Friday, December 31, 2021

Chief Justice John Roberts Pledges to Bolster Judicial Ethics


 

Findings that federal judges with financial conflicts improperly ruled in hundreds of cases

Chief Justice John Roberts pledged Friday to improve ethics training and bolster internal compliance systems for the federal judiciary, citing a Wall Street Journal investigation that found hundreds of instances where judges presided over cases involving companies in which they or their relatives held stock.

“Let me be crystal clear: the Judiciary takes this matter seriously. We expect judges to adhere to the highest standards, and those judges violated an ethics rule,” the chief justice said in his year-end report, which traditionally is published on Dec. 31 and includes statistics regarding the federal courts’ caseload.

In addition to presiding over the Supreme Court, the chief justice heads the entire federal judicial system, overseeing it through such bodies as the Judicial Conference, which is the judges’ policy-making arm, and the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

The federal judiciary historically has resisted proposals that would extend to judges the disclosure requirements that apply to lawmakers and executive-branch appointees. It has also opposed bills aiming to increase public access to judicial proceedings, such as providing free access to the online Pacer system where federal court filings and decisions are docketed.


Six people injured in shooting at supermarket in South LA


 Six people were injured after two men shot into a Superior Grocers market in south Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Just before 4 p.m., two men drove to the front entrance to the market on 102nd Street and Avalon Boulevard in Green Meadows, got out of their vehicle and shot into the store. The shooters fled the scene and were only described as two men about 25 years old, LAPD officer Kyle McInnis said.

Three men and three women were injured, and four of them were taken to a nearby hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department; the other two refused transportation, LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said. Two of the hospitalized victims were in critical condition and two were in serious condition, she said.

A store employee, who did not disclose his name, said there was an altercation prior to the shooting, but he did not elaborate on who was involved. The LAPD did not identify a motive for the shooting or say if any of the victims were store employees.

There was no further information Friday night.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Dior indefinitely postpones collaboration with Travis Scott's Cactus Jack label






 Dior says it's out of respect for the victims of November's tragedy that left left 10 people dead.

There’s more fallout from the tragedy at Astroworld that ended with 10 people killed last month.

Popular fashion brand Dior is postponing its collaboration with Travis Scott’s ‘Cactus Jack’ label.

Dior released a statement to ‘Women’s Wear Daily,’ saying in part, “Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch.”  

Court ruling allows LA to build up to 6,000 new housing units near Metro Expo Line Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel ruled in favor of the city on Dec. 17.

 

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced on Tuesday, Dec. 28, that a court ruled in favor of the city in a lawsuit aimed at overturning a plan for the construction of up to 6,000 new apartment and condominium units within a half-mile of five Metro Expo Line stations.

“We urgently need more housing and we should put it close to public transit to reduce traffic congestion. This victory is an essential step in dramatically reimagining how Angelenos live, work, shop and play.” Feuer said.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel ruled in favor of the city on Dec. 17.

The lawsuit was filed in October 2018 by Fix The City, a Westside nonprofit that argued the city’s current infrastructure couldn’t support the new units and jobs in the planned Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan.

In its complaint, the group argued that residents already experience “overburdened and inadequate infrastructure and public services, including public safety services.”

The court’s ruling in Los Angeles’ favor will allow for the building of increased housing and the creation of pedestrian friendly streets within half a mile of the Westside Metro train stations, including the Expo/Bundy Station and the Expo/Sepulveda Station, as well as in Westwood, Palms and Culver City, according to the city attorney.

U.S. federal prison system placed on nationwide lockdown after 2 Texas inmates killed

  The federal prison system has been placed on a nationwide lockdown after two inmates were killed and two others were injured Monday during...