Law Enforcement

LAPD officer recommended for Medal of Valor
A 26-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran who risked his life pulling a 72-year-old man from a burning vehicle on Christmas day is being recommended for the agency's highest honor for heroism. Donald Thompson, who "without hesitation," leapt over a pair of concrete dividers and rushed to the man's aid, "went above and beyond the call of duty in his efforts to remove the unconscious accident victim and save his life," Chief Charlie Beck wrote in a memo urging the Los Angeles Police Commission to give the officer the "medal of valor."
City News Service
CBS LA

LAPD's two drones under lock-and-key by feds until rules in place
A pair of drones owned by Los Angeles police are currently under lock-and-key by federal authorities until a policy is in place for their use, an LAPD official said Tuesday. The move to hand them over to the Department of Homeland Security was a response to public perception and strict federal laws on how law enforcement can fly the unmanned aircraft, said LAPD air support division Lt. Phil Smith.
Los Angeles Times

Unruly Mexico soccer fans have L.A. police on edge
Rowdy fans disrupting traffic and confronting police after Monday's Mexico World Cup match victory have local law enforcement bracing for the team's next game on Sunday. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it is already preparing for Mexico's match against the Netherlands. Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said deputies experienced in crowd control and mounted deputies will be on scene in possible hot spots, including areas in Southeast L.A. County.
Los Angeles Times

Hollywood stabbing leaves man hospitalized, 2 in custody
A man was taken to the hospital after being stabbed multiple times in Hollywood Monday night. The stabbing was reported at about 9:13 p.m. near Vine Street and Sunset Boulevard, according to Sgt. Ozzie Ramos of the Los Angeles Police Department. Two men attempted to flee the scene, but were taken into custody and booked for assault with a deadly weapon, Ramos said. The victim was taken to the hospital and was listed in stable condition, according to Ramos.
KTLA

Slow response times for L.A. County sheriff deputies in unincorporated areas, report finds
Call 9-1-1 in the Crescenta Valley, and you may end up waiting as long as 10 minutes for deputies to arrive - even if it's an emergency. That's just one of several alarming findings in a recent report by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on how staffing shortages have affected response times in unincorporated areas. After seeing the report, county Chief Executive Officer William Fujioka urged the Board of Supervisors to consider spending $23 million to hire 150 deputies for the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys, as well as parts of South L.A. and certain beachside communities.
Los Angeles Daily News

Courts

State budget leaves big holes in court funding
There's a little more money for the judicial system in the new state budget than there was in January, but it's still not enough to maintain the status quo, let alone fill holes in court budgets. The final state budget for 2014-15 adds $121.1 million in new money for trial court operations and trial court employee benefit costs. That's up from $60 million in January.
Sacramento Business Journal

Legislation

Compromise 'Audrie's Law' bill passes committee
On its second attempt, a California bill toughening punishments for sexually abusing unconscious victims advanced out of committee on Tuesday. Named for a 15-year-old girl who committed suicide after she was raped while unconscious, "Audrie's Law" also cracks down on offenders sharing photos on social media. Before taking her life, Audrie Potts wrote about being humiliated as photos of the crime circulated.
Sacramento Bee

New Law

California minimum wage hike goes into effect July 1
California's minimum wage will soon go up one dollar to $9 an hour. It will eventually go to $10 an hour in 2016. The new law goes into effect July 1. Andy Paul is owner of Andy's Candy in downtown Sacramento. He says the new minimum wage law won't affect his business because his workers already earn more than that. But, he says it could have an impact on other businesses.
Capital Public Radio

DMV

Immigrants sound off on proposed California driver's license rules
As California prepares to issue driver's licenses to immigrants who are in the country illegally, people gathered in Los Angeles Tuesday to sound off on what documents should be accepted as proof of identity and residency in the state. At a packed hearing downtown, scores of immigrants urged the Department of Motor Vehicles to expand the list of acceptable documents to include church and children's school records, which may be easier for some to obtain.
Associated Press

City Government

L.A. councilmen make renewed push against wage theft
Two Los Angeles City Council members began a push Tuesday for a new city ordinance that would crack down on businesses that cheat workers of their pay. "If you steal from a store, you go to jail," said Councilman Paul Koretz, who was joined by Councilman Gil Cedillo in moving to draft a proposal. "But employers who cheat their workers out of their hard-earned wages usually get away with it."
Los Angeles Times