The Humboldt County jail has changed policies to reflect an emergency rule passed by the California Judicial Council mandating $0 bail for misdemeanors and low-level felonies in an effort to reduce inmate risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. “I understand the unprecedented impacts that the COVID-19 outbreak has created but am deeply concerned that this rule […]
Courts
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Newsom, PG&E Strike Deal to End Company’s Bankruptcy
In the middle of a pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on Pacific Gas and Electric Corp.’s $57.65 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan Friday, after winning shareholder concessions and governance changes that he declared would be “the end of business as usual” for the state’s largest utility. The company agreed to a number of changes, notably […]
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Humboldt County Superior Court Looks to Suspend Operations Amid State of Emergency
Pending the approval of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the Humboldt County Superior Court has announced it will suspend operations for the rest of the week in the face of the state of emergency spurred by the COVID-19 virus. Then, beginning March 20 and extending at least 30 days, the court will look […]
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No Need to Report for Jury Duty Today
The Humboldt County Superior Court has announced that residents previously directed to report for jury duty today should not appear as their “appearance is cancelled.” Those with jury summons are asked to call 269-1270 after 5 p.m. today for further reporting information or to log into the jury portal at here. See the full press […]
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Stapp Sentenced to 11 Years in Fatal DUI Crash
Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Killoran sentenced a 25-year-old Fields Landing man to serve 11 years in prison today, months after he drunkenly crashed his truck into a Humboldt Hill house, killing Robert Beland, 64, who was sleeping in bed at the time. Ryder Dale Stapp tried to flee the scene of the crash […]
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Eureka Man Faces 40 to Life For Shooting His Friend in 2017
A Eureka man faces up to 40 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder today for the August 2017 shooting death of his decades-long friend. According to a Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office press release, David Kobak was convicted at the conclusion of a three-week trial, which included […]
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AG Won’t Take Lawson Case
The California Attorney General’s Office has informed Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming that it will not be taking responsibility for any possible prosecution related to the 2017 killing of David Josiah Lawson. “Absent a reusable conflict of interest, the Attorney General’s Office generally only takes over a prosecution handled by a district attorney when […]
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Why California’s top court just struck down the state’s Trump tax return law
Many constitutional law experts, former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Republican Party are now all officially entitled to say, “I told you so.” This morning the California Supreme Court unanimously struck down a new state law that would have required presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns before appearing on the primary […]
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Charmaine Lawson Holds 31-month Vigil for Her Son, Hopes Documentary Will Bring Outside Attention to Unsolved Case
It has been 31 months since Humboldt State University sophomore David Josiah Lawson was killed. On Friday, the anniversary of her 19-year-old son’s death, a group of a few dozen students and community members surrounded Charmaine Lawson at a small vigil at the Arcata Methodist Church, during which the group watched Who Killed Josiah?, a […]
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Mendo DA Upset to Learn of Former EPD Officer’s Past Dishonesty, Will Dismiss Cases that Require His Testimony
Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster has grave concerns about the Willits Police Department’s hiring of Jacob Jones, having learned of sustained allegations of the officer’s dishonesty during his tenure with the Eureka Police Department. In a scathing, incredulous 2,400-word letter to Willits Police Chief Scott Warnock, Eyster expresses dismay at Jones’ hiring despite the […]
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McGuire: Judge’s Tax Return Law Ruling ‘Perplexing, Premature and Unneccesary’
A federal judge today granted a temporary injunction to block California’s recently signed legislation that requires presidential and gubernatorial candidates to release their tax returns to appear on the state’s primary ballot. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. said a final ruling in the case would […]
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Eureka, County Are Parties in Opioid Settlement Agreement
Eureka and Humboldt County are parties to the tentative multi-billion-dollar settlement reached this week in a landmark lawsuit brought by thousands of municipal governments and more than two dozen states against Purdue Pharma, the company that created OxyContin. The settlement — which still needs to be ratified by plaintiffs and approved by the judge — […]