California's Native American Day is set to become a paid holiday for state workers under legislation signed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. AB 1841 would make Native American Day, observed each year on the fourth Friday of September, a paid holiday for state employees once lawmakers provide funding for it. 

(Subscription required) The California Supreme Court named Judge W. Kearse McGill presiding judge of the State Bar Court and reconstituted its Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics, naming Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner as chair. McGill, who sits on the State Bar Court's Appellate Review Department, will succeed Presiding Judge Richard Honn, who is retiring at the end of October after nearly 25 years on the State Bar Court.

A homeless man who intruded upon school grounds at night and stole a pig which was slaughtered and partially consumed could not rely upon a provision providing an exception to the animal cruelty statute by recognizing the “right to kill all animals used for food,” the Sixth District Court of Appeal declared on Thursday.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had no legal right to seize 650,000 ballots for his investigation into alleged fraud in last November’s election and must obey the orders of Attorney General Rob Bonta, California’s top law officer, to return them to the registrar, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday. Four hours after the ruling, Bianco said, angrily, that he would comply.