Law Enforcement

3 people shot and wounded in Mid-City, LAPD says
Three people were shot and wounded Tuesday evening in Mid-City by an attacker who fled the scene, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The gunfire broke out about 7 p.m. after the shooter opened fire near West and Pico boulevards. A man in his 20s and another man in his 40s were both struck in the abdomen, police said. A woman in her 20s was shot in the leg. LAPD units swarmed the area as officers looked for the shooter. Investigators at the scene were gathering evidence.
Los Angeles Times

2 LAPD officers hurt when cruiser crashes into Venice bus benches
Two Los Angeles police officers injured when their patrol car crashed into some bus benches in Venice were home today resting, police said. The officers were responding to a call for backup when a dark SUV made a U-turn in front of them, prompting the officer at the wheel of the cruiser to swerve onto a sidewalk at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Pacific Avenue around 1:45 a.m. Monday, knocking over two bus benches outside a Starbucks.
City News Service

Police: Robbers target distracted smartphone users
Embarrassing accidents, like walking into parked cars or tripping over the curb, aside, Los Angeles police warn smartphone users that there's a new reason to take their eyes off that tiny screen. LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon said he's seen a 30 percent increase, year-to-year, in phones grabbed right out of distracted texters' hands. "Whether it's on a phone or through text messaging on a phone, you're not aware of what's going on around you," Vernon said.
NBC4

LAPD allowed Manson family member recordings
Los Angeles police are entitled to audio recordings of conversations four decades ago between a Manson family member and his attorney, a Texas judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brenda T. Rhoades of Plano granted the request allowing police to obtain the eight cassette tapes containing hours of talks between Charles "Tex" Watson and Bill Boyd, a now-deceased Texas attorney who once represented Watson. Police want to listen to the tapes to learn whether Watson described any unsolved killings in the conversations.
Associated Press

Off-duty deputy shoots would-be robber in downtown L.A.
An off-duty reserve Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy shot and injured a would-be robber during an attempted heist at two downtown jewelry stores Tuesday afternoon. Investigators remained at the scene, but Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Herrera said initial information indicated three men entered two stores in the 600 block of South Broadway about 2:30 p.m. Two of the armed suspects went inside one store, she said, while the third entered the second. At one point, one of the men "took hold" of a security guard.
Los Angeles Daily News

Pensions

San Jose pension fight could have nationwide implications
The eyes of the nation are on San Jose as a landmark June 5 measure to trim soaring pension costs puts residents of the 10th largest U.S. city at the center of a $1 million-plus battle for their votes. Should San Jose's Measure B pass, as Mayor Chuck Reed and the business and taxpayer groups behind it expect, it would be a key test of a city's authority to reduce future pension costs that exceed expectations and revenues, despite earlier promises to employees.
San Jose Mercury News

Capital Punishment

California resisting order to hand over lethal injection drug
California prison officials are trying to keep possession of a scarce lethal injection drug, contesting a federal court order making it illegal to use "foreign manufactured" sodium thiopental. In late 2010, California was one of several states scrambling for thiopental, an anesthetic and part of a three-drug cocktail for lethal injections, when the domestic pharmaceutical manufacturer ran out of supplies.
California Watch

State Government

State's 9/11 license plate fund: Where did the money go?
After the 2001 terrorist attacks, California lawmakers sought a way to channel the patriotic fervor and use it to help victims' families and law enforcement. Their answer: specialty memorial license plates emblazoned with the words, "We Will Never Forget." Part of the money raised through the sale of the plates was to fund scholarships for the children of California residents who perished in the attacks, while the majority - 85 percent - was to help fund anti-terrorism efforts.
Associated Press

City Government

City panel urges complete ban on all medical marijuana dispensaries
Faced with more than 70 lawsuits and continuing problems with medical marijuana dispensaries, a city panel urged Tuesday a complete ban on all the clinics now operating in the city. "You tell us there are a few bad apples ruining it for everyone, but from what I've seen, there are more bad apples than good ones out there," said Councilman Mitch Englander, who said the estimated 60 dispensaries in his northwest Valley district had been shut down.
Los Angeles Daily News

L.A. City Council committee approves ban on tents and camping in city parks
Camping overnight and pitching tents in city parks would be banned under a measure approved by a City Council committee on Tuesday. The rules recommended by the Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee were a reaction to the Occupy L.A. movement, which camped out for months on the City Hall lawn, causing extensive damage to the grass and leading to the downtown park remaining closed and fenced-off to this day.
Los Angeles Daily News