By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Newsom directs National Guard home to families
Governor Gavin Newsom last week directed the California National Guard leadership to work expeditiously to return state service members home to be with their families as soon as possible following their demobilization from federal service.
Newsom’s order follows the Trump administration’s adherence to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals order to return the California National Guard to state command and control, thus ending their deployment in an American city against American citizens.
This Appeals Court ruling comes in the wake of a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of the State of Illinois in a similar case.
“I’m glad President Trump has finally admitted defeat: we’ve said all along the federalization of the National Guard in California is illegal,” said Newsom.
“The President deployed these brave men and women against their own communities and without regard for the Constitution and federal law. We welcome our California National Guard servicemembers back to state service, where they can continue to serve and protect the people of California — long delayed due to Trump’s political theater.”
Bass decries City Hall vandalism
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass this weekend decried a New Year’s Day break-in and vandalism at City Hall.
Police arrested Jose Gonzalez Chavez on suspicion of felony vandalism in the incident, alleging he gained entry through the First Street entrance by breaking a locked glass door, “and proceeded to the third floor, where multiple areas, including the hallway and rotunda, were vandalized.”
“I was informed yesterday that an individual broke into City Hall on the evening of New Year’s Day and damaged a number of items on the second and third floors of City Hall, including windows, a glass display case, computer equipment and the Katowicz menorah which was displayed in the third-floor rotunda,” said Bass in a statement.
“While there is no indication that the vandalism to the menorah was a hate crime, I was deeply disturbed that this historic menorah was damaged. I personally called the Cunin family, who each year generously loan the menorah to City Hall and the people of Los Angeles, to inform them of the incident. The individual suspected of vandalism was arrested by LAPD and is being evaluated for mental health concerns. A full evaluation of security at City Hall is already underway,” Bass added.
Soto’s office awarded state grant for prosecuting impaired drivers
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced last week the Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Unit (“DUID”) in her Criminal Branch is the recipient of more than $1.3 million through the Impaired Driving Prosecution Grant from California’s Office of Traffic Safety (“OTS”).
Aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers, this is the 14th year that the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has been awarded this grant.
“Driving under the Influence is one of the key crimes that my office prosecutes. We have filed approximately 99% of the DUI cases referred to us by law enforcement over the past two years,” said Feldstein Soto. “I am grateful to California’s Office of Traffic Safety. Their collaboration helps us hold accountable those who carelessly and recklessly get behind the wheel when they are impaired. I am proud of my DUI and DUID prosecutors whose commitment to safer roads in LA is unparalleled.”
From Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025, the City Attorney’s Office filed 4,844 cases involving drivers allegedly under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both.
Distributed through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), the OTS grant will help Feldstein Soto’s DUID unit prosecute alcohol and drug-impaired driving drivers through September 2026. This specialized team will also continue to partner with the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program (TSRP) to provide support and assistance to other prosecutors and investigators, and collaborate with law enforcement on best practices for handling and managing alcohol and drug-impaired cases, including evidence gathering and data collection.
Hochman announces his office to get $800,000 from Verizon settlement
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced on Friday that his office will receive $800,000 as part $7.7 million civil action settlement with Verizon Wireless alleging widespread violations of California environmental laws governing hazardous materials storage, reporting, and permitting at cell tower sites throughout the state.
“Companies that store hazardous materials have a legal obligation to protect the public, first responders, and the environment,” said Hochman. “This settlement underscores that even the largest corporations must follow California’s environmental laws, and when they don’t, they will be held accountable.”
The settlement, signed today by Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Y. Lee, resolves allegations that Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, failed to properly report hazardous materials, pay required permit fees, allow regulatory inspections, and comply with laws regulating aboveground petroleum storage tanks used to power emergency generators and backup systems.
Verizon Wireless is the largest provider of mobile telephone services in the United States and owns and operates thousands of cell sites across California. Many of these sites store hazardous materials that, if improperly managed, can pose serious risks, including fires, explosions, and the release of toxic chemical air contaminants. California law requires permits, accurate reporting, employee training, and access for inspections when hazardous materials are stored above certain threshold quantities.
Hazardous materials release and response plans are designed to protect public health and safety by ensuring that first responders, environmental regulators, and public safety officials have accurate information during emergencies. These plans must include a hazardous materials inventory, site maps, emergency response procedures, and employee training protocols.
The LA District Attorney’s Office will use the settlement bounty primarily to help prosecute environmental crime cases.
