What is a reasonable fear of harm from domestic violence? A California appellate court has sided with an ex-wife who wanted to extend a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) against her former husband. While the ex-husband argued that her fears were “objectively unreasonable,” the court ruled that the reasonable person... Read More »
A group of Hyatt corporation hotel employees who were laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic won the appeal of their class action suit against the hotel chain. They claimed Hyatt violated California law by refusing to give them timely payment for their accrued vacation time. The district court had granted... Read More »
While virus-weary people all over the world worry about the new COVID variant and rush to get their latest, updated vaccination, the legal fallout over the last pandemic lingers on. One issue, relating to who is responsible for paying rent during construction projects, decided that closure orders issued by the... Read More »
Even though National Taco Day will be celebrated across the nation on October 4, Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has over 7,000 locations in the U.S. and 17 foreign countries, will have little to celebrate. The Newport Beach, California-based fast-food chain recently settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S.... Read More »
“Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get an abortion deserve support and trustworthy guidance – not lies and misinformation,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta (AG) as he filed a lawsuit against an anti-abortion group and a chain of five pregnancy centers that he claims use fraud... Read More »
The California Assembly and Governor Gavin Newsom recently clashed over their interpretation of what is in the best interests of the child in custody proceedings. The legislature had passed a bill that directed judges to consider each parent’s acceptance of their children’s gender identity when determining post-divorce custody. Newsom vetoed... Read More »
Lucky Pup Dog Rescue is a nonprofit organization that saves homeless dogs from death row and tries to get them new homes. When a dog named Derek was impounded and scheduled for euthanasia, Lucky Pup tried to save him. But Los Angeles County had not pre-approved Lucky Pup as an... Read More »
California’s gun laws are among the strictest in the nation. In fact, according to a new ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, they are too strict. In a unanimous opinion, the appellate court said that the state “cannot ban truthful ads about lawful firearm use among adults and... Read More »
When Google placed an ad that told viewers they could “Enhance your Google Maps experience,” if they clicked a box that said, “Yes I’m in,” the click actually did just the opposite. It turned on their location history, enabling Google to collect, store and use location data for profiling and... Read More »
Striking workers are making headlines across America. As union members from the country’s Big Three automakers hit the picket lines, contentious negotiations between striking writers and actors and the Hollywood studios have been going on in California for over 100 days. In support of the workers, the State’s legislators passed... Read More »
As school boards across the United States escalate their efforts to ban books that teach about sexual orientation, race, history and gender, California is going in the opposite direction. Both Houses of the State legislature passed Assembly Bill 1078, and it is now headed for Governor Gavin Newsom’s certain signature.... Read More »
When Timothy Leary and other pioneers of the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s wrote about magic mushrooms and other mind-bending drugs, few people would have believed that many of them could actually become legal, albeit 50 years later. Some forms of plant-based psychedelics are already sold in Colorado, Oregon and... Read More »
A mentally disordered woman, sentenced to 17 years in state prison, then transferred to a state mental hospital, will not be recommitted because those who examined her failed to present sufficient evidence that showed she “currently represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others” beyond a reasonable doubt. In... Read More »
Back in 1812, Elbridge Gerry, then the Governor of Massachusetts, created an odd-shaped Congressional district in his state, manipulating the boundaries to create an advantage for his political party. His legacy, called “gerrymandering,” lives on, and Alabama’s latest attempt to use it to avoid giving Black Alabamans what a federal... Read More »
A series of new laws, petitions and amendments has kept a convicted sexually violent predator (SVP) in a California state hospital, without a trial, since 1993. The Supreme Court of California has now considered his constitutional rights and ruled that “persons facing SVP commitment have a due process right to... Read More »
