The “validation statutes,” Code of Civil Procedure sections 860 to 870.5, are a powerful tool public agencies (and the plaintiffs that sue them) might overlook when defending challenges to legislative acts. They provide a short statute of limitations —
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided three cases brought by employees terminated for being gay or transgender. (Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia.) These cases were brought as sex discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
The Los Angeles Court of Appeal issued a recent ruling clarifying a long-established — but often contested — rule of tax litigation procedure: to have standing (the right to raise a claim in court) to challenge a government revenue measure,
On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted, on a divided, party-line vote, a new Declaratory Ruling and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that expands wireless telecommunications carriers rights under federal law to install and expand cell towers and
Interesting story out of Santa Barbara this week. A respected Superior Court judge ordered the Sheriff to return $620,000 in cash and 1,800 pounds — pounds — of cannabis oil to a licensed cannabis operator, finding no evidence the operation
Along with the rest of the country, CHW’s Public Safety Liability Defense Practice is closely monitoring recent developments and proposals for police reform. These issues affect our public agency clients, and we will continue to update our readers here, via
In a recently published case, Kon v. City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Court of Appeal held that a criminal defendant who previously pled guilty to disturbing the peace could sue the police for excessive force. Aleksandr Kon,
As a general rule, one who requests government records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) pays only duplication costs, not such other costs as those to withhold (“redact”) material exempt from disclosure. However, another CPRA provision specific to electronic
We have published a Bulletin on pending petitions seeking SCOTUS review of the qualified immunity doctrine. This rule protects government officials and employees (and their agencies) from liability for violating civil rights and other standards if the standard violated is
The November 2020 statewide election will bring the usual host of ballot measures. Given the high turnout expected in a Presidential year, this year’s ballot has attracted significant measures. In addition to the fight between app-based businesses and labor over