The California Department of Justice has concluded that criminal charges are not warranted in the fatal 2023 shooting of Jaime Valdez by a Fontana police officer, and has issued two recommendations to the Fontana Police Department to improve transparency and public access to departmental policies.
California is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to maintain thousands of unused prison beds even as the incarcerated population continues to decline, and the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office recommends closing another prison in the next few years to save money.
The California Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, upheld a lower court’s decision to issue a gun violence restraining order against a father after he failed to secure firearms from a son who had made threats of a school shooting and was subject to a lifetime firearm ban.
California’s homicide rate has declined for the second year in a row, with cities such as Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco seeing record-low homicide rates, though the reasons for the decline are complex and multifactorial.
Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected Louisiana’s request to extradite a California doctor for providing abortion medication, reaffirming California’s commitment to protecting reproductive health care and refusing to cooperate with other states seeking to criminalize it.
Proposition 36 has failed to deliver on its promises of safety, accountability, and mass treatment, instead fueling incarceration, straining local budgets, and deepening racial disparities across California, according to the Prosecutors Alliance and criminal justice reform advocates.
Stacey Lauren hosted an online charity auction on Black Friday to promote philanthropy, featuring self-help and entrepreneurial training classes for female entrepreneurs, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs, which supports women in need through a Facebook-based community.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 state attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Tribal Warrant Fairness Act, which would provide Tribal law enforcement with stronger tools to respond to violence, disappearances, and jurisdictional gaps in Indigenous communities.
The California Supreme Court ruled that Los Angeles City’s enforcement of Penal Code section 148.6(a), which criminalized knowingly false complaints against peace officers, violates the First Amendment because it chills protected speech and disproportionately targets criticism of police.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s public safety investments have resulted in a significant increase in arrests, prosecutions, and recovered stolen property, with over $190 million worth of stolen property recovered and 25,675 suspects arrested between October 2023 and June 2025.
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed 12 new Superior Court judges across California, including Wendy R. Casas of Yolo County to serve on the Solano County Superior Court, in an effort to diversify the state’s judiciary.
Crime in San Francisco has dropped nearly 30% in 2025, one of the city’s lowest crime rates in decades, due to expanded law enforcement partnerships and targeted public safety funding.
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job security and due process protections for appointed public defenders in California, citing that decisions about hiring and removal of department heads should be made locally.
A coalition of 20 attorneys general and three state governors have filed an amicus brief in support of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s defense against President Donald Trump’s attempt to federalize the Illinois National Guard and deploy out-of-state troops into Chicago without the state’s consent, arguing that the president’s actions are unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Better Informed Decisions (BID) Act into law, allowing judges to review evidence as cases develop and make better-informed decisions on whether charges should proceed as misdemeanors or felonies, increasing fairness and efficiency in the justice process.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the Department of Justice for political retribution and undermining democratic norms, in response to the politically motivated indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning masked law enforcement, in contrast to the federal government’s use of masked agents to disperse protests in Chicago, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in policing.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 627, the “No Secret Police Act”, making California the first state in the nation to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities with ski masks or other face coverings while carrying out official duties.
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed 15 new Superior Court judges across California, reflecting his administration’s commitment to ensuring the state’s judiciary is highly qualified and representative of the people it serves.
Former Antioch police officer Devon Wenger was convicted of conspiracy against rights for using excessive force and concealing misconduct, marking a step towards accountability in the investigation into the Antioch Police Department.