After numerous complaints of abuse allegations, a group of deputies at the LA Sheriff's Department have been indicted on misconduct charges, capping a two-year investigation.
From the LAT's Robert Faturechi and Jack Leonard: "Eighteen current or former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials have been indicted in five separate criminal cases in connection with a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of abuse and misconduct inside L.A. County jails."
"The four grand jury indictments unsealed Monday and one criminal complaint allege that deputies beat jail inmates and visitors without justification, unjustly detained people and conspired to obstruct a federal investigation into misconduct at the Men's Central Jail."
The government sea-change known as realignment, in which the state shifted a number of services to local governments -- including keeping some prison inmates in custody -- has caused an increase in crime, a new survey says.
From Capitol Weekly's Samantha Gallegos: "Property theft in California increased in the first year of correctional realignment, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California highlighting the policy’s possible effect on future crime rates."
"Under realignment, the state shifted responsibilities to the counties — including the incarceration of some state prisoners — and gave them money to cover the costs. The program, pushed by Gov. Brown, has been hotly controversial since its inception two years ago."
The state, living up to its reputation as a purveyor of paperwork, released 34,000 pages of documents on the proposed plan to drill water-carrying tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
From thbe Bee's Matt Weiser: "The California Department of Water Resources released the draft documents as part of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, a proposed $25 billion project to resolve decades of conflict between water demand and wildlife habitat in the estuary at the heart of the state. The documents – a habitat-conservation plan and environmental-impact study – launch a formal public review period that will lead to a decision on the proposal by the end of 2014."
"Although the Delta plan has been in the works for seven years and revealed in preliminary form on several occasions, the documents released Monday are the first complete look at the official project proposed for construction."
From the LAT's Patrick McGreevy: "A week after resigning from the state Senate, Republican Bill Emmerson of Redlands has been named a senior vice president of the California Hospital Assn., where he will oversee the group’s in-house and contract lobbyists."
"Emmerson follows others who have quit the Legislature to oversee lobbying of lawmakers for a private interest, without becoming registered lobbyists themselves. Former Sen. Michael Rubio did so this year, abruptly resigning to head government affairs for Chevron. Lawmakers are barred from themselves lobbying their legislative colleagues for one year."
Covered California, the state entity that provides a path to health insurance for the uninsured under the Affordable Care Act, has a backlog of thousands of applications.
From the Mercury-News' Tracy Seipel: "Already scrambling to meet a Dec. 23 deadline to sign up as many Californians as possible with insurance plans under the new federal healthcare law, the state's online exchange is confronting a potential delay over a backlog of 25,000 paper applications that must be re-submitted online."
"Covered California officials said the problem should be resolved by the end of the week. But critics are worried that those who either filled out the paperwork for an insurance policy on their own, through a certified insurance agent or certified enrollment counselor since the exchange opened Oct. 1, might miss the deadline."
California wants to join the jet set, as it plans to enter a bid to get Boeing's new plane built in the Golden State.
From the Bee's David Siders: 'California will be among states submitting bids to Boeing this week in an effort to land a production facility for the company's newest commercial jetliner."
"An official for Gov. Jerry Brown's Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-Biz, confirmed Monday that California will submit a proposal to Boeing ahead of the company's Tuesday deadline for states to submit proposals to host production of the 777X."
Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, his fall from grace complete, has been sentenced for inappropriate sexual behavior toward women.
From the U-T's Craig Guystafson and Greg Moran: "Filner completed a stunning fall from grace Monday when a judge sentenced him to three months of home confinement and three years of probation, closing the criminal probe into the inappropriate sexual behavior toward women that ended his brief stint as San Diego’s 35th mayor. His legal woes will continue as he and the city still face a civil lawsuit from a former aide."
"The sentencing by Superior Court Judge Robert Trentacosta came after Filner pleaded guilty in October to one felony charge of false imprisonment and two misdemeanor charges of battery. The former 10-term congressman will also have to continue mental health treatment, surrender a portion of his pension and be prohibited from seeking or holding public office until he finishes probation."
And from our "Fellow Traveler" file comes word of the passenger who fell asleep on a plane, then woke up only to find himself locked in darkness.
"As the captain of an oil platform supply boat in the Gulf of Mexico, Tom Wagner is no stranger to bumps and other movement while he sleeps. So when he nodded off on a flight from Louisiana to Houston, it was no surprise that the landing bounce didn't wake him."
"That's the norm for me," Wagner said. "A little jolt wouldn't bother me."
"He awoke to a traveler's nightmare. He opened his eyes to a dark and locked plane parked at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport."
"I looked down the aisle, there was nobody on the plane," Wagner said Monday from California, where he's visiting his sister. "It was locked up. Lights were off. No motors running. It was like it was secured for the night."
Houston. Figures.
