California

Man accused of revenge-porn Facebook post gets jail time

A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to a year in jail after his revenge-porn conviction for posting a topless photo of his ex-girlfriend on her employer’s Facebook page. Noe Iniguez, 36, was sentenced on Monday, report the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly. He was convicted for violating two…

Dec 2, 2014 10:11 AM CST

Is AA to blame for ‘13th Step’ slaying, as lawsuit claims?

A 48 Hours program over the weekend has brought renewed attention to a civil case being pursued by the family of a 31-year-old California woman slain by a man she met at Alcoholics Anonymous. Eric Allen Earle, 43, was convicted of first-degree murder in September and sentenced to 26 years…

Dec 1, 2014 1:20 PM CST

9th Circuit OKs suit claiming police made man pretend to be taller, then arrested him

Size does matter when it comes to executing arrest warrants. However, a federal judge gave short shrift to a civil rights suit claiming that law enforcement officers falsely arrested a California man after coercing him into claiming that he was five inches taller than he actually was. Now a federal…

Nov 24, 2014 3:20 PM CST

California DAs shame johns with website photos

In California, prosecutors hope to discourage prostitution by posting photos of johns. The District Attorney’s office in San Bernardino County began publishing photos of convicted customers in April 2013 at a “Stop-the John” Web page, the Los Angeles Times reports. The photos remain posted for a year. Now the Orange…

Nov 24, 2014 6:15 AM CST

Law firm chief convicted in $13M loan-modification scheme, faces up to 70 years

A California attorney at the helm of a law firm accused of defrauding 3,261 homeowners of $13 million through a mortgage modification scheme has been criminally convicted by a federal jury in San Diego. Dean Chandler, who served as president and CEO of 1st American Law Center, was convicted Thursday…

Nov 21, 2014 3:35 PM CST

After 100 years as tenant under a verbal lease, law firm is moving to another building

Established in 1888, an Auburn, California, law firm has had its offices in the same bank building for 101 years. During that time, as Sinclair, Wilson, Baldo & Chamberlain maintained its real estate and trusts-oriented practice, the firm eliminated the spittoons that were once placed throughout the office for the…

Nov 21, 2014 1:05 PM CST

Lawyer taken off 14 cases after furor over trial claim that teen consented to sex with teacher

A California school district yanked 14 litigation matters from its outside counsel, W. Keith Wyatt, after a firestorm over a trial argument that a 14-year-old middle-school student sexually abused by her teacher was partly to blame because she consented. Wyatt at least arguably fanned the flames of public outrage by…

Nov 20, 2014 5:10 PM CST

Regulator fines utility $1.05M over emails lobbying for preferred administrative judge in rate case

A gas company has been fined $1.05 million by the California Public Utilities Commission over ex parte emails in which it successfully lobbied to have the judge its officials preferred preside over an administrative rate-setting case. A spokesman said Pacific Gas & Electric would appeal the penalty, which also includes…

Nov 20, 2014 3:35 PM CST

Fired California bar leader allegedly misled trustees, leaked report says

The California bar leader who sued over his firing is losing the latest round in the public relations war after two legal publications reported on an internal report examining his conduct. Former executive director Joe Dunn claimed he was fired after he and seven other anonymous complainants filed internal whistleblower…

Nov 20, 2014 2:34 PM CST

Sex harassment suit claims trial lawyer refined his techniques to avoid explicit job-for-sex offer

A sexual harassment suit filed against a San Diego trial lawyer alleges he used his legal knowledge to avoid explicit offers of jobs for sex. Rejected job applicant Alexa Zanolli, a staff lawyer for the federal court in San Diego, filed an amended suit against John Gomez of Gomez Trial…

Nov 20, 2014 5:45 AM CST

9th Circuit says paroled sex offenders don’t have to provide their Web names and addresses to police

Agreeing with a trial judge, a federal appeals court has refused to enforce provisions of a California ballot measure that require registered sex offenders to provide law enforcement with all Internet names and addresses they use in social media, instant messaging and Web posts. The overbroad Californians Against Sexual Exploitation…

Nov 19, 2014 12:30 PM CST

Google wins SLAPP motion, has constitutional right to list search results as it wishes

Unhappy about search-engine results that put its website way down in the list of results, the owner of CoastNews sued Google, alleging antitrust law issues and seeking some $5 million in damages. But the search-engine Goliath not only prevailed but did so in a motion to dismiss under California’s SLAPP…

Nov 18, 2014 2:30 PM CST

Fired bar leader’s suit is baseless and his whistleblower claims are ‘bewildering,’ Calif. bar says

Updated: The State Bar of California is firing back after its former executive director claimed in a lawsuit that he was fired for exposing “egregious improprieties.” The bar says the lawsuit by fired executive director Joe Dunn is “baseless” and his claims of being a whistleblower are “bewildering” because it…

Nov 17, 2014 6:15 AM CST

School district wins civil case after arguing that girl, 14, could consent to sex with teacher

A rape-shield law is supposed to prevent sexual abuse victims from being questioned about their sexual history in California criminal trials. But it doesn’t apply in civil cases. That allowed an attorney for the Los Angeles Unified School District to argue before a jury last year that a 14-year-old middle-school…

Nov 14, 2014 12:22 PM CST

Fired California bar leader sues ‘with heavy heart,’ alleges ‘egregious improprieties’

Updated: The fired executive director of the California State Bar says in a lawsuit filed on Thursday that he was let go for exposing “egregious improprieties.” Joe Dunn says in the suit (PDF) that he was told of his firing last week, just days after he and seven other anonymous…

Nov 14, 2014 10:28 AM CST