Michael Carroll News
Attorney elected Orange County supervisor facing prison, disbarment for accepting bribes
A former member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors who agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of accepting more than $550,000 in bribes will likely be recommended for disbarment, the Southern California Record has learned.
San Diego County residents sue over raw sewage, pollution discharges from treatment plant
South Bay residents are suing Veolia, the operators of an international water treatment plant in San Ysidro, alleging that raw sewage and other pollutants including hydrogen sulfide and DDT have been regularly discharged from the plant. Veolia says the lawsuit is "opportunistic," capitalizing on environmental problems caused by discharges from Tijuana
California State Bar advances plans to expunge attorney discipline records after 8 years
The California State Bar says the proposal is intended to address allegedly racist attorney disciplinary practices, which allegedly resulted in black male attorneys being punished more frequently than white lawyers. Opponents say the change will allow lawyers to hide misconduct from future clients
Environmental groups sue to block carbon-capture project at Kern County oil field
Environmental groups are suing the Kern County Board of Supervisors over its approval of a carbon-capture project at the century-old Elk Hills oil field, alleging that the project violates the California Environmental Quality Act and will likely leak carbon.
Pfizer facing new lawsuits in California over injectable form of birth control
Several plaintiffs have filed lawsuits against Pfizer Inc. and other pharmaceutical companies in California, alleging that an injectable form of birth control causes or contributes to a higher risk of developing brain tumors.
Pipeline company agrees to $72.5 million settlement over 2015 Santa Barbara County oil spill
An oil pipeline company based in Houston has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle damages claims stemming from a 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara County that harmed wildlife, closed beaches and shut down fisheries.
Evolving scientific views of child abuse drive debate over Menendez brothers’ resentencing
An anticipated resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez has sparked debate about the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of child abuse 30 years ago, when the brothers were convicted of the shotgun slayings of their parents.
California State Bar charges Los Angeles attorney with more counts of preying on inmate clients
A Los Angeles attorney now faces a second round of misconduct counts accusing him of charging inmates thousands of dollars for resentencing requests under a 2018 state law, even though authorities told him such applications were ill-advised.
Judge rejects lawsuit challenging city of Huntington Beach's voter ID requirements
An Orange County judge has sustained the city of Huntington Beach’s objection to a legal action brought by the California Attorney General’s Office that sought to overturn the city’s new voter identification requirements.
11 California attorneys disbarred in third quarter, State Bar reports
A total of 11 California attorneys were expelled from their profession in the third quarter of this year, while another 15 were either suspended, put on probation or both, according to new data released by the California State Bar.
L.A. city officials say litigation costs put the city on path to fiscal peril
Los Angeles officials are warning that the city’s reserve fund has been drained well below its usual minimum level of 5% due to dramatically expanding liability expenditures driven by large settlements and outside counsel costs.
Rapper Tory Lanez files ethics complaint with State Bar against former attorney
Jailed rapper Tory Lanez has filed an ethics complaint against the Los Angeles attorney who represented him during his 2022 trial before a jury that found him guilty of shooting fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion in the foot.
Novo Nordisk: Water quality issues at Ozempic plant won't be resolved this year
A Novo Nordisk facility in Denmark where the popular obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are manufactured has been cited by the federal Food and Drug Administration for possible contamination issues – a development that has caught the attention of trial lawyers.
State officials sue Norwalk over city's moratorium on homeless shelters
State officials have filed a lawsuit against the city of Norwalk, accusing the southeast Los Angeles County city of unlawfully passing a moratorium on housing projects for homeless people.
Pasadena man's lawsuit accuses Paramount+ of illegally sharing customers' viewing information
A Pasadena man has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Paramount+ that accuses the video-streaming company of disclosing customers’ viewing data to third parties such as Facebook and TikTok in violation of a 36-year-old federal law.
Appeals court rejects Huntington Beach's challenge of state law requiring housing development plans
The city of Huntington Beach has vowed to continue its litigation challenging a state law requiring local governments to set zoning targets for new housing, despite a federal appeals court ruling rejecting the city’s arguments.
New California food dye ban: Is it protection for kids or shady science?
California has enacted what’s billed as a first-in-the-nation measure restricting the use of several artificial food colors suspected of causing hyperactivity in children, but some scientific experts say the new law is based more on perceptions than science.
California high court disbars Manhattan Beach attorney who mishandled client funds
The California Supreme Court has disbarred a Manhattan Beach attorney who misappropriated client funds to the tune of about $117,000 and allegedly used some of the money to support his gambling activities.
Santa Barbara jury awards jet owner $19 million in insurance dispute involving Michael Avenatti
A jury in Santa Barbara has awarded $19 million to plaintiffs who entered into a 2016 agreement to purchase a jet aircraft with now-incarcerated attorney Michael Avenatti, finding that the aircraft’s insurer failed to fulfill conditions of the insurance policy.
Walmart settles hazardous waste charges filed by California attorney general for $7.5 million
Walmart has agreed to pay $7.5 million in penalties and costs to settle a civil action filed by the state Attorney General’s Office and county district attorneys alleging the company unlawfully disposed of medical and hazardous waste from stores around the state.