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44 IEers pass State Bar
Forty-four of the 1,483 people who passed the February 2026 California Bar exam are from the Inland Empire.
The February exam had a 30% pass rate, a decline from the February 2024 bar exam's 33% and the February 2025 exam's 64% pass rate. Thirty-seven percent of the applicants were first-time exam takers. First-time exam takers had a 44% pass rate.
Inland Empire Law Weekly extends its congratulations to those who passed.
Full list available here
SB Court releases annual report
San Bernardino Superior Court published their 2025 Annual Report last week.
The report also includes messages from court leadership, including a description of Presiding Judge Rod Cortez's priorities as he enters his term.
"Looking forward, my priority is to continue building a court that is prepared for the future. One that uses data, technology, and strategic planning to improve the court experience for every user. This includes supporting the expansion of services across the county, advancing our digital transformation, and promoting a strong, empowered, and engaged workforce. Another priority of my term will be focused on continued advocacy for the judgeships and facilities our community deserves," Cortez wrote.
Click here for the full report
Rancho Cucamonga Court adds new courtroom
A fourth civil courtroom is now in operation at the Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse.
"I am proud to see the continued expansion of services at our Rancho Cucamonga District as we respond to the growing needs of our community," said Presiding Judge Rod Cortez.
"The opening of a fourth civil courtroom strengthens our ability to continue to provide responsive and efficient service to court users," said Court Executive Officer Anabel Z. Romero.
CA Supreme Court To Review UCLA Voting Rights Project Case Against Bianco
The California Supreme Court this week announced it would review the legal case filed by the UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP) on behalf of four Riverside County voters that Sheriff Chad Bianco illegally seized the ballots from last November’s statewide special election as part of his investigation into alleged election fraud, as first reported by The Riverside Record.
“We hope that the court will grant our relief, which is to return the ballots and election materials back to the county registrar,” Sonni Waknin, Senior Voting Rights Counsel at VRP, said in an interview with The Record. “And, also, on the merits of the case, strongly agree with our argument that the Elections Code requires that the ballots, even in the event of a criminal prosecution, remain in the custody of county elections officials.”
Bianco, who is running for governor as a Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Xavier Becerra, who is running for governor as a Democrat, serves as a voting rights advisor for VRP.
The May 13 order came...
State Civil Rights Department Opens Probe Into Riverside’s Affordable Housing Vote, ACLU Says
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU) announced Monday that the state’s civil rights agency had opened an investigation into allegations that Riverside officials violated anti-discrimination laws by voting to reject a state grant for an affordable housing project.
“The city has a legal obligation to create fair housing and to make decisions about housing that are free from discrimination,” Kath Rogers, ACLU senior staff attorney, said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “This decision has hurt the community as a whole and we want to see the city reconsider this unlawful decision.”
Rogers said...
Legal Group Alleges Riverside’s $100K Public Records Fee Violated State Law
A press right’s legal group said it plans to sue Riverside, alleging the city violated state’s public records law after the city would not budge on charging a journalist over $100,000 to obtain police use of force and misconduct documents from 124 investigations.
“The reason we’re fighting for this is for the public,” Susan Seager, a law professor and head of the Press Freedom Project at University of California, Irvine, said. “The public should be able to get public records without having to fork over $1,000 or $100,000.”
The decision to move forward with litigation came days after the Riverside City Council, during a closed session meeting May 5, reviewed an April 21 letter sent by Seager.
In the letter...
California transgender track champion moves closer to state meet amid protests
Once again, protesters are targeting two-time track and field state champion AB Hernandez, a transgender student athlete, whose participation in girls sports continues to draw scrutiny and raise questions about inclusion. Candidates running for election in June are even pushing back.
Her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, is better prepared for the local, statewide and national protests following last year’s controversy, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Last year, President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding to California and demanded that the state bar her participation. Under the national spotlight, the Jurupa Valley High School athlete won and shared state honors last year. She dominated the preliminaries in Southern California and is eyeing state titles in Clovis this year.
Policies set by the California Interscholastic Federation...
Local events
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.
Local sources
All articles are free to read.
Riverside Billed Water Ratepayers Illegally for Years, Judge Rules // The Raincross Gazette
Legal Group Alleges Riverside’s $100K Public Records Fee Violated State Law // The Riverside Record
3 structures destroyed by fire at California state prison in Norco // The Press-Enterprise
Election news
Inland Empire Law Weekly hosts election discussion
Thanks to those that came out Friday night for the VotingMatters event co-hosted with CalMatters, The Riverside Record and Community Forward Redlands. We brought people together to listen to the gubernatorial candidate's statements, then just talk about them. I spent the event listening to a young Temecula man, who works in San Diego, talk about the high cost of homes with an older couple and a Riverside housing advocate.
As we said in our announcement of the event: "Imagine that: talking over election issues instead of arguing online. Do we even remember how to do that?"
The answer is, we do. If you want to learn more about the candidates, we used the voting guide offered by CalMatters.
Insurance commissioner candidates float bigger California role
A few of the candidates vying to be California’s next insurance commissioner want to address the insurance crisis by having the state take a bigger financial role.
Some of the problems they’re trying to solve include:
- Not all insurance companies will write new policies in areas at high risk for wildfires, driving many homeowners to the FAIR Plan, the fire insurer of last resort.
- Policyholders’ rates are rising because Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has addressed insurance availability issues by implementing new regulations that allow insurers to use new additional factors when setting premiums.
- Many of those who are insured and have submitted claims after a disaster — such as last year’s deadly Los Angeles County fires — have been frustrated by delays, denials and dissatisfaction with insurers’ handling of their claims. The Insurance Department recently took legal action against State Farm over such issues.
Their proposals run the gamut...
Candidate coverage
Listen to our interviews of the Riverside judicial candidates—or read the transcripts—here.
All other news on the election published by this publication can be found here.
State news
Former Newsom chief of staff pleads guilty to scheme that bled money from Becerra’s account
A former political consultant for Democratic frontrunner for governor Xavier Becerra and ex-aide to Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, submitting a false tax return and lying to federal investigators.
The consultant, Dana Williamson, was charged in a corruption scandal that shocked Sacramento. Following an investigation that included FBI wiretaps and seized communications, prosecutors accused Williamson of conspiring with Becerra’s longtime chief of staff Sean McCluskie and another Sacramento lobbyist to divert $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant state campaign account into McCluskie’s hands.
As part of the plea deal Williamson, McCluskie and the other lobbyist jointly agreed to pay...
Six people died in California ICE detention centers as Trump deportations soared
Six people died in California immigration detention centers over the past year as the crowded sites struggled to provide basic medical care, according to a new state investigation detailing conditions inside the facilities.
The 175-page report released Friday offers the most detailed look to date inside the detention centers that are often in remote areas of the state and hard to access for attorneys, families, and advocates.
It documents the highest death toll since the state began conducting inspections of the centers seven years ago. In 2024, there were zero deaths in California detention centers, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association's list of Immigration and Customs Enforcement press releases tracking them, and the Attorney General’s office.
The deaths occurred as...
Why surveillance pricing bans are suddenly gaining traction this year (and not just in California)
Last year, California lawmakers backed off on a plan to do something about surveillance pricing, the practice of using someone's personal information to determine what they pay.
This year — with voters across the country facing rising inflation and an affordability crisis — lawmakers in California and in other states are cracking down.
A proposed surveillance pricing ban cleared a key vote in the California Legislature Thursday. It would forbid retailers from altering prices based on information about shoppers like their age, gender, or location.
Algorithms used for surveillance pricing can predict things like...
Algorithms used for surveillance pricing can predict things like...
State news from around the web
All links are free to read.
Court bans Kars4Kids ads in California for violating false advertising law // SFGATE
San Leandro police chief placed on administrative leave after being charged in 2025 hit-and-run // ABC7
Parent sues Palo Alto Unified after son is accused of using AI on essay // Palo Alto Post
Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang resigns amid China foreign agent allegations // FoxLA
Ex-gubernatorial candidate with OnlyFans model fiancée charged with witness tampering // LA Times
Alleged Bay Area bank robber's bright-blue hair a clear giveaway, leads to arrest // KTVU
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
‘Are they going to roll over?’: Gerrymandering fights reach state high courts
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri — Control of the U.S. House may run through a courtroom in Missouri.
In a red brick courthouse across the street from the state Capitol, the seven black-robed judges of the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday morning weighed the fate of a Republican gerrymander aimed at ousting U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a 11-term Democrat from Kansas City.
In the afternoon, they upheld the map.
Its opponents “failed to show the 2025 Map clearly and undoubtedly violates the requirements” of the state constitution, the court ruled hours after holding oral arguments.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s late April decision sharply curtailing the use of race in redistricting, much of the legal fight over gerrymandering is moving to state courts. The decision, Louisiana vs. Callais, gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which limited states’ ability to divide districts where a majority of residents belong to a racial minority group.
Southern Republican states have...
Trump elections order would create chaotic ‘nightmare,’ Democrats and allies tell court
WASHINGTON — Democrats and advocacy groups urged a quick rejection of President Donald Trump’s latest executive order on compiling citizenship lists and creating traceable mail-in ballots in a federal court hearing Thursday.
Lawyers for the Democratic National Committee, Democratic minority leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and interest groups argued that, with the midterm elections less than six months away, there was no time to see how the Trump administration executes the order.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, argued the order had not been put into effect yet and therefore could not be overturned.
The groups are seeking a nationwide preliminary pause on Trump’s late-March order that U.S. citizenship and age data from the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security be provided to states.
The proposal would result in...
Supreme Court rules abortion pills can continue to be mailed
After briefly letting a national ban take effect, the Supreme Court blocked a lower court’s ruling that would have prevented mailing a key abortion drug.
The decision, issued Thursday, allows telehealth dispensation of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in most abortions, to continue while the state of Louisiana challenges its legality.
Research shows...
Trump’s DOJ spars with Michigan in court over access to sensitive voter data
MICHIGAN — The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday suggested to a federal appeals court that upholding a lower court decision blocking the Trump administration’s access to sensitive voter data would weaken its ability to investigate racial discrimination in voting.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held oral arguments on whether to reverse a district court judge’s opinion that Michigan doesn’t have to provide the Justice Department with its unredacted voter list that contains dates of birth, driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers.
At the core of the case is how federal courts should interpret the 1960 Civil Rights Act, which grants the U.S. attorney general broad access to documents and records that “come into the possession” of election officials. Congress passed the law to empower investigations into voting discrimination against Black citizens.
A lawyer for the Trump administration...
History
The Declaration of Independence
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Inland Empire Law Weekly is reviewing each of the reasons for independence as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
This week's reason for independence: "For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever".
This is a bit of a repeat. As mentioned earlier in this series, the Assembly of New York was suspended after they refused to provided salt, pepper and vinegar to British soldiers. A description of this in Declaration of Independence signer John Dickinson's Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Dickinson viewed this order to provide food, in addition to the orders to provide room and board, as a tax made without the consent of the colonists.
"It is a parliamentary assertion of the supreme authority of the British legislature over these colonies in the part of taxation; and is intended to compel New-York unto a submission to that authority," Dickinson wrote.
Read his letter at this link:
My Dear Countrymen...
Today in history: Brown v. Board is ruled in 1954
The landmark case that ended the legal doctrine of separate but equal was decided on this date 72 years ago.
"We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote.
"Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the negro group. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. Segregation with the sanction of law, therefore, has a tendency to [retard] the educational and mental development of negro children and to deprive them of some of the benefits they would receive in a racial[ly] integrated school system," he wrote.
Shockingly, Warren's majority opinion is just 4 pages long.
You can read it here.
Book recommendation: Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality
This week's book recommendation is Simple Justice by Richard Kluger.
Simple Justice is the definitive history of the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education and the epic struggle for racial equality in this country. Combining intensive research with original interviews with surviving participants, Richard Kluger provides the fullest possible view of the human and legal drama in the years before 1954, the cumulative assaults on the white power structure that defended segregation, and the step-by-step establishment of a team of inspired black lawyers that could successfully challenge the law. Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the unanimous Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation, Kluger has updated his work with a new final chapter covering events and issues that have arisen since the book was first published, including developments in civil rights and recent cases involving affirmative action, which rose directly out of Brown v. Board of Education.
$6.39 from Amazon
Discussion in the ATmosphere