Use of the likeness of a performer, in cartoon form, for 10 seconds in an episode of an animated television series, as well as including the depiction in a trailer for the installment and a publicity still, does not constitute a misappropriation in violation of the Lanham Act, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held yesterday.

County supervisors voted 4-0 to ask attorneys to draft a rule that would bar all law enforcement officers — including local sheriff deputies and federal immigration agents — from disguising their identity while working in unincorporated parts of the county.

The Court of Appeal for this district held yesterday that where a woman sought an increase in visitation rights with her daughter, it was not a due-process violation for the judge to instead remove the child from the custody of the father and turn her over to the mother.

(Subscription required) Now presiding over unlawful detainer and small claims cases, Benitez said he draws on nearly three decades as a public defender to balance compassion with discipline, forging a judicial style shaped by community, resilience and the pursuit of justice for families like his own.