A former Fresno County deputy who shot his sergeant to death in an investigations unit office was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday. The defendant, Jared Mullis, wept as the verdict was read, The Fresno Bee reported. At the same time, family members and supporters of slain Sgt. Rod...
Impeachment Trial: Trump Wants Drama, but GOP Wants It Over
Washington — Donald Trump wants more than acquittal. He wants vindication. With impeachment by the House appearing certain, the president has made clear that he views the next step, a trial in the GOP-controlled Senate, as his focus. The president sees the senators not just as a jury deciding his...
LA Times Ordered to Pay Former Sports Columnist $15.5M
LOS ANGELES — A jury on Monday awarded nearly $15.5 million to a former sports columnist for The Los Angeles Times who said he was forced out of his job because of age and health discrimination. The award is more than twice the $7.1 million that T.J. Simers initially won...
Former California Mayor Indicted in Bribery Scheme
PALM SPRINGS — A grand jury has indicted the former mayor of Palm Springs in a public corruption case that alleges he took $375,000 in bribes from real estate developers. Former mayor Stephen Philip Pougnet could be barred for life from holding public office if he is convicted, according to...
Sriracha Ordered to Pay Pepper Grower $23.3 Million
LOS ANGELES — A jury has awarded $23.3 million to a California pepper maker in a fiery battle with the manufacturer of world-famous Sriracha hot sauce. The Los Angeles Times says jurors last week determined that Huy Fong Foods breached its contract with Underwood Ranches and also committed fraud. Underwood,...
Jury Awards $289M to Man Who Blames Roundup for Cancer
SAN FRANCISCO — A jury's $289 million award to a former school groundskeeper who said Monsanto's Roundup left him dying of cancer will bolster thousands of pending cases and open the door for countless people who blame their suffering on the weed killer, the man's lawyers said. "I'm glad to...
Jury Delivers $26M Verdict in Baby Powder Cancer Case
LOS ANGELES — A California jury delivered a $25.7 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed she developed cancer by using the company's talc-based baby powder. Jurors in Los Angeles recommended $4 million in punitive damages Thursday after finding the company acted...