No. 46
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Riverside election recount
Supervisors vote against hiring outside counsel for sheriff in election investigation lawsuits
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 4-1 to not authorize the hiring of outside counsel or pay outside counsel to defend the lawsuits stemming from Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigation into alleged election fraud. Supervisor Karen Spiegel was the lone dissenter.
The vote was announced following the board’s April 14 closed session where supervisors discussed the four petitions filed against the sheriff — Attorney General Rob Bonta’s and the UCLA Voting Rights Project’s (VRP) California Supreme Court filings as well as Bonta’s petitions filed with the Court of Appeal and the Riverside County Superior Court.
Also on Monday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno...
Election news
We are exactly one month—and four editions of Inland Empire Law Weekly—from the start of mail-in-ballots being sent across the Inland Empire for the June 2 primary election. To best inform IE voters, Inland Empire Law Weekly is prioritizing election coverage for the next couple of months, increasing election-related cooperation with local press and lifting the paywall for election stories.
Riverside county election news
Inland Empire Law Weekly finished its judicial candidate interview series last Monday. All videos can be found here. Transcripts will be posted next week.
Find the videos at this site's election page
Putting together the venue, promotion and video equipment for this has taken a lot of time and money.
If you support an informed electorate, considering supporting this publication
Raincross Gazette hosts city council candidate forums
The Raincross Gazette is also hosting candidate forums, for Riverside City Council candidates. Dan Bernstein, former Press-Enterprise columnist, will moderate. The forums will be held April 23 for Ward 2, April 29 for Ward 4 and April 30 for Ward 6. More information, including the registration link, can be found at the Raincross Gazette's website.
596 votes decided this Inland Empire election that’s headed toward a rematch // Press-Enterprise
Statewide election news
Meet the candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction
Join EdSource's John Fensterwald, Emma Gallegos and Diana Lambert on April 21 and April 22 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for two live virtual forums with candidates for California Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state office that currently oversees public schools.
Hear where they stand on the issues affecting students, families and schools across the state, and what this election could mean for your community.
April 21: Josh Newman, Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera
April 22: Al Muratsuchi, Nichelle Henderson and Anthony Rendon
Register here
Read bios of some of the superintendent candidates:
Anthony Rendon, former Assembly speaker: “The first thing we need to do is defend Head Start.”
Richard Barrera, San Diego Unified board president: “ There is a complete disconnect between the conversations that are happening in Sacramento and the conversations that are happening at the local level.”
Nichelle Henderson, educator and community college trustee: “I’m the only candidate with K-12, community college and university experience. You have students graduating high school, going into the workforce, going to higher education, and having a deep understanding of what that transition looks like and what preparation looks like is pivotal.”
Josh Newman, former state Senate Education Committee chair: “California’s students deserve a state superintendent who understands the system from the inside — from the bottom and the top — and who is committed to making it work better for every one of them. That is the experience and the commitment I bring to this race.”
National election news
National Guard 'follows the Constitution,' general says of troops possibly deployed to polls
The National Guard’s top general told Congress on Friday that it would follow the Constitution and the law when he was asked about the possibility President Donald Trump would order troops to polling places for the midterm elections.
The remarks at a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing came as Democratic lawmakers also voiced unease over the continuing deployment of nearly 2,500 National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Joe Morelle asked...
Homeland Security’s SAVE program divides election officials as November nears
As the midterms approach, Republican and Democratic election officials are split over a powerful federal computer program at the center of President Donald Trump’s quest to expose noncitizen voters and compile lists of voting-age Americans.
A U.S. House Administration Committee hearing Thursday underscored the partisan divide over the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE program. The online tool can verify U.S. citizenship by checking names against a host of government databases.
SAVE underpins Trump's efforts to...
Trump’s DOJ wants personal voter data for ‘improper purposes,’ Michigan official says
The Department of Justice’s stated reason for obtaining sensitive personal data on millions of voters masks the Trump administration’s true intention for obtaining state voter lists, Michigan’s top election official asserted in federal appeals court Monday.
Attorneys for Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson made the allegation in a brief in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The argument reflects a concern broadly held among Democratic state election officials that the Trump administration wants to compile voter data in an effort to influence the upcoming midterm elections.
The Justice Department, under President Donald Trump, is suing 29 states for refusing to provide voter information. It says it needs the data to evaluate efforts to clean and maintain voter rolls, including whether noncitizens are registered to vote.
But Benson’s brief says...
Local news
Attorneys file complaint with state over Riverside's denial of housing project
After the Riverside City Council voted Jan. 13 to return $20.1 million in state funds for a housing project that would have turned the Quality Inn at 1590 University Ave. into 114 low-income studio apartments, a coalition of attorneys threatened lawsuits. The city asked for the state funding themselves 10 months ago. The attorneys argued some of the council members who voted against the project were improperly biased, and that the decision was in violation of the council's own housing plan. The city council said the deadline to reconsider the funding had already passed.
After the city council discussed the threats to sue in closed session April 7, the city attorney did not announce any changes. On April 14, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department**.**
LA Times identifies men arrested by ICE at Rancho Cucamonga courthouse
The Los Angeles Times identified three of the four people arrested outside the Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse last week. One of them, Godofredo Chiquete Lopez, was set to go to trial on April 20 on two felony assault charges. His attorney did not provide comment when reached. The other two people identified by the Times were not facing charges. None of them had legal status, and one was ordered removed by an immigration judge three years ago, according to the Department of Homeland Services.
San Bernardino Sheriffs ask for help identifying man
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is asking for help identifying the above man. He died after being taken to the emergency room at St. Bernardine Medical Center on March 26. He was found unresponsive near a residence on Mountain View Road, San Bernardino. The person who called in the officers said the man was homeless, and an immigrant from Michoacán, Mexico. Information on where to report any tips can be found here.
San Bernardino Sheriffs investigate death in county jail
Odiakosa Sylvester Obazeh of Chino Hills died after suffering from a medical injury in the West Valley Detention Center on April 3, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department announced April 15. Obazeh spent nine days at an unidentified local hospital before dying. The death is being investigated by the Sheriff's Department. Obazeh was booked March 9 on a charge of PC273.6(A): violation of a protective order.
Local sources
Big Bear Lake man released from ICE custody – a day before his wife dies of cancer // The Press-Enterprise
Local events
Asian Pacific American Lawyers of the Inland Empire dinner
APALIE will hold their 8th Annual Installation Dinner at the California Citrus State Historic Park on May 7. Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez, of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, will provide remarks. San Bernardino Superior Judge R. Glenn Yabuno will be the keynote speaker. Suzie Suh, CBS KCAL9 news anchor, will be the master of ceremonies.
Tickets for non-members are $100
San Bernardino County Bar Association Dinner
The San Bernardino County Bar Association will host its 26th Annual Kaufman/Campbell Awards dinner in Redlands' Mitten Building on June 4. The bar association will honor Justice Carol Codrington, of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, and retired San Bernardino Superior Judge David Cohn.
Tickets for non-members are $$100
Joshua Tree CARE Court event
San Bernardino Superior Court is sending its mobile courtroom to the Joshua Tree Courthouse on May 8, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Attendees will have access to self-help services for document preparation and filing, an on-site judicial officer to determine eligibility for CARE Court, and Department of Behavioral Health representatives to answer questions. CARE Court provides treatment for people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. No appointment is needed to attend.
Mock trial team start-up information to be shared at SB County session
Attorneys and teachers who are interested in starting a high school mock trial team in San Bernardino County can attend a 30-minute informational session that starts at 4 p.m., April 23.
Attorneys and teachers interested can sign up for the informational session through the Google form here.
Appellate mediation program
The Riverside Court of Appeal is asking for attorneys to participate in its mediation program. The volunteers can be experienced in all areas of law, and can be retired, but must have ten years of legal experience. One hundred and sixty-five attorneys over the years have participated in the 34-year-old program.
Mediations are scheduled at the convenience of the attorney, and can be remote. The program saves time for litigants as well as the Court of Appeals.
Interested attorneys can call the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, and ask for Jackie Hoar.
Free legal aid clinics
Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Associations hosts free legal aid clinics at the 838 Alta St, Redlands, on the last Wednesday of every month. They also host clinics the first, second and fourth Monday of every month at Bordwell Park, 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd., Riverside. All clinics are held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
State news
Trump wants data on California’s trans and abortion care. Can the state stop him?
The latest clash between California and President Donald Trump over abortion and gender-affirming care could soon leave doctors caught between state and federal law.
Under a bill that may soon pass the Legislature, California medical providers and affiliated businesses could face hefty state fines if they comply with a federal subpoena seeking abortion, gender-affirming or reproductive care information without first notifying the California attorney general, patients and providers.
But delaying responding to the feds could put them at risk of violating federal law, and independent constitutional scholars say the pending law might not survive a legal challenge.
The bill is in response to...
Court strikes down California law targeting dialysis industry profits
A federal appeals court ruled last week that California's attempt to limit how much dialysis companies profit from certain privately insured patients is unconstitutional — a victory for an industry that has repeatedly beaten back efforts to control its costs.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down key pieces of Assembly Bill 290, a law designed to limit how much dialysis companies could profit from privately insured patients who receive premium assistance from charity groups.
About 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer from...
Can medical malpractice lawsuits protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy? This California lawmaker thinks so
California lawmakers are advancing a new strategy to discourage efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Colorado law banning the practice. The strategy: Extend the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims.
A bill introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, would increase the time period during which someone could file a malpractice suit against a mental health professional for trying to change their sexual orientation or gender and harming them in the process. Depending on the age of the person who files the claim, the bill would increase the statute of limitations from three years to 22 years or within five years of discovering the harm.
Wiener likened the change to...
State news from around the web
Attorney for man shot by ICE in California says his client did not try to run officers over // AP
Colossal hospice fraud scheme cost California millions, officials say amid intensifying Trump feud // Los Angeles Times
'Ketamine queen' gets lengthy prison sentence for selling drug that killed Matthew Perry // Los Angeles Times
San Jose residents sue over city's automated license plate reader network, citing mass surveillance concerns // CBS News
Resistance state: Tracking California’s lawsuits against the new Trump administration
Resistance state: Tracking California’s lawsuits against the new Trump administrationThis story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Round 2 of California vs. Trump is well underway. President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders moments after being inaugurated president, and many of them could directly affect California. These orders include revoking licenses for offshoreInland Empire Law WeeklyCalMatters Staff
National news
News from around the web
Judge dismisses Trump’s $10B lawsuit against WSJ, Murdoch over reporting on ties to Epstein // AP
Trump, IRS in talks to settle US president's $10 billion lawsuit // Reuters
D.C. police sought to arrest Rep. Cory Mills after assault call, records show // The Washington Post
Justice Thomas Speaks in Honor of 250th Anniversary of U.S. // C-SPAN
Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive monopoly over big concert venues // AP
Former Baja California governor charged with abuse of power and embezzlement // Border Report
History
The Declaration of Independence: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury
The 18th reason for independence, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, is the deprivation of jury trials.
The British Parliament sidestepped long-standing law that guaranteed jury trials by expanding the jurisdiction of the admiralty court through the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765. The admiralty court only conducted bench trials. These laws expanded the court's authority to smuggling and tax collection, while increasing the penalties for such crimes.
Today in history: The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The shot heard round the world was fired by a British regular at American minutemen on this date 251 years ago. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first shots fired in the American Revolution. The 700 British troops were on the march to seize the minutemen's military supplies at Concord, Massachusetts. They were met by just 77 minutemen in Lexington, were the first shot was fired, and 400 in Concord, each group alerted by Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Forty-nine minutemen and 63 British troops were killed. The supplies had already been moved.
Book recommendation
Today's book recommendation is Lexington and Concord : The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution by Arthur Tourtellot.
"While it is well-known that the American Revolution began with the two engagements between Massachusetts militia and the British Army at Lexington and Concord, what is not as well-known is the hurry, surprise, and confusion leading to those battles.
"Starting with an overview of the two towns and the situation of the British Army in Boston, he ends the book with a discussion of the immediate aftermath of the battles and how they sparked an armed rebellion. In between, he follows the “midnight riders”, statesmen, soldiers, and civilians involved in an almost hour-by-hour look at the battles. In chapter four Tourtellot provides a detailed description of the Lexington common and the people present at the moment the British Army approached."
$7 from Biblio
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