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.
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.
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.
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.
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 – 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.
April 24, 2012 5:41 PM
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/02/2012 12:42:06 PM PST
SB COUNTY – A judge wants to schedule a retrial in an alleged San Bernardino County bribery case at the next court appearance in May for brothers Arshak and Vartan Kouladjian.
Monday, February 27, 2012 – 08:15 a.m.
The civil trial of a lawsuit filed against San Bernardino County by former chief executive Mark Uffer has been moved again.
Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/21/2012 07:55:49 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – A company connected to airport developer Scot Spencer filed an appeal Tuesday against a Superior Court judge’s recent ruling that allowed airport officials to terminate its contract for not maintaining minimum fuel reserves for aircraft.
By Mike Cruz, The (San Bernardino County) Sun
Posted: 02/20/2012 12:54:49 PM PST
A class-action lawsuit against Victorville and its red-light camera program alleges vehicle owners’ due-process rights were violated and seeks millions of dollars in damages.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/17/2012 11:48:58 AM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – Airport officials can terminate their contract with a company tied to embattled airport developer Scot Spencer for failing to maintain minimum fuel reserves for aircraft, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/16/2012 04:26:55 PM PST
The trajectory of a sweeping San Bernardino County corruption case hinges on how a state appellate court rules.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 16 February 2012 06:26 PM
Backers of a prosecutor challenging a Riverside County judge in the June 5 election are accusing the incumbent of violating judicial ethics, but the judge says he has not broken any rules.
Published: 14 February 2012 06:04 PM
A look at crime in the Inland region, from a Rialto shooting to a cockfighting raid to the theft of the Storm mascot’s quad.
To view video, click here.
February 14, 2012 11:31 AM
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Natasha Lindstrom
SAN BERNARDINO • A judge ruled Tuesday that Apple Valley developer John Dino DeFazio will stand trial for allegedly lying to the grand jury, marking the latest legal development in the far-reaching Colonies corruption investigation.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 13 February 2012 09:50 PM
In an FBI interview former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus said he did not view a $100,000 campaign contribution from Colonies Partners as a bribe even though he expected to receive funds following a lawsuit settlement.
Andrew Edwards, The (San Bernardino County) Sun
Posted: 02/13/2012 12:30:39 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – SBD Properties, a business operating at San Bernardino International Airport, and airport managers are set to meet in court on Friday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over access to the airport’s fuel tanks.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 10 February 2012 08:26 PM
(EDITOR’S NOTE: In an earlier version of this story, the type of court assignment for Judge Gary Tranbarger was incorrect. It is listed correctly here.)
Kennedy and Nixon are back on the Riverside County election ballot.
That’s Richard T. Nixon and Michael J. Kennedy, private criminal defense attorneys who declared their candidacies this week for Riverside County Superior Court offices.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 10 February 2012 07:59 PM
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Colonies corruption case continued to haggle over evidence in San Bernardino County Superior Court Friday, with both sides saying they are continuing to make progress in turning over documents as part of the discovery process.
Prosecutors say A.V. developer lied about PAC; defense rejects charge
February 10, 2012 8:36 AM
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Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO • Prosecutors attempted to show Thursday that Apple Valley developer John Dino DeFazio lied about a political action committee that former county Assessor Bill Postmus secretly used to funnel bribes.
At the preliminary hearing in San Bernardino court, DeFazio’s defense worked to demonstrate DeFazio — not Postmus — controlled the PAC in question, and attacked the credibility of the district attorney’s key witnesses.
By Dan Smith
smith@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
Last Modified: Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 – 9:27 am
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has assailed the Assembly for passing a bill that would strip power from the Judicial Council she controls, prompting opponents to suggest her tone is inappropriate for the state’s top judge.
Thursday, February 9, 2012 – 10:45 a.m.
It’s said that money makes a difference in how you are treated in our criminal justice system.
A saying that’s absolutely true. Especially if your a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/08/2012 06:05:39 PM PST
In an October interview with federal authorities, former San Bernardino County Assessor Bill Postmus said he did not consider a $100,000 campaign contribution from Colonies Partners LP a bribe.
Postmus’ statement, from an interview transcript obtained by The Sun, appears to contradict his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy and bribery in state court, where prosecutors contend campaign contributions to political action committees were part of a conspiracy by Colonies to secure a huge settlement to a land-rights dispute with the county.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 – 10:00 a.m.
So much for equal treatment under the law.
Especially when there’s money involved.
BY IMRAN GHORI
STAFF WRITER
ighori@pe.com
Published: 07 February 2012 08:15 PM
An Apple Valley businessman accused of lying about his ties to former San Bernardino County assessor Bill Postmus turned down a plea deal Tuesday that would have spared him prison time.
As a result, John Dino DeFazio, 52, will return to court Thursday for a preliminary hearing to determine whether he will face trial on six felony charges of perjury.
Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 02/07/2012 12:45:19 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO – An attorney has 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 developers Colonies Partners LP.
BY RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 30 January 2012 11:33 AM
A judge Monday barred 248 health-care workers from joining a one-day strike by members of Riverside County’s second-largest union.
Mike Cruz, The (San Bernardino County) Sun
Created: 01/30/2012 10:27:09 AM PST
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – A workplace discrimination lawsuit has been filed in Superior Court against Ontario Police Chief Eric Hopley by his former administrative assistant Brenda Vallejo.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
January 30, 2012 | 3:31 pm
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye lost a round over Judicial Council power
The state’s top judge lost a political battle Monday when the state Assembly voted to shift key budget decisions from the state Judicial Council that she heads to local trial courts, some of which have complained about the panel’s handling of money.
RICHARD K. De ATLEY/Staff
RICHARD K. De ATLEY
STAFF WRITER
rdeatley@pe.com
Published: 29 January 2012 07:33 PM
Like passengers on a plane with half the engines snuffed, Inland court officials can only wait and watch as Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for next year fiscal year moves through the state’s political turbulence.
By Howard Mintz hmintz@mercurynews.com
Posted: 01/30/2012 06:56:26 AM PST
Updated: 01/30/2012 07:31:17 AM PST
With a crucial vote looming Monday, a conflict that has shaken California’s judiciary reaches a critical stage when the Assembly considers legislation that would strip control of most of the court system’s purse strings from a central bureaucracy and turn it over to the Legislature and local trial judges.
January 26, 2012
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye today urged the defeat of Assembly legislation that would undermine the authority of the Judicial Council, and give courts in as few as two counties authority to veto any statewide judicial project.
Cantil-Sakauye, who became chief justice in 2010, is showing herself to be a tough fighter as she lobbies to kill legislation by Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Whittier, himself the consummate inside player.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
January 24, 2012 | 1:51 pm
Democratic lawmakers sued state Controller John Chiang on Tuesday seeking limits on the controller’s right to withhold lawmakers’ pay during a budget stalemate.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 – 12:00 am | Page 3A
As the Legislature reconvened this month, California’s judges resumed their civil war over money and power.
It pits Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and the State Judicial Council, along with one faction of trial and appellate judges, against a rebellious faction, organized as the Alliance of California Judges, over how to allocate pain as the courts adjust to reduced financing.
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