Politics, Government and Business in Southern California's Inland Empire
Sunday, May 20, 2012 – 03:30 p.m.
An interesting turn of events is unfolding in the taxpayer lawsuit filed by Upland lawyer Corey Briggs on behalf of two groups known as The Inland Oversight Committee and Citizens for Responsible Equitable Government.
By Howard Mintz
hmintz@mercurynews.com
Posted: 05/18/2012 05:41:38 AM PDT
Updated: 05/18/2012 05:42:00 AM PDT
California’s judges will now have to post all their financial disclosure information in cyberspace.
In a unanimous decision, the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission on Thursday approved a rule that requires California’s more than 1,700 judges to post their disclosure forms on the Internet, despite objections from judicial leaders that it could jeopardize their privacy and security.
Posted: 05/14/2012 06:14:43 PM PDT
SBD Airport Services’ attempt to convince a federal judge to restore the company’s access to San Bernardinno International Airport’s fueling facilities has been postponed to June 18.
L.A. NOW
Southern California — this just in
May 14, 2012 | 1:29 pm
State judicial leaders warned Monday that the proposed cuts for the California courts may jeopardize public access to the justice system.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
May 14, 2012
The Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Legal Foundation petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeals today to remove from the November ballot a proposal to abolish the death penalty in California, arguing it violates the state’s “single-subject rule” for initiatives.
Staff report
Posted: 05/12/2012 03:07:54 PM PDT
Attorneys for the bankrupt SBD Airport Services will go before a federal judge Monday to contend that interim San Bernardino International Airport chief A.J. Wilson acted improperly when he cut off the company’s access to jet fuel.
The hearing is scheduled to take place Monday afternoon at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Riverside.
Ryan Hagen, The (San Bernardino County) Sun
Posted: 05/10/2012 11:09:14 AM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – The results of the election for city clerk will stand, a Superior Court judge ruled Thursday, rejecting a claim by 15 voters whose ballots weren’t counted because of signature mismatches.
The trial had the potential to change the outcome of the city clerk’s race, in which Georgeann “Gigi” Hanna – a former public relations official and journalist who took office March 5 – gathered six votes more than Amelia Sanchez-Lopez, who heads the county Alcohol and Drug Services Administration.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 04 May 2012 05:40 PM
Four judicial races in Riverside County’s June 5 election have divided the region’s usually collegial legal community and brought out issues much larger than the names on the ballot.
It’s lit up court hallway debates over the quality of the county’s judiciary, campaign money, judicial rulings and temperament, and even whether judicial elections are the right way to the bench.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 05/04/2012 05:20:47 PM PDT
A San Bernardino Superior Court judge on Friday rejected a motion to dismiss a case against a High Desert developer accused of lying to the Grand Jury about his role in a political action committee.
Judge J. David Mazurek denied the motion filed on behalf of John Dino DeFazio, 52, of Apple Valley, who stands charged with six felony counts of perjury. A pretrial hearing is now scheduled for June 22.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 05/03/2012 08:54:13 AM PDT
Anthony Orlando Sanchez pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Riverside, admitting to conspiracy to commit bribery.
Sanchez, 36, was charged with acting as a conduit between an Upland business and former Mayor John Pomierski. Pomierski pleaded guilty last week in the bribery case.
May 3, 2012 | 4:30 pm
Moving swiftly after a judge dismissed its case, the district attorney’s office refiled 24 perjury and voter-fraud charges late Thursday afternoon against Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, Flora Montes De Oca Alarcon.
The new charges make the same allegations as a case thrown out by Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy on Thursday morning, accusing the Alarcons of lying about living in a house in Panorama City so that the councilman could run for his 7th District office.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 05/02/2012 11:26:32 AM PDT
Document: Read the amended complaint (.pdf file)
An attorney who filed a lawsuit seeking reimbursement for taxpayers of the $102 million settlement made by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in 2006 with Rancho Cucamonga-based developer Colonies Partners LP has made slight amendments to his complaint.
Cory Briggs said he added some language to the complaint, which he filed in February in San Bernardino County Court, in order to fill in information that attorneys for the Colonies said was needed.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Apr. 30, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
A professional-quality video clip that popped up on YouTube depicts physical deficiencies in California courtrooms and makes the case for building new courthouses and rehabbing old ones.
The video, containing scene after scene of overcrowded courtrooms, mouse traps and water damage, was produced for the Judicial Council, the San Francisco-based policymaking body for California’s court system.
Sunday, April 29. 2012 – 01:00 p.m.
As a service to many of our readers. Here is today’s legal definition courtesy of Cornell University Law School.
Intentional Tort defined: A type of tort that can only result from an intentional act of the defendant. Depending on the exact tort alleged, either general or specific intent will need to be proven. Common intentional torts are battery, assault, false imprisonment, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/28/2012 07:19:08 PM PDT
UPLAND – Former Upland Mayor John Pomierski’s admission to accepting a $5,000 bribe from an Upland business does not worry city officials from a legal standpoint.
Pomierski pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Riverside to accepting a bribe from the owners of Chronic Cantina restaurant as part of a plea agreement.
By Joe Nelson
Posted: 04/26/2012 05:53:53 PM PDT
A jury on Thursday ruled in favor of the city of Colton and against its former police chief, Ken Rulon, in a wrongful termination lawsuit Rulon brought against the city in 2007.
Thursday, April 26, 2012 – 11:45 a.m.
Former Upland Mayor John “J.P.” Pomierski entered into a plea agreement before Federal Judge Virginia Philips in U.S. District Court in Riverside on Thursday morning.
The plea agreement stems from charges related to influence peddling.
Thursday, April 26, 2012 – 09:45 a.m.
Here’s some interesting news on the transom this week.
Retirement savings plans under attack.
Yes, it’s finally happening. The feds are discussing the taxation of various retirement savings accounts to generate revenue. As their coffers dwindle, expect federal, state and local government to squeeze taxpayers.
RICHARD K. De ATLEY, STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 25 April 2012 05:56 PM
President Obama has nominated Jesus Bernal, who heads the Inland-area public defender’s office in Riverside, as a judge for the vacant federal court bench in Riverside, Sen. Barbara Boxer’s office announced Wednesday.
April 24, 2012 5:41 PM
ShareThis| Print Story | E-Mail Story
Brooke Edwards Staggs, City Editor
VICTORVILLE • The class action lawsuit over Victorville’s red light cameras has been moved from state to federal court, with the city motioning to dismiss the case while a local attorney gears up for a potentially precedent-setting battle.
The venue change came at the request of Redflex Traffic Systems, the private company that operates 10 cameras in Victorville and is a codefendant in the case alongside the city.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 24, 2012
Post has been updated throughout the afternoon with responses and additional reporting.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge has tentatively ruled that the state controller has no authority to judge whether the state budget is balanced or block lawmakers’ pay as he did last June.
By Marc Lifsher
April 23, 2012, 1:10 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Federal securities regulators sued a former chief executive and a former director of the country’s largest public pension fund, accusing them of scheming to defraud an investment firm of more than $20 million in fees.
The Securities and Exchange Commission filed the lawsuit Monday against the former CEO, Federico Buenrostro Jr., and the former CalPERS board member, Alfred J.R. Villalobos, alleging that they fabricated documents provided to Apollo Global Management in New York.
Monday, April 23, 2012 – 03:00 p.m.
A lawsuit filed by an Upland lawyer to force San Bernardino County to recover $102 million it paid Colonies Partners L.P., in a 2006 settlement over a flood control land use dispute, appears to have hit a snag.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Apr. 22, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
The California Legislature has a bad habit of making sweeping decisions in the moment without giving much thought to their long-term consequences.
The syndrome’s most striking example was an immense overhaul in 1996 of the state’s electric power system, misnamed “deregulation,” based on blithe, untested assertions that it would lower power bills.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/20/2012 12:11:17 PM PDT
A San Bernardino Superior Court judge on Friday lifted bail for four defendants in the Colonies Partners corruption scandal, freeing them from having to pay an annual bond premium as the one-year anniversary of their arrest nears.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 20 April 2012 11:42 AM
A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge agreed Friday to lift bail for three former county officials and a developer facing corruption charges.
Judge Michael Smith agreed to allow the four men to remain free on their own recognizance as the case continues to remain in the pre-trial stage almost a year after the defendants were indicted.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/19/2012 06:17:07 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – Attorneys for the bankrupt SBD Airport Services are asking a federal judge to force San Bernardino International Airport administrators to restore the company’s access to the airport’s fueling facilities.
April 19, 2012 9:04 AM
Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • Current city employees and retired employees of the water district absorbed by Victorville in 2007 are suing the city to protect their benefits, arguing the city is reneging on promises made to fund their vested coverage.
The six plaintiffs charge that Victorville is not standing by agreements it made to some 49 employees who’d worked for the former Victor Valley Water District.
Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/18/2012 08:11:29 PM PDT
As Superior Courts around the state look for ways to grapple with staggering budget cuts in the next fiscal year, San Bernardino County officials say courtroom closures are one option being looked at here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/17/2012 11:43:29 AM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – In a court case that could change the outcome of the city clerk election, the registrar of voters will be required to explain why he didn’t count votes by people whose signature didn’t match records but signed affidavits swearing they had voted.
The decision by Judge Donna Gunnell Garza on Tuesday modifies her earlier decision not to allow any outside evidence.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 – 10:55 a.m.
Is there a plea deal in the long-running Upland corruption case against former Upland Mayor John “J.P.” Pomierski?
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
Published: 15 April 2012 07:07 PM
Democrats and Republicans have spent recent days trading accusations that the other party has engaged in a so-called war on women.
First came the Democratic talking points: the GOP’s support for anti-abortion laws and opposition to the 2009 equal-pay legislation shows that probable presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Republicans are waging a war on women.
Romney’s camp fired back, enlisting his female surrogates — including Inland Rep. Mary Bono Mack — to discredit the accusations.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 15 April 2012 02:18 PM
Advocates and opponents of California’s medical marijuana clinics are in a legal no-man’s land after a flurry of appellate court decisions that contradict each other on whether local governments can ban the dispensaries.
The decisions also conflict on how the clinics can supply themselves with marijuana.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/13/2012 05:40:59 PM PDT
The Victor Valley Economic Development Authority (VVEDA) has sued the state, alleging a new state law that dissolved California’s roughly 400 redevelopment agencies does not apply to VVEDA because it is not a redevelopment agency.
VVEDA filed the lawsuit in the state Supreme Court on Thursday, challenging the applicability of Assembly Bill x126, known as the “Dissolution Bill,” which shuttered redevelopment agencies up and down California.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 11 April 2012 05:38 PM
The California Supreme Court decided Wednesday to review a trial judge’s order removing the Riverside County public defender’s office from a death penalty murder case.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 10 April 2012 08:38 PM
A legal challenge to San Bernardino City Clerk Gigi Hanna’s election victory suffered a setback Tuesday when a judge ruled that voters whose ballots were disqualified cannot testify.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN AND DAVID DANELSKI
STAFF WRITERS
jhorseman@pe.com | ddanelski@pe.com
Published: 09 April 2012 03:14 PM
Assemblyman and Riverside County supervisor candidate Kevin Jeffries can describe himself as a small business owner on the June 5 ballot but must drop or revise language about his voting record on taxes, a court commissioner ruled Monday.
By Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times
April 8, 2012, 8:51 p.m.
A high-profile perjury and voter fraud case against Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife could be in trouble based on a judge’s warning at a court hearing last month, transcripts show.
In the March 2 hearing, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy sharply criticized the prosecution’s case and scolded Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Lentz Snyder for being “very dismissive” of defense evidence submitted to a grand jury in 2010. Those jurors returned a 24-count felony indictment against the Alarcons, who have pleaded not guilty.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/06/2012 01:20:31 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – The attorney for an Apple Valley businessman linked to a sweeping San Bernardino County corruption case filed a motion Friday in Superior Court seeking dismissal of the case.
John Dino DeFazio, 52, is charged with six felony counts of perjury for allegedly lying to the county’s civil Grand Jury in 2009 about his involvement with a political action committee prosecutors allege was used to conceal a $100,000 bribe to former county Assessor Bill Postmus.
Wes Woods II, Staff Writer
Created: 04/05/2012 06:20:21 PM PDT
To view Assembly Bill 2552 introduced by Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Chino, visit http://tinyurl.com/potbill.
To read a letter from the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition group asking Torres to withdraw the bill visit http://tinyurl.com/potletter.
A group of former California police officers, prosecutors and judges have asked Assemblywoman Norma Torres to withdraw her bill that would criminalize motorists who operate a vehicle with any level of marijuana in their blood or urine.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition members said standards created by Assembly Bill 2552 have nothing to do with actual impairment behind the wheel and would criminalize California’s legal medical marijuana patients.
April 5th, 2012, 3:13 pm
Posted by Andrew Galvin
Remember that $73.5 million that Orange County grabbed from schools a few months back, forcing the state to make up for it? This was after the state grabbed $49.5 million in Vehicle License Fee money from the county to help balance the state’s budget.
Well, the state wants its $73.5 million back.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/04/2012 04:19:12 PM PDT
A federal court judge in Riverside is considering a request to postpone former Upland Mayor John Pomierski’s trial for the third time.
By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times
April 3, 2012
Civil rights groups and aspiring minority college students have lost the latest bid to get the University of California to resume considering race in its admissions decisions.
Proposition 209 banned the state’s public universities from using racial preferences to increase the ranks of black, Latino and Native American students, and the 1996 voter initiative has already withstood several constitutional challenges.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
April 1, 2012, 9:42 p.m.
As doubts grow about the survival of the federal healthcare law, state officials are considering ways to keep key elements of the legislation alive in California.
Skepticism of the Affordable Care Act by conservative Supreme Court justices during oral arguments last week has raised the possibility the court will strike the individual mandate to purchase health coverage or throw out the entire law as unconstitutional.
By David G. Savage, Washington Bureau
March 31, 2012, 5:05 p.m.
WASHINGTON — When the incoming Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. came before the Senate for confirmation seven years ago, President Reagan’s solicitor general gave him a warm endorsement as a “careful, modest” judge.
BY KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
STAFF WRITER
kpierceall@pe.com
Published: 30 March 2012 11:18 AM
Norton Property Management Services LLC, a company affiliated with Scot Spencer that filed for bankruptcy in December to avoid eviction from a hangar at San Bernardino International Airport, was granted another 90 days to either keep or reject the amended lease it has had with the airport since October 2010.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
March 30, 2012
Democratic campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee pleaded guilty this morning to defrauding her clients of at least $7 million, bringing to a close a case that one official has called the “most extensive campaign treasurer fraud in the history of California.”
IMRAN GHORI
ighori@pe.com
Published: 29 March 2012 10:36 AM
A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge Thursday delayed sentencing for former Assessor Bill Postmus on corruption charges until July 19.
Postmus pleaded guilty last year to taking part in a conspiracy involving bribery and extortion in exchange for his vote for the county’s controversial $102 million legal settlement with developer Colonies Partners.
Ryan Carter, Staff Writer
Created: 03/28/2012 07:23:04 PM PDT
Attorneys for developer Colonies Partners LP are seeking dismissal of a civil lawsuit that would force the developer to pay back a $102 million legal settlement to taxpayers.
By Jim Steinberg, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/28/2012 07:50:12 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – The agency formed to revive the former Norton Air Force Base plans to file a lawsuit next week to keep from falling under the clutches of the state law that has dissolved more than 400 municipal redevelopment agencies across California.
The Inland Valley Development Agency will ask a state court judge next week for an injunction to shield it from the effects of ABx1 26, the law which abolished redevelopment agencies and requires them create oversight boards to proceed with the liquidation of assets, Tim Sabo, attorney for the agency’s board, said Wednesday.
March 28, 2012 4:06 PM
Tomoya Shimura, Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • A former Victorville deputy accused of failing to report illegal sexual acts between a fellow deputy and a teen Explorer was acquitted in his misdemeanor trial Wednesday.
After a few hours of deliberations, a Victorville jury found Erik Alexandro Orduno, 32, not guilty of failing to report suspected child abuse as a mandated reporter.
For Immediate Release Contact: Betsy Starbuck
March 27, 2012 (951) 210-8460
Court Rejects Derry’s Ballot Designation
(SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA) – Today the San Bernardino County Superior Court rejected Neil Derry’s preferred ballot designation and ordered the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters to use the alternate designation of “County Supervisor” removing the word “Businessman”. In Neil Derry’s ballot designation worksheet he included the word “Businessman” in his title even though he doesn’t operate a business.
Monday, March 26, 2012 – 11:00 a.m.
State Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks) received three years probation in a hearing Monday morning San Bernardino County Superior Court.
Op-Ed
Ted Stevens and the department of injustice
An inquiry tells the story of government lawyers who failed to live up to their professional responsibilities and thus failed to give the former Alaska senator a fair trial.
By Michael Carey
March 19, 2012
As his trial on corruption charges approached in the fall of 2008, Ted Stevens railed to me in an email: “What did I do, Michael? What did I do?” The wounded rage smoldering in that rhetorical question to a reporter reflected his belief that he had done nothing wrong. He continued to insist on his innocence after a Washington, D.C., jury found him guilty of lying on financial disclosure forms.
Stevens’ conviction was dismissed in 2009 after the Justice Department’s admission that government lawyers failed to turn over evidence the Stevens defense should have received. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan, who presided over Stevens’ trial, soon authorized an investigation of the prosecutors’ conduct, a move as rare as the trial of a U.S. senator.
Sunday, March 25, 2012 – 11:50 a.m.
Over a year ago San Bernardino County sued the San Bernardino County Public Attorneys Association over the union using Deputy District Attorneys to represent Deputy Public Defenders in low level grievance and disciplinary matters.
A practice former Public Defender Doreen Boxer didn’t care for.
By Joe Nelson and Neil Nisperos, Staff Writers
Posted: 03/23/2012 08:28:21 PM PDT
A supporter of Board of Supervisors candidate James Ramos has asked a judge to order incumbent Neil Derry to strike the word businessman from Derry’s ballot statement – an action funded by Ramos, a San Manuel tribal leader.
The supporter, Patricia Amicone, is seeking a court order demanding that county Registrar of Voters Mike Scarpello remove the “businessman” term from Derry’s ballot statement, arguing Derry’s only profession is that of county supervisor.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 23 March 2012 04:22 PM
San Manuel tribal Chairman James Ramos is funding a legal challenge against election opponent and San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry’s use of the title businessman on his ballot designation.
Thursday, March 22, 2012 – 06:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 23, 2012 – 09:20 a.m.
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Chairman James Ramos is suing San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Michael Scarpello over his opponents ballot designation.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 22 March 2012 05:53 PM
A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge continued a case against an Inland assemblyman charged with two misdemeanors for bringing a loaded gun into Ontario International Airport.
Money & Politics | Daily Report
March 23, 2012 | Will Evans
Wealthy Californians are keeping the money flowing to super political action committees, even as some state lawmakers want to turn off the faucet.
Super PACs on the left and right drew hefty contributions last month from the rich and famous – such as controversial comedian Bill Maher and GOP mega-donor Jerry Perenchio – as well as from the merely rich.
BY JEFF HORSEMAN
STAFF WRITER
jhorseman@pe.com
Published: 21 March 2012 06:40 PM
Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster has filed a legal challenge to try to force election opponent and Assembly member Kevin Jeffries to revise his self-description on the June 5 ballot.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/19/2012 08:03:04 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – Colton Councilwoman Deirdre Bennett said she lost faith in former City Manager Daryl Parrish after he failed to cancel a city-issued credit card a councilman had been abusing.
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 20, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Tuesday, Mar. 20, 2012 – 9:40 am
California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who has feuded openly for months with state lawmakers and dissident judges over a bid to weaken her administrative power, appealed to the Legislature on Monday to spare the judiciary from further budget cuts.
Agency investigates relationship between broker, Inland Energy VP
March 18, 2012 10:17 AM
Brooke Edwards Staggs
Editor’s Note:
This is part one in a two-part series looking at the SEC’s investigation into the city of Victorville. See Monday’s Daily Press for part two, looking at whether bond funds were used to make campaign contributions.
VICTORVILLE • As part of its two-year probe into Victorville, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether there were hidden financial ties between the man who led the charge on the city’s largest energy venture and the man who’s brokered more than $400 million in taxpayer-supported debt on behalf of the city.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 16 March 2012 08:03 PM
Attorneys for Colonies case figure Jeffrey Burum have filed a motion that seeks to force prosecutors to hand over all material that could include evidence helpful to Burum in his defense.
The motion is necessary, defense attorney Stephen G. Larson said in the document, because he believes there is evidence that the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office has not been handing over all such material in a timely way to the defense, despite several requests to do so.
By Joe Nelson
Created: 03/16/2012 10:56:10 AM PDT
Defense attorneys in a far-reaching San Bernardino County corruption case are seeking a court order to compel prosecutors to provide information on communications they have had with two key defendants in the case.
Attorney Stephen Larson, attorney for Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum, filed a motion Thursday in San Bernardino Superior Court alleging prosecutors have been nonresponsive and holding out.
By Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/15/2012 07:15:28 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO – A lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 people whose votes weren’t counted in the city clerk runoff election is the latest move that could reverse that razor-thin election.
Georgeann “Gigi” Hanna won the election by six votes – 6,076 votes to opponent Amelia Sanchez-Lopez’s 6,070 – according to a Feb. 28 recount.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
March 15, 2012 | 4:31 pm
The state Fair Political Practices Commission decided Thursday to delay posting financial interest statements by 2,500 elected judges on the Internet after representatives said they feared the easy access to personal information would put them in danger.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
March 15, 2012
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly is seeking a plea deal on misdemeanor charges stemming from the discovery of a loaded firearm in his hand-carry luggage by screeners at Ontario International Airport.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 13 March 2012 09:07 PM
A prosecutor running for judge in Riverside County in the June 5 election has challenged the incumbent to a debate.
Deputy District Attorney John Henry’s offer came after Judge Craig Riemer was quoted in a Southwest Riverside News Network article published Monday as saying Henry’s bid for his bench “politically naïve.”
By Jim Puzzanghera
March 12, 2012, 12:19 p.m.
Reporting from Washington— State and federal officials on Monday formally filed the $25-billion settlement with the nation’s biggest mortgage servicers.
The lengthy documents outlining the terms of the landmark settlement were filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, formally ending investigations by the Justice Department, Housing and Urban Development Department and attorneys general in 49 states into botched foreclosure paperwork and mortgage servicing problems.
By Peter Hecht
phecht@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 1A
When it comes to rulings on medical marijuana, California courts have a case of multiple personality disorder.
A flurry of recent, conflicting decisions by state appellate courts on whether cities can ban marijuana stores or be forced to allow them is setting up a landmark review by the California Supreme Court.
By Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/10/2012 03:03:31 PM PST
An admission by former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus to federal authorities that he used methamphetamine dozens of times in 2011 has a defense attorney in a far-reaching county corruption case questioning the tactics of prosecutors.
The admission came during an Oct. 14 interview with assistant U.S. attorneys Jerry Behnke and Joseph Widman and FBI agent Jonathan Zeitlin, when Postmus told the trio what he knew about an alleged corruption scandal state and local prosecutors are calling the biggest in county history.
Ryan Carter and Jim Steinberg, Staff Writers
Posted: 03/08/2012 12:20:54 PM PST
PDF: Petition filed by SBD Airport Services in federal bankruptcy court
SAN BERNARDINO – A feud between the San Bernardino International Airport Authority and a controversial provider of aircraft fuel intensified Thursday, after the provider – SBD Airport Services – announced it filed for bankruptcy protection, alleging the airport is intentionally crippling its services.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/05/2012 02:28:28 PM PST
The latest development in the fight over medical marijuana could sharply limit cities’ power to prohibit marijuana dispensaries.
A recent opinion, from the division of the state’s Fourth District Court of Appeals that meets in Santa Ana, holds that since California law provides for dispensaries, cities cannot ban them by declaring them to be a public nuisance.
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Apr | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
| |