The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on Wednesday to halt his investigation of hundreds of thousands of ballots he obtained from the county registrar to examine alleged voter fraud in last November’s election.

From the top down, the site's 53 courtrooms will hold civil and criminal proceedings. Myriad high-tech features allow for video conferencing, enhanced digital evidence presentation, and multi-view courtroom camera systems that protect juror and witness privacy. The facility is named in honor of former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye.

(Subscription required) The California Supreme Court has tossed the conviction and death sentence of a man found guilty of murdering his mother and a police chief, saying the trial court failed to investigate defense claims that a juror was biased.

(Subscription required) While allowing the broader cleanup to proceed, a federal judge has partially blocked the City of Berkeley from closing a homeless encampment affected by rat-caused disease, ruling that some practices likely violate disability rights law and constitutional protections.