(Subscription required) 9th Circuit Judge Lucy H. Koh, an appointee of President Joe Biden, ruled that the city’s new arguments, raised on appeal, were waived because they did not raise them before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu of Oakland.

To keep more police on patrols, law enforcement groups would like officers to spend less time in court. Legislation would allow non-sworn community service officers to testify in preliminary hearings instead of police.

State bar trustees are due on Thursday to vote on a plan that would reduce the number of large testing sites to four or five, compared with seven last year. Locations in Sacramento and Santa Clara would be eliminated under the plan, while bar officials are still working to secure a test site in San Diego.

Homeless individuals suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues who commit minor crimes can now have their cases dropped if they complete a social services regimen. Launched by the City this week, STEP Court -- which holds sessions overseen by an LA County Superior Court judge every second Wednesday of the month -- "focuses on resources rather than criminalization," City officials said.