Criminal Justice

Rhetoric by Trump officials has complicated case against truck driver in a deadly SoCal crash

An attorney for the truck driver is arguing statements by the San Bernardino County district attorney violated their client's rights under the California Racial Justice Act.

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, a woman with light skin tone, blonde hair, wearing a blue jacket, stands behind a wooden podium and speaks as two people stand and listen behind her.

LAPD approves $2.1 million to expand use of drones as 'first responders'

At police commission meeting, both the public and commissioners raised concerns. “It’s not just mission creep, it’s creepy,” said one commenter.

A small drone is set on a table in the foreground in front of a row of nameplates and people talking amongst themselves out of focus in the background.

Man who sawed down trees in downtown LA sentenced to 2 years in prison

Samuel Patrick Groft, 45, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest to nine felony counts of vandalism.

A green tree lays on the sidewalk. The bottom part of the trunk that the tree used to sit on still stands.

California sues websites that publish blueprints for 3D printer ghost guns

California law enforcement agencies seize about 11,000 ghost guns every year. The state now is suing websites that help people manufacture untraceable firearms.

A close up of a small plastic black and white gun.

LAPD is barred from using some crowd control weapons, but others still carry unique dangers

A researcher talks about the risks of “less-lethal” weapons used against protesters.

A man in tactical gear shoots a cannister off frame. Another man in tactical gear is mounted on a horse.

Cops have to treat marijuana in your car differently after new California Supreme Court ruling

If you can’t easily consume it, having marijuana in your car does not give California police the right to search the vehicle.

A person prepares a marijuana cigarette in New York City on April 20, 2024.

Homicides fall to lowest level since 1966 in city of LA

There were 230 homicides in L.A. in 2025. The decline follows national crime trends.

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A man in police uniform speaking at a podium.

Former Olympic snowboarder pleads not guilty to federal drug trafficking, murder charges

Ryan Wedding is accused of running a billion-dollar drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple killings.

A reward poster offers a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Ryan James Wedding. Two photos of Wedding are on the poster, one of him in a brown sweatshirt and black t-shirt looking down at a smartphone, the other of him wearing a blue baseball cap and white t-shirt. His aliases, "Giant," "Public Enemy" and "El Jefe" are prominently displayed on the poster.

California cities just saw their lowest homicide rates in decades. It’s not clear why

Homicides in California surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, killings are down to historic lows in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and many other cities.