The city of Eureka is “evaluating its options” with regard to this week’s appellate court ruling that it must release a police dash camera video capturing the controversial arrest of a 14-year-old suspect. In its published opinion released late Tuesday, the California First District Court of Appeals ruled that the video in question cannot be […]
Cyndy Day-Wilson
Posted inNews
Arrest Video Can’t be Kept Confidential, Appellate Court Rules
A Eureka police video depicting the arrest of a 14-year-old suspect can’t be considered a confidential personnel record and must be released to the public, an appellate court has ruled. The court’s unanimous decision upholds a May 21, 2015 ruling by Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Christopher Wilson, who granted a Journal petition seeking release […]
Posted inNews
Eureka Seeks Dismissal of PalCo Marsh Lawsuit; Plaintiffs Look to Make it a Class Action
The city of Eureka is asking a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought by 11 people challenging the city’s May 2 eviction of the PalCo Marsh homeless encampments. Meanwhile, Peter Martin, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, has informed the court he intends to turn the case into a class action suit, which could bring […]
Posted inNews
Appellate Court Hears Police Video Arguments
Can police videos recorded on body-worn and patrol car dash cameras by considered confidential police officer personnel records and hidden from public view? That’s the question three justices with the California First Appellate District spent about a half an hour wrestling with in a San Francisco courtroom Thursday. It was clear from their questions that […]
Posted inNews
UPDATED: Why is Eureka Being Squirrely About Handing over Public Records?
Editor’s Note: An update has been added at the end of this post. Well, this is awkward. You see, generally we at the Journal don’t talk much about our requests for documents made under the California Public Records Act. We just submit them and then write about the information we get back. That’s kind of […]
Posted inNews
Full Report: Judge Allows Bulk of PalCo Marsh Evictions to Proceed, Saying “I Have 11 Litigants”
OAKLAND — Eleven homeless people in Eureka cannot be evicted from a long-established homeless encampment on Monday unless the city complies with yet-to-be-determined conditions for their alternative shelter, a federal judge ruled from the bench this afternoon. The 11 sued Eureka in Federal Court on Monday, asking for a temporary restraining order that would prevent the […]
Posted inNews
Federal Judge Grants PalCo Marsh Restraining Order, But Only for 11 Plaintiffs
A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order to prevent Eureka’s pending eviction of people camping illegally in the Palco Marsh. Kind of. Courthouse News Services‘ Katherine Proctor, who was in court covering this afternoon’s hearing, said federal Judge Jeffrey S. White granted a request for the restraining order, but not for all of […]
Posted inNews
Operating, Lease Agreements Last Hurdle for Container Community
Less than 72 hours before more than 100 homeless people are slated to be evicted from the Palco Marsh area, a new temporary housing project to accommodate 40 of them is taking shape. Down at the corner of Commercial and Third streets in Eureka, a bevy of construction crews worked busily this morning to continue […]
Posted inNews
‘A Significant Threat’: Eureka Responds to Lawsuit, Offers Contradictory Declarations
The city of Eureka is arguing in a federal court filing that there is no need for a judge to issue a temporary restraining order halting the city’s planned May 2 eviction of homeless people living in the PalCo Marsh, because there’s no threat that they will be irreparably harmed by being forced to relocate. […]
Posted inNews
After Bitter Debate, Eureka Declares Shelter Crisis
Public comment was brief, compared to previous meetings on the subject of homelessness. Only around 30 citizens came up to the podium to address the city council about the proposed declaration of a citywide shelter crisis. The declaration, originally proposed by Councilmember Linda Atkins, was reworked by city staff before being put before the council […]
Posted inNews
City Council, Harbor District, Make Moves on Homelessness
As the Eureka City Council prepares to once again discuss declaring a city-wide shelter crisis on Tuesday, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District has moved forward with a plan to reinstall Porta-Potties near the PalCo Marsh. District Chairman Richard Marks, who spearheaded installation of Porta-Potties in the Bayshore Mall’s north parking lot last July, said that […]
Posted inNews
Eureka City Council Butting Heads With Staff & Each Other on Homelessness
The restless crowd packed into city council chambers Tuesday night gradually filtered out until only the most hardcore civics enthusiasts remained, as the Eureka City Council meeting was extended, then extended again, stretching until 10:30 p.m. The majority of the four-and-a-half-hour meeting was taken up by public comment on two contentious items: whether or not […]