Law Enforcement

High Court ruling affirms LAPD officers' actions
The Los Angeles Times editorial board isn't happy, but we could not be more satisfied that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week in favor of Los Angeles police officers in a key ruling on home searches. The court ruled 6 to 3 that when occupants of a dwelling disagree on whether they will admit police without a warrant, the objecting occupant must be physically present.
LAPPL Blog

Man fatally shot in South L.A. yard in possible gang-related attack
Detectives are searching for witnesses and suspects in a possible gang-related shooting death of a man in a South L.A. yard Wednesday evening. The man, described only as being in is his 40s, was fatally shot in the 10400 block of South Broadway Avenue at about 6:40 p.m., said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh. The man suffered at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Los Angeles Times

Man charged in 'foot fetish' crimes against boys at Northridge Skateland
Detectives are looking for additional victims of a man they allege preyed on young boys at Skateland roller rink in Northridge, pulling them into a maintenance room and asking them to rub their feet on his face and hands to sexually arouse him. Julian Christopher Flores, 19, of Granada Hills, was arrested Dec. 22 after one young boy told his grandmother he had been taken to the side room, and it was then reported to the Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division.
Los Angeles Times

LAFD investigating string of vehicle and trash fires in Echo Park
Los Angeles arson investigators said today they are looking into a string of possibly deliberately set vehicle and trash fires in and around the Echo Park area over the past week. The first of four suspected arson blazes was reported Feb. 19, between midnight and 4 a.m., in the 1300 block of North Portia Street, Los Angeles Fire Department Senior Arson Investigator David Liske said. Three city trash cans were found ablaze, damaging a nearby car, he said.
Echo Park-Silver Lake Patch

CHP recommends murder charge in 101 Freeway 'party bus' death
The California Highway Patrol has recommended a murder charge be filed against the owner of a "party bus" after a 24-year-old man fell out of it and died on the 101 Freeway last year in Studio City. The CHP submitted its traffic collision report for review last week in the incident in which Christopher "C.J." Saraceno II lost his balance and fell down the steps of the 2001 Ford F-550.
Los Angeles Times

San Diego to buy clip-on cameras to monitor police conduct
The City Council is set to spend $2 million for clip-on cameras for police officers so that officials can monitor the officers' interactions with the public. The move comes amid two high-profile cases of allegations that on-duty officers abused women. One officer has been charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors and has resigned; a second officer has been suspended and is under investigation, although no charges have yet been filed.
Los Angeles Times

The Courts

California court OKs using cellphone map while driving
Talking on a cellphone while driving, get a ticket. Text while driving, get a ticket. Glance at that all-powerful map on your iPhone while driving? No problem. That was the conclusion Thursday of a state appeals court in Fresno, which for the first time in a California case found that drivers can use maps on their smartphones without risking a traffic ticket.
San Jose Mercury News

California's attorney general takes up court fight over gun laws
California's attorney general on Thursday waded into a court fight over the state's strict gun laws, asking an appeals court to reverse itself and restore the leeway local governments had to decide who can carry a concealed firearm. A three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on a lawsuit by gun owners, earlier this month struck down as unconstitutional a requirement by San Diego County that residents show "good cause" to carry a concealed firearm.
Reuters

City Government

City Hall asks how to get more Angelenos to vote
A Los Angeles citizen commission launched a three-month effort Thursday to find ways of improving voter turnout in the city, where fewer than 1 out of 4 voters has been casting ballots in recent municipal elections. The nine-member Municipal Elections Reform Commission has been asked to come up with a series of recommendations by mid-May, a schedule that is designed to give the City Council enough time to put proposals on the November election ballot.
Los Angeles Times

One of five LAFD recruits in training class are related to department firefighters
One in five recruits in a new Los Angeles Fire Department training class are related to firefighters working at the agency, according to figures released Thursday evening. Of the 70 recruits hired for the class now in training, 13 are sons of firefighters and three are nephews, according to figures provided to The Times by the department.
Los Angeles Times

Amid Los Angeles fracking ban, new attention on city's oil investments
Vowing to protect the environment, Los Angeles City Council members are set today to consider a sweeping moratorium on fracking and other oil extraction methods. Supporters said neighborhoods will be kept safe from tainted water and earthquake risks thanks to the moratorium, which follows other recent "green" moves by the council such as a city-wide ban on plastic bags.
Los Angeles Daily News

Mayor Eric Garcetti touts IMAX's move to Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday announced that IMAX, the motion picture technology company, will open a new workplace in Playa Vista. IMAX, known for its large-scale movie theaters, is relocating from Santa Monica to a new three-story space at Playa Vista, a planned community that once was home to Howard Hughes' legendary "Spruce Goose" plane.
Los Angeles Daily News