Law Enforcement

City attorney hails $3.96-million judgment in counterfeiting case
The Los Angeles city attorney's office Wednesday hailed a $3.96-million judgment and permanent injunction against a downtown merchant as the largest judgment the city has secured in a counterfeiting case. Maria Luisa Sanchez committed 1,586 trademark violations over at least the last five years, and sold counterfeit clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items at different storefronts, the city attorney's office said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD makes arrest in Panorama City bicyclist's hit-and-run death
A 46-year-old Panorama City man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the hit-and-run death of a bicyclist in December. Police say Rene Amaya was the driver who collided with the cyclist at the intersection of Burnet Avenue and Lanark Street around 7 a.m. on Dec. 23. They say Amaya failed to stop and help the injured cyclist and instead fled the scene. According to police, the bicyclist was riding westbound on Burnet when he was hit by Amaya's vehicle, which was traveling south on Lanark.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man in custody after officer-involved shooting in South L.A.
A man was in custody Wednesday after a police chase in South L.A. ended with an officer-involved shooting, authorities said. Officers responded to the 6200 block of South Main Street about 2 a.m. after receiving a radio call of a family dispute, said Capt. David Kowalski of the Los Angeles Police Department. "There had been a shooting between family members in that area," he said. Police "identified the suspect, and a foot-pursuit occurred."
KTLA

Mission Hills prowler: Police searching for woman with face tattoo
Detectives are searching for a female prowling suspect wanted for entering at least two homes in the Mission Hills area Sunday. Investigators released a composite sketch of the suspect on Wednesday. She is described as a Hispanic woman in her 20s with a distinct tattoo of stars and a crescent moon next to her left eye. She is about 5 feet 4 inches tall with a medium to heavy build. Authorities say she trespassed into at least two Mission Hills homes since Saturday, even walking into open garages during broad daylight.
ABC7

LAPD officers test on-body cameras
Police officers assigned to foot patrols of downtown Los Angeles began wearing on-body cameras on Wednesday as the city evaluates different models to include in its policing. Police Commission President Steve Soboroff said 30 officers have volunteered for 90-day trials of devices provided by Arizona-based Taser International Inc. and Coban Technologies Inc. of Houston. Each company has donated 60 of its units for the field test.
CBS LA

Police continue to probe South L.A. shooting that wounded four men
Authorities continue to search for the people responsible for a drive-by shooting Tuesday that left four men wounded outside a home in South Los Angeles. The conditions of the men were not immediately known, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Rosario Herrera. Authorities said the men, who are 45 to 50 years old, were in front of a home in the 400 block of West 89th Street when someone inside a burgundy Jeep Cherokee opened fire at them.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD Pacific Division establishes little free library
LAPD Pacific Area in conjunction with a local non-profit organization, A Chance for Children, has partnered to establish a Little Free Library inside the Pacific Area Station lobby. This library functions as an educational and outreach tool to children and community members in the Pacific vicinity and builds a sense of community, while promoting literacy and a love of books. The Little Free Library is a gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories.
Venice - MarVista Patch

Steve Soboroff's new beat: Improving the LAPD's image
He's run for mayor, worked for the Dodgers, and now has a job title straight out of Gotham. "When people try and figure out what I do, they think of Commissioner Gordon-that's the only police commissioner they know." His latest plan is to put a camera on every cop. "On-body cameras are the fastest way to the truth, which will either set you free or throw you in jail. They'll save L.A. millions in litigation costs.
Los Angeles Magazine

City settles for $575K in LAPD coerced-sex lawsuit
The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to pay $575,000 to settle a lawsuit from a former police informant who alleged that two officers forced her to have sex. City News Service reports the council unanimously approved the payment on Wednesday, about a month after the woman agreed to settle. The woman, a former drug informant, sued the city and veteran narcotics officers James Nichols and Luis Valenzuela last January.
Associated Press

Prisons

Report: Recidivism fell before prison realignment
California's recidivism rate dropped in the years before Gov. Jerry Brown's realignment law took effect, even though six of every 10 offenders returned to prison, the corrections department said in a report released Wednesday. The report said 61 percent of felons released between July 2008 and June 2009 committed new crimes within three years.
Associated Press

Gov. Jerry Brown plans to ramp up spending on private prisons
Gov. Jerry Brown plans to increase California's use of private prison cells and leases with local jails even if federal judges agree to give the state more time to meet crowding limits within its own lockups, his budget documents show. Detailed expenditure records released after Brown announced the highlights of his proposed budget for 2014-15 show that the governor expects to increase the use of outside prison contracts. His plan sets aside nearly $500 million to pay for and administer prison contracts to take nearly 17,700 inmates, increases of $100 million and 4,700 prisoners over the current year.
Los Angeles Times

Immigration

Prosecutorial discretion on the rise in immigration courts
Immigrants facing deportation are increasingly likely to have their cases dismissed because of mitigating factors such as having U.S. citizen children, according to an analysis by researchers at Syracuse University. In some courts, at least 20% of case closures involved prosecutorial discretion. Of the roughly 35,000 cases closed in Los Angeles over the last two years, nearly 24% were prosecutorial discretion cases.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Los Angeles City Hall convenes panel to fight runaway production
Concerned about runaway production, Los Angeles officials announced Wednesday the creation of a new panel to encourage television and film shoots in the city. The Ad Hoc Committee on Film and Television Production Jobs will study local policy options to support filming, committee chair Paul Krekorian said. As a state assemblyman, Krekorian authored legislation allocating $100 million annually in tax incentives to entertainment companies who shoot in California. Lawmakers are seeking to expand that program, and the committee will support such efforts, Krekorian said.
Los Angeles Daily News