Law Enforcement

Man pleads guilty to killing Burbank police officer in 2003
David A. Garcia, the man accused of killing Burbank Police Officer Matthew Pavelka in November 2003, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges Tuesday. Garcia, 28, was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Pavelka, 26, was killed in an exchange of gunfire during a routine stop outside the Ramada Inn after just 10 months on the force.
Burbank Leader

Man convicted in Donna Jou death arrested on parole violation
A sex offender who served state prison time in the death of 19-year-old coed Donna Jou was arrested at his Hollywood residence on suspicion of violating parole for allegedly possessing ammunition, Los Angeles police said Tuesday. John Steven "Sinjin" Burgess, 42, was taken into custody Monday after two women who were offered a rent-free living arrangement at his Hollywood apartment contacted KTLA-TV, claiming they saw drugs at the residence, LAPD officials said. The reporter then called police.
Los Angeles Times

Chalk art protest outside bank leads to vandalism arrest
An artist whose painting of a burning bank drew scrutiny from Los Angeles police last year said he has again come in contact with the law, this time after chalking on a sidewalk. In a video posted on his website, 42-year-old Alex Schaefer said he was arrested outside the Chase bank at 6th and Figueroa streets in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon for chalking on the sidewalk in what he called a "great form of protest."
Los Angeles Times

Victim identified in apparent gang slaying in Wilmington
The man who was fatally wounded in Wilmington in a suspected gang-related shooting has been identified, authorities said Tuesday. Emanuel Padilla, 24, was in an alley with another man in the 500 block of North Gulf Avenue on Sunday evening when a car pulled up and opened fire. Bruce Borihanh, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, described the shooting as "one gangster pulls up, shoots two other gangsters."
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. City Council votes 14-0 to ban medical marijuana shops
In the latest attempt to regulate what many say is an out-of-control proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, the City Counted voted 14-0 Tuesday to ban pot shops. Under the ban, each of the 762 dispensaries that have registered with the city will be sent a letter ordering them to shut down immediately. Those that don't comply may face legal action from the city. Medical marijuana activists who had packed the council chambers jeered when the vote came down.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

Voters have chance to lower prison, court spending, reports say
Two proposals on the November ballot could help reduce spending on prisons and courts by about $200 million a year, according to reports released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. The first initiative, known as Proposition 34, would eliminate the death penalty in California. That would cut costs for murder trials, lengthy legal appeals and local jails, the Legislative Analyst's Office said. Annual savings could start at $100 million and reach $130 million in a few years.
Los Angeles Times

New Laws

Gov. Jerry Brown targets latest trends in student bullying
Gov. Jerry Brown has added "burn pages" to the list of kinds of Internet bullying that can result in California students being suspended or expelled from school. There have been incidents in which students have created a "burn page" on a social networking site in which they and others write bad things about a peer. That is among the new trends included in the definitions of bullying in legislation signed by Brown.
Los Angeles Times

New law increases school police powers, critics say
A new law that aims to address confusion over the authority of school district police departments has come under fire from some critics who say lawmakers have quietly increased school police powers under the guise of "cleanup language." The law, which goes into effect in January, removes wording in the state Education Code that used to say that school police departments are not vested with general policing powers. That language caused confusion among the public because the Penal Code says just the opposite - that school officers are authorized to do general policing.
Sacramento Bee

Election 2012

Mandatory condom use on porn set for Nov. 6 ballot
For the first time ever, voters will be asked to decide whether porn stars should be mandated by law to wear condoms while filming. The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 3-1, with one abstention, to place a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot requiring porn stars to use condoms during the production of adult films in Los Angeles County. It would also require adult entertainment producers to undergo training on blood-borne pathogens, submit an exposure control plan and obtain a public health permit.
Los Angeles Daily News

Assault Weapons

Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein push for assault weapons ban
The rampage in Aurora Colorado in which a gunman carrying an assault rifle shot 71 people within 90 seconds rekindled talk of an assault weapons ban in Washington, but no action is expected because of stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association. California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both Democrats, voiced their support Tuesday for renewing the assault weapons ban that was one of Feinstein's chief accomplishments when she joined the Senate.
San Francisco Chronicle