The Los Angeles County Bar Blog

Two Reports Critical of LAPD

City Controller Laura Chick held a news conference to call for an end to the LAPD's rape-kit backlog. Daily News, Controller's Office and the report.

And according to My Latino News, the report indicates that "Los Angeles police officers are far more likely to stop, search and arrest minorities than they are whites...according to a nongovernmental report released Monday." The Daily News also covers the story. Chief Bratton's reply appears on the LAPD Blog.

Mongols Raided across Southland

The Mongols Motorcycle Club has been raided by the ATF and other law enforcement agencies. The raid comes in the wake of a fatal shooting of a Mongol on a Los Angeles freeway. More from the SGV Tribune, the Whittier Daily News, and the LA Times.

Is the Gang Statute an Embarrassment?

I'm talking about Penal Code 186.22. Go look it up. Read it. If you know what it means, congratulations. Juries are routinely given a copy of this statute in their jury instructions whenever there's the gang allegation, which the DAs in this county are alleging routinely it seems. If you're a member of a gang and you commit a crime, then by golly the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office is going to file the allegation saying you done the deed to help the gang. Really. I'm a criminal defense lawyer, but I'm not a bleeding heart liberal—really—but this stupid statute makes me cringe whenever I see it used.

The Fall of Spam Kings

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Robert Alan Soloway, dubbed the "Spam King" by investigators, was sentenced Tuesday to 47 months in prison on a variety of charges.

According to investigators, Soloway operated Newport Internet Marketing Corp. in Seattle, which offered "broadcast e-mail" services. Soloway, according to the government, sent tens of millions of spam e-mail messages advertising the services, using false and forged headers.

He pleaded guilty in March to charges of mail fraud, fraud in connection with electronic mail, and failure to file a tax return. He admitted that in 2005 he earned more than $309,000 but didn't file an income tax return.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Warma.

And another king, convicted spammer Edward "Eddie" Davidson allegedly walked away from a federal prison camp in Florence on July 20. From there, his story gets much more disturbing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Neff prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado.