California

Court: Judge who officiated at lawyer’s wedding but didn’t go to reception can hear attorney’s cases

A judge who officiated at a lawyer’s wedding can still hear the attorney’s cases, a California appeals court ruled Tuesday. But that result might be different, the Fourth District Court of Appeal suggested, if the San Diego Superior Court commissioner whose conduct was at issue in the case had attended…

Mar 5, 2014 5:45 PM CST

Stash of $10 million in buried gold coins offers lesson in property and tax law

A California couple who say they stumbled across $10 million in buried 19th-century gold coins while walking their dogs on their property last year didn’t immediately reveal their stunning find because they wanted to resolve any potential legal issues. But the relevant law concerning the unidentified couple probably boils down…

Mar 4, 2014 11:50 PM CST

Sprint worker uploaded intimate photos from my trade-in phone to my Facebook page, woman’s suit says

A woman is suing Sprint Corp., contending that an employee browsed through her phone—which she traded in for an upgraded model at a Sprint store last year—then posted intimate photos on the plaintiff’s Facebook page through an application on the phone. The woman—who had forgotten those photos were among the…

Mar 3, 2014 9:30 PM CST

New crime-fighting tool, the police tweet, leads to speedy arrest of shooting suspects

Once upon a time, police officers commonly walked a beat and interacted with the community, picking up tips along the way that could help solve crimes. Today, their superiors are using social media to keep in touch with even more members of the public. That both frees up officers on…

Feb 27, 2014 7:40 PM CST

9th Circuit tells Google to take down YouTube clip, calls threats to plaintiff irreparable harm

A woman who says a video clip was used without her permission on an anti-Muslim movie trailer posted on YouTube has won a federal appeals court OK of an injunction requiring Google Inc. to take down the “Innocence of Muslims.” Google unsuccessfully argued that being required to take down the…

Feb 26, 2014 5:55 PM CST

Courthouse walk-up window reduces wait times

Drivers who want to pay traffic tickets at the courthouse in Pasadena, Calif., don’t have to go inside the building. Instead, they can stop by the court’s walk-up window, which opened on Feb. 3, Courthouse News Service reports. The window has cut wait times that were as long as two…

Feb 25, 2014 2:57 PM CST

Longtime supplier sues Trader Joe’s over claimed peanut-butter-filled pretzel monopoly

A longtime supplier of peanut-butter-filled pretzels to Trader Joe’s has filed an antitrust and breach-of-contract suit contending that the supermarket chain conspired with manufacturer ConAgra Foods Inc. to corner the market on the snack treat. The suit, filed last month in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that “ConAgra and Trader…

Feb 21, 2014 11:00 PM CST

Workers protest courthouse dress code: ‘Don’t hate, we look great!’

Due to admittedly lax enforcement of a 1996 dress code for San Francisco Superior Court, some court employees had gotten too comfortable. A number often showed up for work in court in jeans and hoodies or track suits, according to KCBS and KGO. And, of course, the court is located…

Feb 21, 2014 7:30 PM CST

California Supreme Court considers liability for hosts of cover-charge drinking parties

The California Supreme Court is considering whether hosts of cover-charge drinking parties are sellers of alcohol who aren’t entitled to immunity for serving alcohol to drunken guests. The court is considering the issue in the case of Jessica Manosa, who was 20 years old when she hosted a party at…

Feb 18, 2014 6:06 PM CST

9th Circuit agrees with 7th Circuit: Individuals have right to carry firearms in public

As a decision looms in a much-watched U.S. Supreme Court case over the right of Americans to carry firearms in public for self-defense, a federal appeals court in California has added its weight to an existing circuit split on the issue. In a Thursday decision, a divided panel of the…

Feb 13, 2014 10:31 PM CST

Starbucks clone claims to be a parody; will mocked coffee chain laugh or call its lawyers?

Observers in Southern California are scratching their heads over a clone of a popular coffee cafe that has seemingly popped up out of nowhere. Calling itself “Dumb Starbucks”on a logo that otherwise appears identical to the green, white and black design made famous by the real Starbucks, the look-alike upstart…

Feb 10, 2014 1:25 PM CST

Sedgwick to move back-office operations from San Francisco to Kansas City

A 370-attorney longtime San Francisco-based law firm is moving its back-office functions to downtown Kansas City, Mo. Sedgwick says the move will take place in June, and the new facility will be fully operational by September, the Kansas City Star reports. It will serve as the headquarters for the firm’s…

Feb 7, 2014 9:30 PM CST

Judges would be banned from Boy Scout leadership under California ethics proposal

Judges should be banned from participation in the Boy Scouts because the group discriminates against gays, according to a California ethics proposal. The California Supreme Court’s ethics advisory committee proposed the ethics rule change on Wednesday, report the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. The proposal would take…

Feb 7, 2014 1:00 PM CST

9th Circuit tosses part of lawsuit against CNN demanding closed-captioning on its Web videos

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave CNN a partial victory in a suit demanding it provide closed-captioning on all videos posted on its website, but then stayed the case so the California Supreme Court can decide whether the California Disabled Persons Act requiring equal access to…

Feb 6, 2014 10:24 PM CST

90-day suspension, anger management counseling recommended for prominent DUI attorney

Corrected: A State Bar Court judge has recommended a 90-day suspension for prominent Santa Barbara, Calif., lawyer Darryl Genis for zealousness that crossed a line and for repeatedly ignoring a judge’s order to show up in court rather than send an unprepared associate, the Santa Barbara Independent reports. The opinion…

Feb 6, 2014 8:07 PM CST