Results tagged “law”

A Los Angeles city council committee will look into the long-delayed outdoor smoking ban draft ordinance this morning. If approved, it will then move on to the full city council where if passed, the ban will go into affect after a six-month education campaign. Basically, the ban says no smoking--unless you're just walking by--within 10 feet of an established outdoor dining area (think restaurants and cafes with sidewalk dining or outdoor food courts).

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich wants the City Council to pass the latest proposed ordinance aimed at regulating medical marijuana dispensaries (you can read that ordinance in full, embedded below).

TMZ caught pop-singer Brandy yesterday illegally using her cell phone while driving. And then they called it pulling a Shriver, thanks to Califonia's First Lady who last week was caught a number of times breaking the law her hubby signed into law.

Los Angeles-based artist Shepard Fairey might be left with only his "hope" when it comes to the suit and counter-suit battles being waged in court right now regarding his iconic adaptation of a photograph of Barack Obama for use in his 2008 Presidential campaign.

After being caught not once, not twice, but thrice, California's First Lady Maria Shriver apologized today for breaking the cell phone while driving law. Her brief statement:

Although there is a state law that allows parents to legally surrender a newborn baby, there are proper ways to do it and not do it. Last Friday, firefighters in Norwalk returned from an emergency call when "observant crew members" spotted him. "Most abandoned babies are never found alive," noted a news release from the LA County Fire Department.

Her husband may have signed the no driving while holding a cell phone law, but the message apparently hasn't hit home for California's First Lady Maria Shriver.

Although two major gay rights bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger this weekend, two dealing with transgender issues were vetoed. One would have aided transgender people to revise their birth certificates and the other would have provided protections for transgender people in prison.

Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed two bills into law, both of which focus on restricting operation of a motor vehicle to previous DUI offenders, reports the Daily News. Assemblyman Mike Feur (D-Los Angeles) has authored AB 91, calling for the implementation of a pilot program in four counties that will put an ignition interlock device in "every vehicle owned or operated by a first-time DUI offender."

Although Santa Monica's outdated bicycle license appears to directly contradict state law, officials recently have been promoting the city's bicycle licenses because of a rise in thefts in the Southbay. "We do try to get people to get licensed because it makes the return of stolen bikes easier," explained Don Patterson, the manager who oversees the division that issues bicycle licenses.

Under current written law, Santa Monica police are able to throw any cyclists, whether a city resident or not, into jail for not having a bicycle license. Fines can range up to $1,000. The 1995-created law directly contradicts a 1996-written California Vehicle Code section, which states the law shall apply to residents of a city issuing bicycle licenses.

We see it everyday on Los Angeles roads. Drivers eating, reading, illegally talking on a cell phone, checking Google Maps on their iPhone, painting nails, etc. So much for paying attention, not to mention the lack of turn signals used in by L.A. drivers (annoying!).

Nearly two months into a ban on new digital billboards and supergraphics, a judge sided with the city of Los Angeles after one advertising company challenged the law. Liberty Media said exceptions had been granted in the past and that City Council had violated state law dictating open meetings. U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins said "none of theese claims have merit" in her tentative decision.

Los Angeles City Councilman Greig smith has brought up some legitimate points in the recent drought-related debates, but his most recent announcement about his scofflaw watering may be pushing it. Yesterday at a committee meeting, the Northwest Valley representative said he was challenging the current water laws by watering his lawn three times a week for 8 minutes. "And my grass is greener than it's ever been, and I bet I'm using less water," he said.

Not only was the federal government concerned about the pending closure of state parks earlier this summer, but a memo obtained by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says there are a handful of more problems if closures happen. A list of those closures is is expected to be released sometime next week. The memo from state attorneys says the potential problems could cost the state money, including lawsuits from private companies involved in contracts with state parks and lawsuits from parkgoers trespassing into closed parks who get hurt, according to the Mercury News. Additionally, a Americans with Disabilities Act settlement from 1999 may be broken if parks close, prompting yet another lawsuit from disability groups. And lastly, closing state beaches may be in violation of the California Coastal Act.

Due to the Station Fire (and the Morris Fire, which is now 100 percent contained), officials today closed all portions of the Angeles National Forest within the San Gabriel Mountain Range, citing a federal law meant "to protect natural resources and provide for public safety." Basically, that means the whole mountain range is closed, save for the edges and a portion within the San Bernardino National Forest on the eastern end before the Cajon Pass and 15 Freeway. The closure will last until the fire is 100 percent contained.

It's currently against the law to make a home of your car in Long Beach, but a proposal due to be discussed come September 1st at the City Council meeting would create "a new law that would allow "economic refugees" to legally sleep" in their vehicles, according to the Press-Telegram.

Although he tells the denizens of Los Angeles to cut down on their water use or face fines and higher bills, Mayor Villaraigosa's city-owned mansion has had its lawn watered during illegal hours several times, NBC's Joel Grover found in a month long investigation.

The LADWP took notice of last week's "Comment of the Week" about breaking city water conservation rules in order to sustainably grow your own veggies. They say it's doable, so take listen up, says spokesman Brooks Baker in an e-mail:

In a discussion about the upcoming trend (and hopefully long-term habit) of residents taking part in urban farming and apartment gardening, commenter trishells points out her illegal use of water under current city ordinances. However, she has a great point:

The murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk captured the city's attention a few weeks ago when she left her Los Feliz home on an errand to Southwestern University for her mother, a professor there. Burk encountered Charles Samuel, a parolee, who abducted her and tried to get money out of her via Burk's credit card at several ATMs. It didn't work and she was left with a slashed throat in a parked car in Skid Row. Samuel was arrested a half hour later, albeit for a different reason. Police only connected him to the murder in the following days.

An assembly bill making its way through state committees gained the support of the city of Los Angeles today. AB 524 "would allow civil fines of up to $50,000 for the taking and selling of images or recordings of people engaged in personal or familial activity, with actual knowledge that the images or recordings were obtained illegally and if any compensation, consideration, or remuneration was provided," according to a city motion. Councilmember Paul Koretz, a former Assemblyman himself, said the bill "only makes sense."

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email.

At yesterday’s Metro meeting, officials said they may do with the current rush-hour bike-on-rail ban to accommodate the system’s growing cyclist ridership, but they’re also considering implementing a two-bike-per-car rule. During their 6 p.m. meeting, which was considerably quieter than their earlier one at noon, officials said they also want to improve signage that directs cyclists and clearly state the rules (no blocking doors or walkways).

It's been one year now since a California law went into effect making it illegal to drive while using a hand-held cellphone. The Automobile Club of Southern California has released the findings of "observational roadside surveys of drivers on Orange County roads," and have determined that the "use of hand-held cell phones by drivers declined sharply from pre-law levels."

A new nutritional information and menu labeling law will take effect next Wednesday, forcing many restaurants in the state to provide facts about the food they serve. Split into two phases, the first one next week states that restaurants with 20 or more locations in California must provide brochures at the point of purchase with number of calories, grams of saturated fat, grams of carbohydrates and milligrams of sodium for all standard menu items.

It's been more than a year since a proposal to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas was brought forth as an idea. Now, the City Attorney's office has written the draft ordinance, which is scheduled to be reviewed tomorrow by a City Council Committee.

The County tried to regulate the time a taco trucks could operate in one place and lost. On Friday, a similar, but lesser known Los Angeles city ordinance from 2006 was struck down by a judge. Last December, a taco truck owner received a $150 parking ticket from the city's Department of Transportation for violating the law. He and a group of attorneys and students from UCLA Law School's clinical program challenged the ticket in an administrative hearing, but lost. They appealed to LA County Superior Court and won with no city attorneys present at the hearing.

Here's what a citation from the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power looks like. Luckily, if its your first time, there's no monetary punishment, just a conversation with a conservation team member, which could be its own sort of punishment depending on who you are. If they visit you again, you're looking at $100 or more.

You've probably seen this happen: it's raining, yet the sprinklers are working hard in a city park. Not such a smart idea in a drought, or anytime actually. This past week, new sprinkler regulations went into affect (.pdf info sheet), only allowing sprinkling use on Mondays and Thursdays and not between the times of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For a few years now, there's been a more advanced sprinkler that knows the weather so if it's raining, it knows not to turn on. The Isla Earth podcast from the Catalina Island Conservancy explained in an older episode: