California

Segregationist's Stationery Spells Trouble For Anti-Muslim California Republican

Nick R. Martin | May 24, 2012, 12:35PM

Former Alabama Gov. George Wallace

Update: May 24, 2012, 5:35 PM

The ghost of Alabama's segregationist former Gov. George Wallace brought trouble to the conservative stronghold of Orange County, Calif., this month and an anti-Muslim Republican is paying a political price for it.

It started last week when people complained about letters a local businessman sent out in support of Deborah Pauly, a local councilwoman and a leader in the Orange County GOP who drew nationwide attention last year when she helped lead an angry protest against Muslims with chants like "terrorists go home." Pauly is now running for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

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Proposition 8

Watch George Clooney, Brad Pitt Star In A Play Based On Proposition 8 Battle

Jillian Rayfield | March 5, 2012, 10:33AM

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen and other celebrities starred in a reading of 8, a play based on the court proceedings over California's ban on same sex marriage.

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Bell City Council Officials

Judge Won't Toss Charges Against Former Bell Official Robert Rizzo

Jillian Rayfield | February 29, 2012, 1:18PM

A judge in California has dismissed several of the charges against two former Bell City Council officials, but refused to throw out any charges against Robert Rizzo, the alleged mastermind behind a scam to inflate the salaries of public officials with public funds.

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Proposition 8

Prop 8 Supporters Ask For Full Ninth Circuit Review

Jillian Rayfield | February 22, 2012, 11:17AM

Supporters of Proposition 8, California's ban on gay marriage, are asking the Ninth Circuit to review the decision by a three-judge panel that declared the measure unconstitutional.

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Proposition 8

CA Gay Rights Group Cleared For Push To Repeal Prop 8

Jillian Rayfield | December 19, 2011, 12:01PM

Gay rights activists celebrate following a federal court's overturning of Prop 8, California's same-sex marriage law.

A gay rights group was cleared by the California Secretary of State to begin collecting signatures for a repeal of Proposition 8, the state's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

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Stop SB48

Anti-Gay Groups Mobilize Against CA's 'Indoctrinating' Gay History Law

Jillian Rayfield | December 12, 2011, 5:58AM

A number of anti-gay groups are pushing initiatives to gut a California law that mandates classes on the contributions of prominent minorities, because they say the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the language "endorses" being gay and is part of the "sexual brainwashing" and "indoctrination" of our nation's youth.

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Robert Rizzo

More Former Bell Officials Sue Scandalized City For Benefits

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2011, 3:56PM

Five former administrators for the city of Bell, California, two of whom resigned following the city's salary inflation scandal, are suing the city for pensions and benefits.

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Gay Marriage

Anti-Gay Marriage Groups Lose Another Battle To Keep Supporters Secret

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2011, 5:08AM

Gay marriage opponents are fighting (and, for the most part, losing) the battle to keep their supporters and donors secret from the "homosexual lobby" that they claim is seeking to intimidate them.

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California

New Push To Strip Mention Of Gays And Lesbians From CA's History Law

Jillian Rayfield | November 21, 2011, 3:57PM

Opponents of California's gay history law are pushing ballot initiatives that would strip the "gays and lesbians" language from the part of the law that mandates schools include classes about prominent minorities in their curriculum.

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Goldline

Goldline Execs Charged With Being Fraudsters

Jillian Rayfield | November 2, 2011, 1:21PM

Prosecutors in Santa Monica, CA have filed 19 criminal charges against the gold sellers Goldline International for allegedly running a "bait and switch operation" using prominent spokespeople like Fox News' Glenn Beck.

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Stop SB48

Group Against CA Gay History Law Fails To Get Enough Signatures For Repeal

Jillian Rayfield | October 13, 2011, 10:47AM

The group petitioning against California's law to promote history of prominent gays and lesbians failed to collect enough signatures to force a ballot referendum in the November 2012 elections.

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Stop SB48

Group Opposing CA's Gay History Law Accused Of Tricking People With Anti-Sexual Predator Petition

Jillian Rayfield | October 7, 2011, 5:41AM

A group petitioning against California's law to promote history of prominent gays and lesbians is being accused of tricking people into signing their petition by presenting it as an effort to crack down on child molesters and murderers.

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California

California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill To Prevent Male Circumcision Ban

David Taintor | October 3, 2011, 2:15PM

California Gov. Jerry Brown

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday signed a bill that prevents the state from banning the practice of male circumcision, Reuters reports.

An organization -- dubbed the Male Genital Mutilation Bill -- led an effort to make the practice of circumcising minors a misdemeanor crime. The group hoped to put the measure to a vote on a November ballot, and garnered thousands of signatures in support of the initiative.

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Los Angeles

LA City Firefighters Investigated For Allegedly Taking Part In Porn On The Job

Jillian Rayfield | September 22, 2011, 4:52PM

The Los Angeles Fire Department says its investigating allegations that several firefighters allowed porn to be filmed in their fire trucks while they were on the job.

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Orly Taitz

'Birther' Orly Taitz Mulling Senate Run Because She Speaks Spanish And Hebrew

Ryan J. Reilly | September 19, 2011, 12:32PM

Orly Taitz

So-called "birther queen" Orly Taitz is considering running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat in 2012.

"I think I do have a chance specifically because I do speak Spanish and I speak Hebrew," Taitz told the Sacramento Bee following a town hall event on Latino issues at the California Republican Party convention.

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Kinde Durkee

California Treasurer Kinde Durkee Released On $200,000 Bond

Ryan J. Reilly | September 12, 2011, 11:00AM

Top California campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee, arrested this month on mail fraud charges for allegedly using money from campaign funds she managed for personal expenses, was ordered to be released on $200,000 bond on Friday.

As a condition of her bond she's not allowed to have access to Durkee & Associates or client bank accounts or be in contact with employees of the firm. But she can be in touch with her husband and other relatives who work for the firm.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Durkee's arrest was "far from the first sign of trouble."

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Kinde Durkee

Feds: Treasurer Used Campaign Funds For Cosmetics, Ice Cream, Mother's Nursing Home Bill

Ryan J. Reilly | September 6, 2011, 4:00PM

Image from Johnbraid / Shutterstock

Prominent Democratic campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee, arrested in California on mail fraud charges over the weekend, routinely moved substantial sums of money out of the accounts of her clients and into the coffers of her firm, federal authorities alleged in a newly released criminal complaint on Tuesday.

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DNA Sampling

Report: California Court Strikes Down Mandatory DNA Sampling for Arrestees

Zoe Schlanger | August 9, 2011, 5:49PM

An appeals court has struck down as unconstitutional California's requirement that DNA collection be part of post-arrest routine in the state, reports Wired.

The DNA Act (Proposition 69), which passed voter approval and has been in use in the state since 2009, requires any adult arrested for a felony to submit to a DNA sample. The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco ruled that this was a violation of the Fourth Amendment as a "warrantless and suspicionless search of individuals" before they have been convicted of a crime, for evidence of a crime "unrelated to that for which they have been arrested."

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California

Right-Wing Group: Repeal CA's Gay History Law That 'Promotes Homosexuality'

Jillian Rayfield | July 26, 2011, 10:48AM

Classrooms in California are now required by law to include lessons about the historical contributions of a number of minorities, including gays and lesbians. Sounds innocent enough, no? Well, according to a conservative group that is pushing to repeal the law, it both "promotes the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles" and "forces children to study materials that tell them their families' values are wrong."

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California

CA Ballot Measure Would Let Voters Abolish The Death Penalty

Jillian Rayfield | July 13, 2011, 4:56PM

Sen. Loni Hancock (D-CA)

The death penalty in California could be on its last legs.

A bill that passed out of committee in California's Assembly last week would create a ballot measure in the next statewide election that asks voters to decide whether to end the death penalty.

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Proposition 8

Court Rejects Bid To Overturn Prop 8 Ruling Because Judge Is Gay

Jillian Rayfield | June 14, 2011, 5:48PM

A federal judge has rejected the argument by supporters of California's gay marriage ban that U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker -- who ruled the ban unconstitutional -- was biased because he is gay.

"It is not reasonable to presume that a judge is incapable of making an impartial decision about the constitutionality of a law, solely because, as a citizen, the judge could be affected by the proceedings," U.S. District Judge James Ware wrote in his ruling Tuesday.

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George Jakubec

CA Man Gets 30 Years In Prison For Home 'Bomb Factory'

Jillian Rayfield | June 14, 2011, 4:28PM

George Jakubec, who admitted to possessing explosives and bomb-making materials in his San Diego County home, was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison.

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George Djura Jakubec

CA Man Admits To Having Home 'Bomb Factory', Pleads Guilty To Armed Robbery

Jillian Rayfield | March 15, 2011, 12:55PM

George Djura Jakubec of San Diego County, CA, pleaded guilty Monday to two charges of armed robbery, after officials agreed to drop the other five counts against him, as long as he admitted in court to possessing explosives and bomb-making materials in home.

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George Djura Jakubec

CA Explosives Suspect: Feds Ruined My Defense When They Burned Down My House

Jillian Rayfield | March 9, 2011, 11:07AM

George Djura Jakubec, a resident of San Diego County accused of having a "bomb factory" inside his home, is asking for a dismissal of the eight counts against him. He argues that "potentially exculpatory evidence" was destroyed when officials burned down his house, which they deemed too dangerous to enter because they said it still had explosives inside.

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Immigration

Immigration Officials May Allow TVU Students To Stay

Meena Rupani | February 11, 2011, 2:07PM

Tri-Valley University

Students duped in the Tri-Valley University scam were given some relief on Thursday after ICE officials announced guidelines that may enable them to stay in the U.S. to finish their studies. The students, 95 percent of which were Indian nationals, will not be automatically deported as they initially feared.

Students have three options, according to ICE officials -- but only one of them involves staying to complete their schooling.

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Immigration

Tri-Valley University Founder Investigated for Immigration Fraud

Meena Rupani | February 9, 2011, 12:25PM

Susan Su, founder of Tri Valley University

A government sting operation in mid-January caught Susan Su, founder of Tri-Valley University, allegedly selling student visas. Su was immediately arrested and authorities told The Times of India that she will be charged with money laundering and visa fraud.

Su had reportedly been selling the student visas for $100 to mainly Indian nationals since May 2009 -- in addition to charging them $2,700 per semester. Su apparently used the tuition and fees collected from those students to purchase five properties in California.

Suspicions arose when half of the 1,500 students enrolled in the university claimed to be residing in an apartment complex in Sunnyvale, the court complaint reads. In reality, majority of the students were taking classes online in addition to working and residing elsewhere.

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Bell, CA

One Disgraced Ex-Bell Official Works As Parking Attendant, Others Ask City To Pay Legal Fees

Jillian Rayfield | January 13, 2011, 2:14PM

Bell, CA Officials George Cole, Robert Rizzo, Pier'Angela Spaccia, Victor Bello, George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Oscar Hernandez, and Luis Artiga

In the "Where Are They Now" of ex-Bell, California city officials, former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo is working as a parking lot attendant, and three other former officials are trying to get the city to pay their legal bills -- after they allegedly used public funds to inflate their salaries.

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Gay Marriage

Prop 8 Case: Appeals Court Asks CA Supreme Court For Help

Rachel Slajda | January 4, 2011, 3:14PM

A federal appeals court has asked the California Supreme Court to help answer a question about who has standing to fight same sex marriage in the courts.

At issue is whether the anti-gay groups who put Proposition 8 on the ballot in California have the legal standing to appeal a decision that Prop 8 -- which outlaws same sex marriage in the state -- is unconstitutional. Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is hearing that appeal, asked the California high court to decide whether the proponents have standing under state law.

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Bell City Council Officials

Bell, CA Nearly Broke After Salary Inflation Scandal

Jillian Rayfield | December 21, 2010, 8:41AM

Bell, CA Officials George Cole, Robert Rizzo, Pier'Angela Spaccia, Victor Bello, George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Oscar Hernandez, and Luis Artiga

The city of Bell, CA is nearly broke after city officials used public funds to inflate their salaries, and is now facing painful cuts to the city's budget, including possibly disbanding its police department and slashing other city services.

Some of the officials in this blue-collar Los Angeles-area city made up to $96,000 a year for part-time elected positions -- 20 times the national average for a city Bell's size. Former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo, who was charged with 53 different counts, made nearly $800,000 a year. Eight Bell officials pleaded not guilty to the charges in October.

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California

DMV Worker Sends Transgender Woman Hate Mail, Warns Her Of Hell

Rachel Slajda | December 10, 2010, 4:51PM

When San Francisco resident Amber Yust went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to change the sex designation on her license from "M" to "F," she didn't have any problems. It wasn't until a few days later that she says she got a letter from the DMV clerk who handled her forms -- a letter warning her that she'd be damned to hell.

Homosexuality, he wrote, is "an abomination that leads to hell," according to the San Francisco Chronicle, apparently violating privacy laws. She also received a DVD from a church which promised damnation for those "possessed by demons."

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George Djura Jakubec

Officials Set Fire To Giant CA Home 'Bomb Factory'

David Taintor | December 9, 2010, 2:50PM

Authorities on Thursday finally set fire to a "bomb factory" outside San Diego that contained at least nine pounds of homemade explosives.

Authorities have been preparing to torch the house for days, constructing a 16-foot firewall around it, evacuating surrounding homes and even shutting down part of a nearby highway.

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Gay Marriage

Prop 8 Arguments Hinge On Whether Anti-Marriage Groups Have Right To Appeal

Rachel Slajda | December 7, 2010, 8:48AM

A three-judge panel heard oral arguments yesterday in the legal challenge against Proposition 8, the ballot measure that made same-sex marriage illegal in California. The arguments, made before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, hinged on two things: First, whether the same-sex marriage opponents who filed the appeal actually have the standing to do so; and second, whether the ban is constitutional.

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Craig Monteilh

WaPo: Concerned California Muslims Reported FBI Plant To The FBI

Eric Lach | December 6, 2010, 3:45PM

A group of men gather in prayer during the first day of Ramadan at the Masjid An-Noor Mosque.

Questions about entrapment have dogged counter-terrorism cases for some time, most recently in the case of the Oregon man charged with trying to blow up a Christmas-tree lighting ceremony. Now, from The Washington Post, comes the story of Craig Monteilh, a self-proclaimed FBI informant who was so aggressive in his quest to find potential terrorists at a California mosque that the community got a restraining order against him.

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California

Feds Indict California 'Bomb Factory' Suspect On Eight Counts

Jillian Rayfield | December 3, 2010, 1:36PM

George Djura Jakubec, a San Diego County resident accused of having a "bomb factory" inside his home, was indicted yesterday on eight counts by federal prosecutors.

In light of the indictment, San Diego County prosecutors dropped their case against Jakubec.

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California

CA 'Bomb Factory' Suspect Admits To Three Bank Robberies

Jillian Rayfield | December 2, 2010, 1:04PM

George Djura Jakubec, a California man accused of running a "bomb factory" in his Escondido home, admitted to San Diego County sheriff's deputies that he robbed three banks, according to an affidavit obtained by the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

Jakubec reportedly admitted to the three robberies, at Bank of America branches on November 13, 2009, June 25, 2010, and July 17, 2010, during a jailhouse interview with San Diego officials.

Jakubec pleaded not guilty last Monday to 26 charges related to nine pounds of explosive materials allegedly found in his home. Officials announced Tuesday that they will burn down his home, possibly next week, since removing the materials manually proved too dangerous.

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Bomb-Making

Officials Will Burn Down Giant Home 'Bomb Factory' In California

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2010, 2:13PM

San Diego County officials announced last night that they will torch a home "bomb factory" because the huge cache of explosives proved too dangerous to remove manually.

Last week, the San Diego Sheriff's Department suspended its investigation of the Escondido home of George Djura Jakubec due to dangerous conditions, resulting from at least nine pounds of explosives found in the home.

Jakubec pleaded not guilty last Monday to "12 felony counts of possessing destructive devices and 14 counts of possessing ingredients to make destructive devices, along with two bank robbery charges," according to KGTV news in San Diego.

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San Diego Sheriff's Department

Investigation Of Giant Home 'Bomb Factory' Suspended Over Dangerous Conditions

Jillian Rayfield | November 26, 2010, 12:44PM

The San Diego Sheriff's Department has suspended its investigation of the alleged home "bomb factory" of George Djura Jakubec because the huge weapons cache was just too dangerous.

Jakubec pleaded not guilty on Monday to "12 felony counts of possessing destructive devices and 14 counts of possessing ingredients to make destructive devices, along with two bank robbery charges," according to KGTV news in San Diego.

The Sheriff's Department says that though "proactive operations on site have been suspended" because of the dangerous conditions, local, state, and federal officials are planning to re-enter the home to remove the chemicals and equipment, which Deputy District Attorney Terri Perez described as the "largest quantity of this type of homemade explosives found in one location in the history of the United States."

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Bell City Council Officials

Audit: Salary-Inflating CA City Steered $700K In Gov't Money Without Approval

Jillian Rayfield | November 19, 2010, 1:59PM

Bell, CA Officials George Cole, Robert Rizzo, Pier'Angela Spaccia, Victor Bello, George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Oscar Hernandez, and Luis Artiga

An audit of the city of Bell by California's state controller's office was released yesterday, and found that former Bell City Administrator Robert Rizzo steered more than $700,000 in state and federal funds "to companies and at least one City Hall insider without valid contracts, competitive bids or even getting City Council approval," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Eight Bell officials pleaded not guilty in October to using public funds to inflate their salaries for part-time elected positions. Rizzo, who was charged with 53 different counts, made nearly $800,000 a year. Others made up to $96,000 a year for their part-time jobs -- 20 times the national average for a city Bell's size.

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Bell City Council Officials

Eight Bell Officials Plead Not Guilty To Inflating Salaries With Tax Dollars

Jillian Rayfield | October 21, 2010, 6:09PM

Bell, CA Officials George Cole, Robert Rizzo, Pier'Angela Spaccia, Victor Bello, George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Oscar Hernandez, and Luis Artiga

Eight former and current officials from Bell, California pleaded not guilty today to charges that they used public funds to inflate their salaries for part-time elected positions.

Some of the officials, who were arrested in September, made up to $96,000 a year for part-time jobs -- 20 times the national average. Former City Manager Robert Rizzo banked nearly $800,000 a year.

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Carly Fiorina

Report: Fiorina Oversaw Unstable Deals While Leading '90s Telecom

Rachel Slajda | October 15, 2010, 11:14AM

Carly Fiorina

Fortune is out with a story today on California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R), reporting that she orchestrated unstable deals in an effort to grow the telecom company she lead in the 1990s as quickly as possible -- and make headlines.

Fiorina has run largely on her experience leading Hewlett Packard. But before she joined HP, she worked for a telecom company called Lucent Technologies.

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