From SF Gate...
After Previously Being Cleared, Three Alameda Police Officers Now Face Manslaughter Charges
04/19/2024The 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Senate Impeachment Trial Begins for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas
04/17/2024Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who grew up in California, is the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.
From Los Angeles Times...
TSA Found More Than 1,500 Firearms on Airline Passengers in First 3 Months of 2024
04/11/2024A majority of the guns found were loaded, according to the TSA.
From California Healthline...
California Fails to Adequately Help Blind and Deaf Prisoners, US Judge Rules
04/08/2024Thirty 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Reps. Gaetz and Greene Lawsuit Against Cities Where Political Rally Was Canceled Can Move Forward
03/25/2024A judge ruled GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene can move forward with their lawsuit against two California cities where rallies were canceled.
From Los Angeles Times...
California Speeds Plans to Empty San Quentin's Death Row
03/18/2024California 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.
From Davis Vanguard...
California Law Enforcement Transparency Legislation Signed Into Law
03/09/2024After receiving bipartisan support, California Senate Bill 400, legislation intended to increase law enforcement transparency, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
From Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco Voters Pass Police & Drug Ballot Measures
03/08/2024Proposition 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Study Finds Almost 50% of San Francisco Drug Users Not Residents
03/01/2024A 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.
From CalMatters...
Why Does California Elect Local Judges?
02/23/2024Of all the races on your ballot, the least information is often available on local judges. Here are some ways to find out more about these candidates.
From Los Angeles Times...
Judge Again Dismisses Charges Against Members of California White Supremacist Group
02/21/2024In his decision, a judge agreed that the alleged white nationalists were being selectively prosecuted instead of 'far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa.'
From SF Gate...
Bay Area Car Owners Have Yet Another Crime to Worry About
02/20/2024License plates are getting stolen from vehicles, Livermore officials say.
From Los Angeles Times...
Beekeeper Offers $100,000 Reward in Brazen Fresno Beehive Thefts
02/14/2024Commercial 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.
From SF Gate...
Central California Is Battling a Unique, ‘Growing’ Crime Problem
02/13/2024Beehives, tractors and more are getting stolen from farmers.
From SF Gate...
Waymo Driverless Car Set on Fire
02/10/2024A crowd of people incinerated a Waymo car in San Francisco on Feb. 10.
From San Joaquin Valley Sun...
Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Calif. Background Checks for Ammo Purchases
02/06/2024California’s law that requires background checks when purchasing ammunition is back in place.
From Los Angeles Times...
Newsom to Send 120 CHP Officers to Fight Crime in Oakland
02/05/2024Gov. Gavin Newsom is increasing state police presence in Oakland under a new law enforcement campaign to target rising violent crime and theft.
From Los Angeles Times...
How Many People Die Each Year in Jails and Prisons? No One Knows
02/02/2024As Jay D. Aronson and Dr. Roger A. Mitchell explore in their book “Death in Custody,” that lack of data is a national problem.
From Los Angeles Times...
Tribal Leaders Cite Problems with California’s Feather Alert for Native People Who Go Missing
01/28/2024In the first year of California’s Feather Alert system, authorities denied some requests to issue bulletins on missing people, causing concerns.
From Los Angeles Times...
Lawyer in Black Lives Matter ‘Swatting’ Case Demands Answers
01/26/2024An attorney for Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles leader Melina Abdullah is demanding answers from the LAPD after officers searched his Hollywood home this week.
From Los Angeles Times...
L.A. Is Being ‘Stripped for Parts.’ Here’s What the City Council Wants to Do About It
01/26/2024Among growing concern over copper wire thefts, L.A. City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Traci Park proposed a task force anchored by the LAPD.
From SF Gate...
Controversial California Bill Would Physically Stop New Cars From Speeding
01/25/2024The proposed bill would require new California cars to have a speed limiter.
From SF Gate...
Former Firefighter Started Wildfires, Planted Bombs on Highway, Police Say
01/22/2024Devices were placed in multiple locations in El Dorado and Sacramento counties. The firefighter previously said he turned to arson to gain overtime pay.
From CalMatters...
As California Closes Prisons, State Spending Per Inmate Hits a New Record
01/22/2024Locking 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.
From CalMatters...
Californians Want to Use Zoom for Court Appearances. Will Lawmakers Let Them?
01/22/2024Each 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Yuba County Elections Office Is the Latest to Receive Toxic Letter
01/18/2024Elections offices around the country are receiving suspicious mailings. The latest is Yuba County's, which received a fentanyl-laced letter.
From Los Angeles Times...
Lawsuit Alleges Widespread Sexual Abuse at California Prisons for Women
01/18/2024More than 130 women who were formerly inmates at prisons for women in California have filed suit, saying guards sexually abused them.
From SFGate...
Oakland Gas Station Is Going Viral for Its Nonstop Car Burglaries
01/16/2024An auto burglary trend shows that thieves are targeting travelers.
From Los Angeles Times...
California Bill Paves Way for Psychedelic Therapy After Failure to Legalize ‘Magic Mushrooms’
01/13/2024The move to legalize psychedelics in California appears to be entering a new phase, with incremental steps to permit the drugs in therapeutic settings.
From Los Angeles Times...
LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February
01/12/2024Michel 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.
From Sacramento Bee...
SCOTUS to Hear Case with Major Implications for Homeless
01/12/2024The 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.
From CalMatters...
With Tighter Budgets, Police Seek Less Time in Court
01/11/2024To 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.