The state’s largest nursing home owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, is facing a lawsuit alleging that one of his homes is responsible for the COVID-related deaths of some 24 elderly and dependent residents. The catch? Five years ago, the state denied Rechnitz and his companies a license to operate the place, the state’s own records show. The […]
Courts
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Judge Requires COVID Vaccines for California Prison Workers
California prison workers will join the list of state employees who must be vaccinated against COVID, a federal judge ruled Monday — a loss for the state prison guards’ union and Gov. Gavin Newsom. For months, the politically powerful union and the Newsom administration have resisted a COVID vaccine mandate for prison workers, despite the […]
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Robert Durst Convicted of Murder Committed While Living in Humboldt
The New York Times reports that Robert Durst, “the enigmatic real estate scion who evaded criminal suspicion for half his life only to become a national sensation after damaging admissions were aired in a 2015 documentary on HBO, was convicted on Friday in the execution-style murder of a close confidante more than 20 years ago.” […]
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Humboldt Judge Rescinds Release of Convicted Sex Offender
A Humboldt County Superior Court judge issued a ruling last week striking his December of 2016 order for the conditional release of a local man who’s been designated as a Sexually Violent Predator. According to a Humboldt District Attorney’s Office news release, Judge John Feeney’s Aug. 13 ruling was based not only on the inability […]
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Redwood Burl Poacher Sentenced to Community Service, Probation, Banned from Park
An Orick man is now banned from stepping foot into Redwood National and State Parks as part of his sentencing today after pleading guilty last month to poaching burl from old growth redwoods at the protected site. He also received two years probation, a $1,200 fine and 400 hours of community service. Derek Alwin Hughes’ […]
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Brownfield Appointed Public Defender
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors today appointed Luke Brownfield to serve as the county’s public defender, overseeing the office that represents individuals accused of criminal offenses who cannot afford an attorney. “With his experience and leadership, we are fortunate to have Luke as the new public defender for our community,” said 3rd District Supervisor […]
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Yurok Tribal Council Unanimously Rejects Proposed Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement
The Yurok Tribal Council voted unanimously last week to oppose the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement and restructuring plan for OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, saying it amounts to a “sweetheart settlement” for the billionaire Sackler family, which owns the pharmaceutical giant. “There is no justice in this settlement,” Tribal Chair Joseph James said in a press […]
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Lawsuit Alleges Eureka Police Used Excessive Force During George Floyd Protest
A local woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the county of Humboldt and the city of Eureka, alleging police officers violated her constitutional rights when they shot her with less-than-lethal projectiles as she peacefully marched while protesting the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. In the suit filed […]
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Charmaine Lawson: Settlement ‘Blood Money’ Means ‘Nothing,’ Focus is on Justice
Charmaine Lawson still hasn’t cashed the $200,000 check that came as a part of her settlement agreement with the city of Arcata. She says it took her four days to even open the envelope it was mailed in and it has now sat for weeks atop her son’s urn. Filed in November of 2018, the […]
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Charmaine Lawson Settles Civil Suit with City of Arcata
The city of Arcata has settled a civil lawsuit brought by the mother of slain Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson, whose unsolved killing at an off-campus party four years ago continues to reverberate throughout the community. In the agreement with Charmaine Lawson, the city has agreed to make a $25,000 contribution to the […]
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Arcata Man Convicted in Fatal Stabbing
A 29-year-old Arcata man is facing life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first degree murder and two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon involving two different incidents in which he approached strangers outside of local bars. The verdict was reached yesterday after a months-long trial, according to the Humboldt […]
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Is California Still Facing an Eviction Tsunami When the Moratorium Ends?
California’s eviction moratorium is coming to an end June 30. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, housing analysts have worried about a tsunami of evictions whenever the state lifts protections for renters. Will there be an eviction tsunami when the moratorium ends? Or a smaller wave? CalMatters asked Carolina Reid, associate professor of city […]