MENU
SEARCHThe bill would make looting a felony instead of a misdemeanor and increase possible prison sentences to four years instead of one, and comes as law enforcement agencies report elaborate attempts to take advantage of victims.
California state lawmakers and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman Monday announced proposed legislation aimed at stopping looters and others who would take advantage of property owners in fire zones.
The bill, AB 469, has bipartisan support in Sacramento and would make it a felony that could send unscrupulous scammers to longer prison terms, City News Service reports.
"We sent a message from the very beginning to the would-be looters, the arsonists, the people who would be impersonating firefighters, the price- gougers and the financial scammers," said Hochman, who was joined by Sheriff Robert Luna at a morning news conference at the Hall of Justice. "The question was not if, but when they would be arrested, then prosecuted, then punished to the maximum extent of the law, but when we turned to the law of looting, it turns out when we pulled open the penal code, we saw the law of looting was actually underwhelming."
The bill would make looting a felony instead of a misdemeanor and increase possible prison sentences to four years instead of one, and comes as law enforcement agencies report elaborate attempts to take advantage of victims in the Palisade and Eaton fire disaster zones.
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
Can an individual be prosecuted for despicable criminal conduct based on evidence obtained in violation of the United States Constitution? Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit judges wrote, “In the circumstances of this case (United States v. Holcomb, 23-469 (9th Cir. 2025)), respect for the Constitution and the rule of law requires an answer of “no.”
Read More →
<strong>“</strong>Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced,” the administration said.
Read More →The DOJ said in a press release that the “sanctuary city” policies of the City of Los Angeles are illegal under federal law.
Read More →
Officers can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects.
Read More →
In the Tenth Circuit case of Cuervo v. Sorenson, the Court ruled officers cannot deviate from the language of the warrant.
Read More →The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.
Read More →House Bill 4404 would create a presumption of civil immunity for individuals who are cleared criminally after using force in self-defense, shifting the burden of proof onto plaintiffs.
Read More →Seattle police Capt. Eric Greening sued former Chief Adrian Diaz last year alleging that Diaz retaliated when Greening brought up concerns about racial and gender discrimination.
Read More →Jim Leighty, a local activist, filed two federal lawsuits last year claiming both agencies deleted or hid critical comments he had written below multiple posts, while keeping comments that were pro-police in nature.
Read More →