Defense Alleges Bias by Judge in High-Profile Rape Case, Seeks Transfer to New Judge
Safety, Security & Justice
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A legal battle over whether Orange County prosecutors improperly tried to drop rape charges took a new turn Friday.
OC Prosecutors Push Back Against Judge’s Claims of ‘Back Room’ Effort to Dismiss Rape Case
Safety, Security & Justice
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Prosecutors said Judge Gregory W. Jones’ ruling “unfairly maligns our reputations” and has numerous factual errors. A hearing in the case is set for 9 a.m. Friday.
Judge Rejects Huntington Beach’s Challenge of Governor’s Coronavirus Beach Closures
Orange County Coronavirus
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“The United States Supreme Court has long recognized that the Constitution ‘does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly free from constraint,’ ” wrote OC Superior Court Judge Nathan R. Scott.
More People Could Get Out of Jail Under New Court Orders
Orange County Coronavirus
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The new measures will result in less people in the jails, reads an administrative order from OC Superior Presiding Judge Kirk Nakamura, “thus alleviating some of the pressures for arraignments within 48 hours and preliminary hearings within 10 days.”
OC Court Officials Revise Operations and Hearings After Public Outrage, But What Happens Next is Unclear
Orange County Superior Court
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OC Court officials have partly backed off reopening courtrooms for hearings amid a higher court order to close for two weeks and public health orders for OC residents to stay at home, after scenes from the main courthouse in Santa Ana on Thursday drew outrage from attorneys and county officials.
DA Spitzer Calls For Closure of OC Courts Amid Coronavirus Concerns After Initially Supporting Hearings on Thursday
Orange County Coronavirus
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Spitzer denounced what some attorneys decried as a serious public safety hazard at the main courthouse in Santa Ana today, but a day earlier he urged court staff and attorneys to remain calm and assured that measures were in place to protect attorneys and court staff.
This OC Candidate Has Already Won His March Primary Race
Countywide
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Assistant DA Tony Ferrentino, who apparently declined to prosecute a police officer arrested for DUI hit-and-run, has already won his election to become an OC Superior Court judge.
Secrecy Battle to Resume Over Deputy’s Evidence Booking Misconduct Records
Evidence Booking Scandal
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The records would show what officials knew – and when – about a sheriff’s deputy found to have falsely stated in 74 different reports that he had booked evidence.
OC Approves New Policy to Immediately Destroy Public Records
Orange County Board of Supervisors
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The policy change comes after a judge found the county failed to cite a valid legal justification to destroy records before two years. ACLU lawyers say the new policy goes against the court ruling, while county officials say it’s entirely legal.
OC Proposes New Policy to Destroy Public Records Before 2 Years
public records
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A new policy, up for approval Tuesday, comes on the heels of a court ruling and order this summer tossing out the county’s previous reason for destroying records before two years.