L.A. Times - California | Local News

Complaints filed against USC, UC Berkeley over rape reporting

By Dalina Castellanos, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:31:00 GMT

Gloria Allred and students and activists say the schools, as well as two East Coast colleges, fail to follow federal laws including the reporting of campus crimes such as sexual assault.

Students and activists joined together Wednesday to file complaints against colleges and universities nationwide, alleging that the schools have failed to follow federal laws, including those involving the reporting of sexual assaults and discrimination.

Michael Jackson referred to as 'freak' in AEG email

By Jeff Gottlieb and Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:27:00 GMT

Firm's top lawyer called Jackson 'the freak' in email to an AEG exec. The email was disclosed at the trial in the wrongful-death suit filed against AEG by Jackson's mother and children.

In his opening statement in the Michael Jackson wrongful-death suit, an attorney for AEG said his side would expose the singer's secrets. "We're going to show some ugly stuff," Marvin Putnam said.

Irvine among fastest-growing U.S. cities

By Emily Alpert, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:08:00 GMT

The Orange County city grew nearly five times as fast as the Southland average, with population nearing 230,000, census data show.

Irvine grew faster than all but seven other large U.S. cities between July 2011 and July 2012, with its population vaulting to nearly 230,000 last year, new census data show.

Most unionized UC hospital workers go to jobs despite strike

By Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

More than 75% of the union's patient care employees scheduled to work show up, resulting in overstaffing at some of the five medical centers.

As University of California patient care workers returned to the picket lines Wednesday, hospital administrators said they were gratified that so many others chose to come to work.

Democrats win California Assembly seat as GOP gains in Senate

By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:49:00 GMT

Lorena Gonzalez wins a special election for the 80th Assembly District in the San Diego area, while GOP farmer Andy Vidak wins a Central Valley Senate seat.

SACRAMENTO — Democrats took another seat in the state Assembly this week, but a conservative Republican won a Central Valley state Senate district in an upset victory.

Carmen Trutanich's defeat sown in a broken pledge

By Jean Merl and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:45:00 GMT

The city attorney acknowledges his resounding defeat in his bid to keep his post was payback for the ill-fated run for district attorney he made despite promising to serve two terms in the city job.

The seeds of one-term Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich's resounding election defeat Tuesday were planted in his ill-fated run for district attorney last year. The candidate himself acknowledged that with less than a quarter of the ballots counted.

Two veteran Sacramento lawmakers win L.A. City Council seats

By Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:36:00 GMT

State Sen. Curren Price and ex-Assemblyman Gil Cedillo both defeated foes with more local experience as council aides. A third council race is up in the air.

Two newly elected members of the Los Angeles City Council are veteran Sacramento lawmakers whose campaigns got large boosts from special interest contributions.

Closing arguments heard in businesswoman's murder trial

By Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:23:00 GMT

Kelly Soo Park is accused of beating and strangling Juliana Redding, an aspiring actress and model, in her Santa Monica apartment.

Kelly Soo Park balked when homicide detectives handed her a warrant to collect her fingerprints.

Jury awards $1.4 million to girl sexually abused by classmate

By Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:07:00 GMT

L.A Unified is to pay $731,000 of the damages to the special needs student who was 9 when she was assaulted five times in an after-school program in Chatsworth in 2010. The perpetrator is to pay the rest.

Jurors awarded an elementary school special needs student $1.4 million after she was sexually assaulted five times by a male classmate during an after-school program in Chatsworth.

New L.A. law on medical marijuana shops faces hazy future

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:05:00 GMT

Voters approved a measure that would keep only 135 dispensaries — those operating before a failed moratorium in 2007 — open. But challenges await the law.

Los Angeles voters took regulation of the city's medical marijuana shops into their own hands Tuesday, embracing a ballot measure to sharply reduce the number of dispensaries in the city.

The road to Eric Garcetti's election romp

By Michael Finnegan and Ben Welsh, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:57:00 GMT

Eric Garcetti's winning strategy in the mayor's race robbed Wendy Greuel of key strongholds in L.A.

Eric Garcetti defeated Wendy Greuel in the Los Angeles mayor's race by running up huge margins across a vast stretch of the central city, from the Eastside to Pacific Palisades, while denying his rival the San Fernando Valley stronghold that was essential to her candidacy.

Eric Garcetti faces tough tests when he takes office as mayor

By David Zahniser and Kate Linthicum — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:03:00 GMT

L.A.'s mayor-elect offered voters lofty visions. But he faces battles over employee salaries, police overtime pay and how to reverse cuts in numerous city services.

In the campaign for mayor, Eric Garcetti spoke grandly about a city with plentiful summer jobs for low-income teens, a tunnel under the traffic-clogged Sepulveda Pass and even an end to homelessness.

Bell is on the brink of a fiscal crisis, audit says

By Ruben Vives and Hector Becerra, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:50:00 GMT

The scandal-plagued city has a possible negative balance in its general fund and had a huge drop in revenue after it stopped collecting an illegal tax, the state controller says.

Bell's finances have worsened considerably since its infamous corruption scandal, leaving the city unable to refund millions of dollars in taxes illegally levied on residents and businesses, an audit released Wednesday shows.

The bottom line: It's time to restore dental care for the poor

George Skelton — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:45:00 GMT

Whoever's budget projection is right, state politicians should bring back the coverage cut from Medi-Cal in 2009. It would be unconscionable not to.

SACRAMENTO — State Capitol politicians may have an extra $3.2 billion to play with. Or they may not.

Garcetti wins race for L.A. mayor; Greuel concedes

By Seema Mehta and Laura J. Nelson — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:27:00 GMT

Wendy Greuel called Eric Garcetti early Wednesday morning to concede the mayoral election, a Greuel campaign source told The Times, ending a two-year campaign to determine Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's successor and the new political leader of Los Angeles.

Price, Cedillo leading in council races

By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:46:00 GMT

Ex-Assemblywoman Cindy Montañez opens a wide margin over Nury Martinez while Mitch O'Farrell is ahead of John Choi.

Three veterans from Sacramento were making strong showings Tuesday in the Los Angeles City Council election, with two pulling ahead of their opponents and a third headed to a possible runoff in the San Fernando Valley, according to partial returns.

Feuer beats Trutanich; Galperin leading Zine

By Jean Merl and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:40:00 GMT

Incumbent City Atty. Carmen Trutanich concedes to challenger Mike Feuer. Race for controller is close with Ron Galperin in front.

After an especially contentious campaign, Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich conceded to challenger Mike Feuer late Tuesday, while attorney Ron Galperin was leading City Councilman Dennis Zine in partial returns for another citywide office, controller.

Measure to limit medicinal pot shops in L.A. is leading

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:25:00 GMT

Voters faced three competing measures that featured similar language but would have benefited different groups of pot businesses. Proposition D took the early lead.

After years of futile attempts by lawmakers to regulate the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles, a ballot measure to sharply limit the number of pot dispensaries in the city was leading in early returns Tuesday.

Garcetti, Greuel locked in tight battle for L.A. mayor's post

By James Rainey, Maeve Reston and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:23:00 GMT

The race was too close to call in early returns. They could face the prospect of waiting for a full count of vote-by-mail ballots.

Eric Garcetti held a narrow lead over Wendy Greuel late Tuesday as the two longtime city officials battled each other — and voter apathy — in the race to become the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles.

Ratliff holding slim lead in LAUSD race

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Fifth-grade teacher Monica Ratliff is narrowly ahead of Antonio Sanchez. Nancy Pearlman leads David Vela for community college trustee in early returns.

The race for an open seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education was close in early returns with Monica Ratliff ahead despite financial support and union backing that made her opponent, Antonio Sanchez, a heavy favorite.

O.C. seeks right to bill for rescues of people deemed reckless

By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:19:00 GMT

The county's action is in response to the costly search for two hikers lost in the wilderness last month, one of whom was later charged with drug possession.

After spending $160,000 to rescue two hikers lost in a canyon — one of whom was later charged with drug possession — Orange County officials voted Tuesday to endorse a legislative proposal that would allow cities and counties to try to recover the costs of such operations.

Jury hears teen detail double slaying in investigators' video

By Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:12:00 GMT

Video of Giovanni Gallardo, accused of killing his girlfriend's mother and stepfather in Compton, is played on the first day of trial testimony.

The 16-year-old boy was trying to explain what had happened to his girlfriend's missing mother and stepfather when a detective stopped him. Investigators knew the real story, the detective said.

L.A. County D.A. plans to retry former Bell City Council members

By Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:10:00 GMT

Jurors delivered a mixed verdict on five defendants and acquitted a sixth on charges of misappropriating public funds by paying themselves huge salaries.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office plans to retry the case against Bell council members accused of misappropriating public funds by overpaying themselves for sitting on city boards and authorities that rarely met, according to defense attorneys connected with the case.

Immigration cases make up 40% of federal prosecutions, study says

By Cindy Chang, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:01:00 GMT

Many immigrants are being tried for crossing the border after being deported. Human Rights Watch says prison doesn't deter those desperate to rejoin relatives.

Immigration-related offenses are now the leading type of federal prosecution, constituting more than 40% of cases compared with 22% for drug crimes, according to federal crime data.

GED testing enters the computer age in California

By Dalina Castellanos, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:45:00 GMT

The state is the latest to offer the high school equivalency test in a modern form instead of paper and pencil. It's a prelude to a revamping of the test in 2014.

At age 59, Rita Kowalski decided she wanted to use the computer for more than emailing her kids and looking up salmon recipes.