Monterey County Crime & Justice Digest

A judge dismissed criminal charges against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in connection with the Zogg Fire, a destructive wildfire in Shasta County that killed four people.

A California appeals court says Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should be let out of prison on parole. The ruling goes against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to reject Van Houten’s parole.

Driven largely by the prevalence of fentanyl, drug overdoses in the state now kill more than twice as many people as car accidents, more than four times as many as homicides, and more than either diabetes or lung cancer, according to California Health Policy Strategies, a Sacramento consulting group.

"We all deserve to live in comfort and without fear," said Valerie Castile.

In 2020, a fallen tree in Shasta County landed on PG&E energy conductors, which caused a fire that burned 56,338 acres and killed four people. On May 18, a $150 million settlement was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission regarding PG&E's involvement in the Zogg Fire.

Newsom is closing and downsizing prisons across the state, putting the future of over a thousand incarcerated students at risk. College administrators say they have few resources to help.

California may be a Democratic stronghold, but it has also become a hotbed of right-wing, white supremacist and antisemitic activity, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL report found more incidents and collaboration between groups.

People newly released from prison are 40 times as likely to die of opioid overdoses than members of the general population, researchers say. In response, California corrections officials aim to arm departing inmates with an antidote that can be used to reverse the effects of opioid poisoning.

The Seaside Police Department will be the first law enforcement agency in Northern and Central California to launch the “Lights On!” program, which provides officers with vouchers to issue to motorists for light-related violations instead of tickets.

David Honda will begin leading the Sand City Police Department in July, taking over for retiring Chief Brian Ferrante.

In the first ruling on a California gun law since the U.S. Supreme Court reduced the government’s authority to regulate firearms, the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento upheld a ban on AR-15-style rifles, stating the weapons are “not typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.”

A California bill would hold social media companies legally responsible for addicting kids to their platforms. Tech lobbyists, digital rights advocates, and others say the proposal would run afoul of federal law and the U.S. Constitution.

The jurors who convicted Paul Flores for the murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart were forbidden to talk about the case with anyone for more than three months. That was the hardest part, four of the jurors said.

In “Making An Exoneree” class, students from UCSC and Georgetown bring investigation and storytelling together in the pursuit of justice.

Five years ago, Monterey County officials did an odd thing. It happened during the sheriff’s race between incumbent Steve Bernal and ambitious sheriff’s deputy Scott Davis.

Veteran police officer Chris Bourquin has held many positions with the Del Rey Oaks Police Department and can now list police chief among those jobs. He had served as interim chief since January, when Jeff Hoyne left to join the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

For nearly three decades, the navy-and-gold Training Ship Golden Bear has plied oceans around the globe for California State University’s Maritime Academy. In recent years, students and employees reported accusations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment aboard the 500-foot ship.

How divided California is about the sale and growing of cannabis might surprise you.

If you are running out of battery on your phone, it might be tempting to use one of the free charging stations you find in airports and shopping centers. But the FBI is advising people to avoid using these public charge stations because criminals can import malware and monitoring software onto devices via USB ports.

California will receive $175.8 million—the highest amount of any state settlement yet reached with Juul Labs—of the $462 million total settlement over marketing vaping to kids.

California law requires law enforcement agencies to release body cam footage of police shootings. Many departments shape those images into stories they want to tell.

“I am honored and humbled by the Governor’s appointment to the Monterey County Superior Court,” said Rivamonte in a press release. “I look forward to serving the great people of Monterey County with fairness, integrity, and dedication.”

San Quentin housed California’s death row for decades. Now Gavin Newsom wants the prison to emphasize rehabilitation and helping inmates re-enter society.

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s recent settlement, after three years of litigation, with Juul Labs Inc. will expand the district’s resources to educate and deter youth nicotine use among students.

If you pay taxes in California, it’s almost certain that some of your money goes to Lozano Smith, the Fresno-based law firm that represents more than 500 public school districts. It recently lost a prestigious local client, the Carmel school system, partly because of its handling of a public records request.

California spends more than $15 billion a year on its prison system. Now, with the number of people behind bars plummeting, the Newsom administration is moving to shut down more institutions.

In January, California became the first state permitted to provide some benefits under Medicaid to incarcerated individuals—an effort to create a smooth transition from behind bars.

While growing up in greater Los Angeles, Tina Nieto was a self-described nerd absorbed in her studies. She was no kind of activist. But she saw a troubling law enforcement practice and it stayed with her as she became a cop and rose through the police hierarchy.

In addition to interviewing Tina Nieto, Voices of Monterey Bay’s Royal Calkins sent her some written questions. Here are her responses on some key issues facing the department.

Reports, which include former President Donald Trump's tax returns, highlight the failures of the mandatory IRS program to audit presidential and vice-presidential tax returns.

The class action lawsuit totals half a billion dollars nationwide.

California should set up a restitution system for crime victims, curtail the use of money bail and limit when cops can make traffic stops that disproportionately affect Black and Latino drivers.