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Nevada County Crime & Justice Digest



Metal Detectors, Fear, Frustration. College Commencements Altered Amid Gaza War Protests

05/04/2024

At many universities across the country, graduation for the Class of 2024 will feel more like making it through airport security than a procession through a free-flowing campus green or a cheering stadium crowd.

New Judge Appointed to Nevada County Superior Court

05/03/2024

Nevada County resident Courtney Abril has been appointed to the Nevada County Superior Court by Governor Newsom.

After Previously Being Cleared, Three Alameda Police Officers Now Face Manslaughter Charges

04/19/2024

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has charged three East Bay police officers with involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez.

Senate Impeachment Trial Begins for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

04/17/2024

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who grew up in California, is the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.

TSA Found More Than 1,500 Firearms on Airline Passengers in First 3 Months of 2024

04/11/2024

A majority of the guns found were loaded, according to the TSA.

California Fails to Adequately Help Blind and Deaf Prisoners, US Judge Rules

04/08/2024

Thirty years after prisoners with disabilities sued the state of California and 25 years after a federal court first ordered accommodations, a judge found that state prison and parole officials still are not doing enough to help deaf and blind prisoners.

Reps. Gaetz and Greene Lawsuit Against Cities Where Political Rally Was Canceled Can Move Forward

03/25/2024

A judge ruled GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene can move forward with their lawsuit against two California cities where rallies were canceled.

California Speeds Plans to Empty San Quentin's Death Row

03/18/2024

California prison officials announced they will move the last 457 condemned prisoners out of San Quentin's death row by summer. They will be transferred to other state prisons and housed in the general population.

California Law Enforcement Transparency Legislation Signed Into Law

03/09/2024

After receiving bipartisan support, California Senate Bill 400, legislation intended to increase law enforcement transparency, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

San Francisco Voters Pass Police & Drug Ballot Measures

03/08/2024

Proposition E broadens police surveillance powers and Proposition F mandates drug screening and treatment for people receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected of drug use.

Study Finds Almost 50% of San Francisco Drug Users Not Residents

03/01/2024

A report of a 12 month study which ended in February indicates almost half of those cited for drug usage were not residents of the city, leading to questions about city approaches to drug addiction.

Judge Again Dismisses Charges Against Members of California White Supremacist Group

02/21/2024

In his decision, a judge agreed that the alleged white nationalists were being selectively prosecuted instead of 'far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa.'

Bay Area Car Owners Have Yet Another Crime to Worry About

02/20/2024

License plates are getting stolen from vehicles, Livermore officials say.

Beekeeper Offers $100,000 Reward in Brazen Fresno Beehive Thefts

02/14/2024

Commercial beekeeper Andrew Strehlow estimates he’s had 1,000 hives stolen over the years. The latest theft, of 96 hives from a Fresno County orchard, was his last straw.

Central California Is Battling a Unique, ‘Growing’ Crime Problem

02/13/2024

Beehives, tractors and more are getting stolen from farmers.

Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Calif. Background Checks for Ammo Purchases

02/06/2024

California’s law that requires background checks when purchasing ammunition is back in place.

Newsom to Send 120 CHP Officers to Fight Crime in Oakland

02/05/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom is increasing state police presence in Oakland under a new law enforcement campaign to target rising violent crime and theft.

How Many People Die Each Year in Jails and Prisons? No One Knows

02/02/2024

As Jay D. Aronson and Dr. Roger A. Mitchell explore in their book “Death in Custody,” that lack of data is a national problem.

Former CSU Professor Admits to Setting Blazes Near Dixie Fire in 2021

02/02/2024

The ex-professor pleaded guilty to multiple arson charges in court.

Tribal Leaders Cite Problems with California’s Feather Alert for Native People Who Go Missing

01/28/2024

In the first year of California’s Feather Alert system, authorities denied some requests to issue bulletins on missing people, causing concerns.

L.A. Is Being ‘Stripped for Parts.’ Here’s What the City Council Wants to Do About It

01/26/2024

Among growing concern over copper wire thefts, L.A. City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Traci Park proposed a task force anchored by the LAPD.

Controversial California Bill Would Physically Stop New Cars From Speeding

01/25/2024

The proposed bill would require new California cars to have a speed limiter.

Jailed for Missing a Court Date, He Died After Not Being Given His HIV Medicine

01/23/2024

An El Dorado County Jail inmate died after not receiving vital HIV medication for weeks, a new lawsuit claims.

Oakland Gas Station Is Going Viral for Its Nonstop Car Burglaries

01/16/2024

An auto burglary trend shows that thieves are targeting travelers.

Sheriff Moon Appoints New Undersheriff and Captain, Gives Life-Saving Medals

01/12/2024

Sam Brown was sworn in as the official new undersheriff of Nevada County, as appointed by Sheriff Shannan Moon, following the retirement of Alicia Burget.

LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February

01/12/2024

Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, announced he will resign. The departure of Moore, who has been in the job since 2018, will spur the appointment of an interim chief and a nationwide search for his replacement, according to Mayor Karen Bass.

SCOTUS to Hear Case with Major Implications for Homeless

01/12/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case related to whether cities and towns can ban camping on public property. The high court could overturn Martin v. Boise, a 2018 federal court decision that keeps western cities and counties from blocking public camping when sufficient shelter space is unavailable.

Hate Crimes Rising in Los Angeles

01/09/2024

Cal State San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism found that hate crimes rose 12.9% between 2022 and 2023. The spike follows a particularly stark increase in crimes against Jewish people.

$10M-Plus Lawsuit Follows Multiple Deaths at Sacramento Jail

01/09/2024

Sacramento attorney Mark Merin has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a man who died in May after being held at the county jail. Other inmates have died in recent years, and the jail is under a federal consent decree to improve its health care.

Kinder, Gentler Prison Guards Key to Newsom San Quentin Reform Plan

01/05/2024

California correctional officers train like ‘they are going to war’ to work in state prisons. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to transform San Quentin could require a kinder approach.

Sacramento Councilman Under Federal Indictment Resigns from Office

01/04/2024

Sean Loloee, a first-term Sacramento councilmember, has resigned from office—a move that came weeks after he was federally indicted on charges related to his business Viva Supermarkets.

A Step Forward for Free Speech in Kern County?

12/28/2023

Kern County agrees to better protect free speech in a deal with the state Justice Department—inspired by the county’s’ 2020 squashing of COVID contracts to organizations that advocated defunding police.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
Access to abortion in California is limited in many areas, though state laws protect a woman’s right to choose.
Abortion Rights in California, Explained
But even in California, access to abortion services in many areas remains limited.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.