The court-mandated reform effort began as part of a 2003 settlement in a federal civil-rights lawsuit rooted in an infamous Oakland police misconduct case known as the Riders scandal. As part of the negotiated settlement agreement — known locally as the NSA — the city agreed to implement dozens of reforms intended to overhaul the department’s accountability mechanisms, reduce racial disparities in policing and curb officer misconduct.

The Court of Appeal for this district, in a case that harks to a fatal accident in 2016 and spawned a 2023 California Supreme Court opinion, has affirmed a 2024 summary judgment in favor of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, holding that a failure to warn of a danger defeats the defense of design immunity only if there is a complete absence of a cautioning.

Div. Four of the First District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a Labor Code section prohibiting retaliation against employees for making a report to law enforcement or regulatory authorities about alleged violations in the workplace does not provide for personal liability on the part of supervisors even if the law, by its terms, applies to “any person acting on behalf of the employer.”

(Subscription required) After spending much of his 17 years on the bench in criminal court, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Evan P. Kirvin has embraced the challenge of managing a sprawling civil docket while bringing a deep appreciation for juries and the rule of law to the courtroom.