Nevada County Crime & Justice Digest

Attila Colar went to prison for lying to the government. After California gave him another contract as a provider in a rehabilitation program, a federal jury convicted him of fraud for using the personal information of Bay Area parolees and others to collect government COVID funds.

Junnior Alexander Cruz Valle, age 20 of Nevada City, was arrested on Aug. 31, 2023 for illegal cultivation of cannabis (H&S 11358(C)).

In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has closed two state prisons and he has plans to shut two more by 2025. A new contract for correctional officers offers new perks to the guards who stay.

San Francisco isn’t going to take last week’s robotaxi decision by the California Public Utilities Commission lying down. Joined by the city's transit authority board, fire department and board of supervisors, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions on Wednesday to halt the unrestricted expansion of autonomous vehicles for commercial use.

As the California Legislature reconvenes for the final five weeks of its session, the leader of the Assembly Public Safety Committee is under the spotlight. But Reggie Jones-Sawyer isn’t backing down.

Locally elected sheriffs manage California jails and are responsible for the safety of the inmates they hold. Record deaths in San Diego’s jail are shaping a plan for new statewide oversight.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make prisons a friendlier place for inmate families. An updated strip-search policy has some worried that families will face intrusive encounters during their visits.

Two recent reports on sexual harassment complaints filed against Cal State employees conclude inconsistent data collection makes it difficult to determine a reliable number.

The Biden administration’s app rule makes it harder for migrants to assert a right to asylum, advocates say. Lawsuits are sparking debate about immigration control, safety.

The Judges of the Nevada County Superior Court have announced the appointment of Laila A. Waheed to the position of Court Executive Officer.

Thousands of Californians died from opioid overdoses in 2021. In response, many communities are making it easier to obtain life-saving overdose reversal drugs while some families are calling for tougher criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers.

California’s experimental new program targets methamphetamine addiction by rewarding patients with gift cards for negative drug tests.

Rise Ben Mossman has been found guilty of 13 environmental crimes in British Columbia. It’s unclear how his September sentencing will influence the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, which is expected to hold hearings on plans by Mossman’s company to reopen the Idaho-Maryland mine.

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general have sent a cautionary letter to the CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies, highlighting the potential legal ramifications of using race as a factor in employment practices.

After several high-profile sexual harassment cases, Cal State needs more training, staff and outreach to students and employees, an outside firm concludes.

California lawmakers tried nine times to stiffen penalties for trafficking of a minor. The latest effort appeared to die — until a social media campaign forced Democrats to reconsider.

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California launched the California Immigration Detention Database, a tool to track complaints filed by immigrants in California detention facilities to seek redress against inhumane conditions.

The new California vs Hate network allows victims and witnesses of hate incidents to report anonymously and receive services. It is a “response to the rise in reports of hate incidents and crimes,” said Kevin Kish, director of the California Civil Rights Department.

Nevada County Auditor-Controller's Office detected an identity fraud incident, resulting in a payment of $46,000 due to cybercriminals impersonating a County vendor.

Fayçal Ziraoui flew to California from France, believing that the serial killer may have left a rock formation near Hell Hole Reservoir, west of Lake Tahoe in Placer County.

California is considering banning the use of “reverse search warrants,” which compel tech companies to disclose the identities of individuals based on the location of their phone and internet search history. Abortion activists call it vital.

The deadline for bills to pass their first house in the California Legislature has come and gone. Most made it. A few failed. And a handful of intriguing bills that didn’t pass may resurface because their authors aren’t giving up.

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.

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.

With reports of scams targeting utility customers at an all-time high PG&E officials share tips with customers to help recognize the signs of a potential scam.

South Lake Tahoe's Leanne K. Mayberry is the newest El Dorado County Superior Court judge. Judge Mayberry was appointed to the position by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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.”

The U.S. Federal District Court of Montana heard oral arguments April 17 for the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics’ lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service for the service’s discharging of fire retardant into national waters.

April is celebrated nationally as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and organizations in the basin are preparing to recognize the month with events that center around raising awareness and supporting survivors.

Amid a rise in hate crimes in California, one lawmaker seeks to create an intervention unit to address those incidents. If signed into law, a Hate Crimes Intervention Unit would become part of the Department of Public Health.

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.