In 2017 alone, the California legislature passed nearly 900 bills that Gov. Jerry Brown then signed into law. Most of them take effect in January 2018. Here is a summary of the key criminal law changes that will take effect this year: No California school employee can carry a…
It has been reported that two men, Jon Ritzheimer and Ryane Payne, involved in the occupation of Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, haveviolated their release conditions by visiting the Bundy ranch in Nevada without permission. Evidently, the evidence was in Facebook photos and discovered by a federal pretrial services officer…
In San Diego, criminal charges were filed against a a La Jolla couple accused of maintaining dangerous, substandard living conditions at a Mid- City apartment complex they own. This was announced by the City Attorney’s Office earlier this week. John and Mahin Nobe, who currently face 10 criminal charges, are…
A San Diego sheriff’s deputy is under criminal investigation, as three additional women now have come forward with legal claims alleging that he improperly groped them under his color of authority. Deputy Richard Fischer has been placed on administrative leave while Sheriff Bill Gore and investigators conduct separate internal and…
At the end of 2017, Governor Jerry Brown announced pardons or sentence reductions for about 150 convicted criminals, including eight cases whose crimes were committed in San Diego County. In total, the governor pardoned 132 people and commuted the sentences of 19 people. This included pardons for about 60 people…
It has been reported that Governor Jerry Brown signed into a law that would make it a crime to “willfully and repeatedly” decline to use a senior transgender patient’s “preferred name or pronouns.” SB 179 (“Gender Recognition Act”) was signed into law back in October. The law will allow individuals…
According to witnesses, a man who likely suffered from some form of mental illness was dancing in the center divider of the I-5 north of Palomar Street in Chula Vista before being hit by a car and then by a motorcycle. The victim has been identified by the San Diego…
While defense lawyers attempt to get through the nearly 100 cases involved with the Dakota Access protests, the sudden imprisonment of two activists came as a shock to them, making them wonder if the state has decided to be vindictive. Alex Simon, 27, a teacher from New Mexico claims that…
In a unanimous 5-0 vote at the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), state utility regulators voted to require annual background checks for drivers at Uber, Lyft, and other ride-share companies, but decided not to subject them to the fingerprinting required of taxi drivers. Instead, rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber…
Blaming an erosion in public safety, California law enforcement and victims’ rights organizations recently introduced an initiative that would expand the list of violent crimes and make other changes. This is likely the backlash to the series of legislative changes that passed into law in 2017 that was intended to…