Category: court

Santa Ana Jail Escapee Convicted in Breakout and Kidnapping of Cab Driver

SANTA ANA—The first of three Orange County Jail inmates to be tried for a brazen January 2016 breakout was convicted April 8 of kidnapping, a day after he was convicted of the escape, and faces a maximum of nearly nine years in state prison. Bac Tien Duong, 48, was acquitted April 7 of felony kidnapping…


Southern California Siblings Charged in $6 Million Real Estate Scam

LOS ANGELES—A Southern California brother-and-sister team were arrested April 6 on federal charges alleging they orchestrated a $6 million real estate fraud scam in which they listed homes without the owners’ consent and collected money from multiple would-be buyers for each of the not-for-sale homes. Adolfo Schoneke, 43, of Torrance, and Bianca Gonzalez, also known…


Plaintiff Loses After Lawyer Refuses to Wear Mask in Court

NEW YORK—A woman lost her personal injury lawsuit after her lawyer refused to wear a mask in court and the judge threw out her case, which had been set for trial. The New York Daily News reported Friday that Brooklyn Judge Lawrence Knipel tossed the case after attorney Howard Greenwald said he could not breathe…


Colorado Shooting Suspect Passed Check in Legal Gun Purchase

BOULDER, Colo.—The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shootings bought a firearm at a local gun store after passing a background check, and he also had a second weapon with him that he didn’t use in the attack that killed 10 people this week, authorities and the gun store owner said Friday. Investigators are working to…


Orange County Temp Company Owner Accused of More Tax Fraud

SANTA ANA—The owner of Anaheim-based temp-employee staffing agencies, who was already facing charges of failing to pay about $29 million in payroll taxes, was indicted in federal court March 24 on additional tax fraud claims. Luis E. Perez, 52, who has homes in Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda and Dove Canyon, is charged with six counts…


BC Father Who Opposes Child’s Gender Transition Therapy Arrested for Violating Court Orders

A B.C. father who opposes his teenage child transitioning from female to male without his consent, was arrested this week for repeatedly speaking publicly about aspects of the case. A warrant was issued for the father’s arrest in early March after he allegedly violated court orders that restricted him from disclosing his own name as…


Judge Dismisses Journalist Lawsuit Against Rod Rosenstein for Allegedly Spying on Her Family

A federal judge this week dismissed investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson’s case against former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who she alleged had illegally spied on her and her family. Attkisson, the former CBS reporter who uncovered the “Fast and Furious” operation, had filed the lawsuit in January 2020 against Rosenstein and several Justice Department (DOJ) officials, claiming that…


Court Ruling Suspends US Ban on Investment in Xiaomi

A U.S. federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Department of Defense from forcing American investors to divest from Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp on the grounds the company has ties to China’s military. The Defense Department, under the Trump administration in mid-January, added Xiaomi and eight other firms to a list that requires Americans…


Father of BC Transgender Teen Returns to Court

A British Columbia father whose teenaged child transitioned from female to male without the father’s consent is facing new charges for breaching a gag order. Court orders dictate that the names of the father and mother, the child, and the medical professionals involved in the gender transition cannot be disclosed by media or the father…


Exxon and Macquarie in $11.7 Million US Lawsuit Over Broken Gas Contract During Texas Freeze

HOUSTON—Exxon Mobil Corp is suing Australia’s Macquarie Energy in a Texas court to avoid paying $11.7 million for missed deliveries during last month’s winter freeze in the central United States. The lawsuit, filed by Exxon’s natural gas business, said the massive storm and state declarations of emergencies prevented it from fulfilling its supply commitment to…