Sacramento County Crime & Justice Digest

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

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

In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could reshape how cities manage homelessness. The legal issue is whether they can fine or arrest people for sleeping outside if there’s no shelter available.

The Table, an empowerment center for survivors of human trafficking and those at risk of exploitation, opened Jan 31 in downtown Sacramento.

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.

Beehives, tractors and more are getting stolen from farmers.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

A summit on human trafficking awareness hosted by Project Take at Cal Expo showcased three survivors of human trafficking who shared their experiences with roughly 100 people, many of whom were women and teenagers.

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho went public with a new approach to retail theft. An organized retail theft unit has filed 35 criminal cases.

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

Inspector General Francine Tournour Kerridge, the official whose office is charged with oversight of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, left the job in September to take over as director of police oversight in Long Beach.

Locking up a California state prisoner for one year costs nearly twice as much as tuition at the state’s top private universities—due to inmate medical costs and pay boosts for prison guards and other workers.

Each year, California lawmakers pass temporary extensions to COVID-era rules that allow people to attend court via video conferencing services. One powerful state union has been a barrier to making the feature permanent.

An auto burglary trend shows that thieves are targeting travelers.

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.

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.

To keep more police on patrols, law enforcement groups want officers to spend less time in court. Legislation would allow non-sworn community service officers to testify in preliminary hearings.

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.

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.

Gun owners in California can no longer carry firearms into amusement parks, museums, churches, zoos, banks, public parks or a whole slew of other places, even if they have a concealed carry permit—part of a new state law that it is already facing scrutiny in the courts.

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.

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.

Sheriff Jim Cooper, a Democrat and former Elk Grove Assemblyman once called law enforcement’s biggest advocate in the state capital, infuses his politically honed instincts with experience forged by a 30-year career wearing a badge.

A judge has refused to order the father and son duo charged with starting the 2021 Caldor Fire—which destroyed Grizzly Flat and burned across three Northern California counties—to face charges that they recklessly started the fire by target shooting.

Former college student Carlos Reales Dominguez, accused of stabbing two people to death and wounding a third in Davis, will return to court on Jan. 5 and criminal proceedings will be reinstated if there isn't any challenge to his mental state.

The Sacramento Courts announced the appointment of two additional court commissioners, both tilting toward the prosecution side. While judges are appointed by the governor, court commissioners are appointed by the judges—and often become judges themselves when vacancies on the bench open up.