Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy Samuel Aispuro while he was stationed on his motorcycle at a stoplight. Had the bullet struck an inch higher, it could have been fatal for Deputy Aispuro. Duran's criminal history is extensive and alarming. He has been involved in multiple violent incidents, including felony assaults, while serving a sentence for manslaughter.
Law Enforcement Today
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Despite warnings of violence at UCLA, police didn’t step in for over 3 hours
Late on April 30, Sean Tabibian called 911 to say police were needed urgently at the University of California at Los Angeles. “All hell had broken loose,” Tabibian recalled in an interview. Masked agitators were attacking pro-Palestinian protesters on a campus quad, video footage shows, and a team of hired security guards had retreated.
Washington Post
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Brass knuckles, body cams and bad behavior: LAPD probe links troubled Valley gang units
As Los Angeles police internal investigators dig deeper into one of the bigger scandals in recent department history, they have uncovered links between two troubled anti-gang units in the San Fernando Valley, multiple law enforcement sources told The Times.
Los Angeles Times
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Sheriff’s Department official on decision to cover alleged deputy gang tattoo: ‘Embarrassed’
When word got out, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department rumor mill sprang into action. Some said Joe Mendoza was a hard worker and deserved the coveted promotion. But others whispered that he sported the mark of a “deputy gang.” And he did - but he doesn’t anymore. “I got it covered up,” the newly minted chief told The Times, adding: “I’m not a gang member. I’m a family guy.”
Los Angeles Times
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L.A. mayor’s dog helped stop man who shouted ‘Karen!’ during break-in, sources say
The man who broke into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shouted her first name repeatedly during the early morning security breach last month, leaving a trail of blood after smashing a glass door at the Windsor Park mansion before getting spooked by the mayor’s German shepherd, according to multiple sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.
Los Angeles Times
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LA County has put 66 probation officers on leave for misconduct since January
The Los Angeles County Probation Department announced Monday, May 13, that 66 probation officers have been placed on administrative leave in the last five months for alleged misconduct, including excessive force, drug possession and sexual abuse.
Pasadena Star News
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More than 100 graves desecrated in 2010, says tribe suing LA Plaza, archbishop and county
The Kizh Nation, more commonly known as the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians, is suing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and the nonprofit LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, alleging that the remains of their ancestors were dug up and mishandled during the construction of LA Plaza’s Mexican-American museum in downtown L.A. more than a decade ago.
Los Angeles Daily News
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The ADL files federal complaint against Pomona
On Thursday, May 9, a complaint filed to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights was announced, blaming Pomona College for “permitting severe discrimination and harassment of Jewish students in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” The complaint, filed by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights under Law, accuses Pomona of enabling the growth of a violently antisemitic culture that is unsafe for Jewish students.
Claremont Independent
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University response to student protests prompts flurry of lawsuits
Summer break for universities across the United States is coming up fast, with some schools having already glad-handed students and sent them on their way with empty diploma covers, but some students think protests against the Israel-Hamas war and their schools' investments in Israeli companies may not end with the school year.
Courthouse News Service
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California squatter warning issued
California homeowners are facing an ongoing squatter crisis across Los Angeles. Thousands of homes are being invaded by squatters who live in them without paying rent, and many cause major property damage or even physical injury to property owners, according to Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles.
Newsweek
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Nearly 90 vehicles still impounded as San Joaquin County tops 100 days since last sideshow
Three months after a sideshow bust in Stockton, nearly 90 vehicles are still at the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office and are considered evidence. Car after car is lined up on the secure premises and it's been like that since February, when the San Joaquin County Sideshow Taskforce detained 150 people and impounded nearly 90 vehicles.
CBS News
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L.A.’s dirtiest cop: A mild-mannered traffic officer who moonlighted as a hit man
The city’s dirtiest cop was also the most colorless, with a forgettable face and a personality as vague as fog. At 77, he has been in lockup for 38 years, more than twice as long as he wore a badge. He has been a tame and quiet inmate, just as he was known - until his capture - as a tame and quiet policeman. At Mule Creek State Prison, he attends 12-step programs and reads fantasy novels.
Los Angeles Times
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CHP isn’t supposed to aim less-lethal munitions at protesters’ heads and fire into crowds. It did at UCLA
As California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear dispersed pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA on May 2, they regularly aimed or fired their less-lethal weapons at protesters in ways that appear to go against training guidelines or state law. Just before 4 o’clock on Thursday morning, three CHP Special Response Teams with batons formed a skirmish line outside Royce Hall at UCLA.
CalMatters
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Woman hospitalized after being stabbed at Metro station in West Athens, authorities say
A woman was hospitalized after she was stabbed at a Metro station in West Athens Monday night, authorities said. The incident is one of two attacks on the transit system to happen within hours of each other. The stabbing was reported around 9 p.m. on the west side of the Vermont/Athens station, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
ABC7
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Homeless man in Encino attacks Metro bus rider with wrench
Police arrested a homeless man for attacking a Metro bus rider with a wrench in Encino Tuesday afternoon. The attack happened at about 2:05 p.m. near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Balboa Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Division. Originally, the LAPD believed it was a stabbing. West Valley investigators said the suspect suffered from a "mental illness."
KCAL
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2 arrested after hundreds of stolen gift cards found in Ventura County theft scheme
Two people were arrested in Ventura County for stealing hundreds of gift cards in a suspected “card draining” theft scheme. The suspects were identified as Tingxiang Yang, 39 and Lingyu Chen, 35, by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. On May 10, detectives conducted an undercover blitz operation at a retail store located on the 800 block of New Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark.
KTLA
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LASD detectives comb Antelope Valley Landfill for remains of missing baby
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators combed through trash at the Antelope Valley Landfill on Tuesday for the remains of a missing three-week-old baby. The infant's family says Baki Dewees has been missing since May 3. He was last seen with his father, 24-year-old Yusuf Dewees, according to family members. Dewees is currently behind bars in Utah for an unrelated matter and obstructing justice.
ABC7
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L.A. vehicle thefts skyrocketing in this area
Automobile thefts continue to plague the Los Angeles region, but one area in particular is being hit harder than ever. According to a report from the nonprofit news outlet Crosstown L.A., the San Fernando Valley is seeing historic levels of auto thefts this year. During the first quarter of 2024, January through April, auto thefts in the Valley went up more than 28% from the same timeframe the previous year - more than five times the citywide figure.
KTLA
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FBI reports assaults on LEOs in the US reached a 10-year high in 2023
The rate of assaults on American law enforcement reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officer attacks reported, according to a new FBI report released Tuesday. The report analyzes data from state, local, federal and other agencies across the U.S. to determine trends in violence against law enforcement. It shows that the number of officers assaulted and injured by guns is also climbing.
AP
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Convictions/Pleas/Sentences | |
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Gunman accused in Jewish hate crime shooting in Pico-Robertson agrees to plead guilty
The man accused of shooting two Jewish men in Pico-Robertson last year has agreed to plead guilty to hate crime and firearm charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Jamie Tran is expected to plead guilty as charged to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using a firearm illegally, according to a press release. Tran is expected to receive a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison.
ABC7
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Glendale man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for participating in darknet drug trafficking organization
A Glendale man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for participating in a darknet-based organization - known as “NoLove” - that trafficked methamphetamine and Ecstasy both inside and outside of the United States and for laundering the outfit’s drug proceeds by exchanging bitcoin into U.S. dollars. Arbi Setaghaian Sangbarani, 41, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr.
U.S. District Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Pro-Palestinian protesters are backed by a surprising source: Biden's biggest donors
President Joe Biden has been dogged for months by pro-Palestinian protesters calling him “Genocide Joe” - but some of the groups behind the demonstrations receive financial backing from philanthropists pushing hard for his reelection. The donors include some of the biggest names in Democratic circles: Soros, Rockefeller and Pritzker, according to a POLITICO analysis.
Politico
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Organizing massive campus protests required logistical savvy. Here's how students pulled it off
Thousands of students at colleges and universities around the country have launched protests - many of which turned into around-the-clock encampments - against Israel's military operations in Gaza with widespread coordination, begging the question: How do they do it?
ABC News
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RFK Jr. tells Ninth Circuit feds ordered YouTube to remove his videos
An attorney for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued before a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel Tuesday morning that a federal judge should have granted a preliminary injunction Kennedy requested against Google over the removal of some of the candidate's videos.
Courthouse News Service
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Biden asserts executive privilege over audio of interview with special counsel Robert Hur
The Justice Department on Thursday informed House Republicans that President Joe Biden has formally asserted executive privilege over the audio of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur, a move that DOJ says effectively shields Attorney General Merrick Garland from any criminal exposure as the Republican lawmakers move toward trying to hold him in contempt of Congress.
ABC News
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