Even though he was sworn in last January, Robert Mangano took his black robe at a ceremony Friday, joining his brethren as a Fresno County judge. Dozens of his colleagues descended upon the event at the Fresno Veterans Memorial Auditorium officially welcome Mangano into the fold. He won election to...
Dyer, Janz and Smittcamp Meet. What Did They Talk About?
It was hardly the kind of meeting that could be kept a secret. Andrew Janz, who has announced he's running for Fresno mayor, and police chief Jerry Dyer, who is "strongly considering" jumping in, met with Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp on Friday morning at the Patio Cafe in...
Brand Still Can Be a Political Kingmaker
What does Mayor Lee Brand plan to do with his $450,000 political war chest? Brand amassed most of that amount in 2018, taking contributions from the who’s who of Fresno business and politics — public safety unions, developers, and attorneys. Since his announcement Monday (May 20) that he is not...
An Assembly Seat Isn't Worth What's Ahead for the Arambulas
Please, can someone close to Joaquin Arambula talk sense to the assemblyman? He's in desperate need of a lucid, heart-to-heart conversation from somebody close, somebody he respects. The High Cost of Winning There are no victories on the course Arambula is taking in his trial on misdemeanor child-abuse charges allegedly...
DA Smittcamp: Newsom Death Penalty Moratorium Is a Disgrace
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp joined three other California district attorneys to author an op-ed for CNN. In the piece, they state their strong opposition to Gov. Gavin Newsom's death penalty moratorium, saying it "is disheartening to victims and their families who have waited years for justice." There are...
Arambula: Defense Motion Describes Incident With Daughter, Accuses PD of Bad Faith
Attorneys for Joaquin Arambula, the Fresno assemblyman accused of child cruelty, say Fresno police illegally obtained evidence and want the case thrown out. In a motion filed on the first day of pre-trial hearings Tuesday, Arambula’s legal team says that Fresno police illegally acquired a report from the Child Protective...
Debunked Nunes Ad Shows He's Fat, Flabby & Out of Campaign Shape
We can surmise with a high degree of certainty three things about Rep. Devin Nunes' re-election bid. One, internal polling has given Nunes reason to worry that Democratic challenger Andrew Janz is breathing down his neck. Two, it's been so long since Nunes had a credible opponent, he's literally forgotten...
Trump Critic Becerra on MS-13 Gang: Not Animals, But Not Human Either
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra didn’t quite share President Donald Trump’s sentiments on the gang MS-13, but he came close. “When you talk about maiming human life, scarring them to the point that you don’t recognize them, I don’t know if you would call them human beings,” Becerra said at...
DA Lisa Smittcamp Targets Sex Trafficking
"Human trafficking is modern-day slavery." Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp says that is the unvarnished reality of prostitution and for those who become ensnared by it. "They live in fear that the pimp is going to hurt their family." In an interview with GV Wire, Smittcamp says many are...
DA Lisa Smittcamp Targets Sex Trafficking
"Human trafficking is modern-day slavery." Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp says that is the unvarnished reality of prostitution and for those who become ensnared by it. "They live in fear that the pimp is going to hurt their family." In an interview with GV Wire, Smittcamp says many are...