The most important stories for you to know today
LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visitTenant advocates say problems in eviction court, some of which are highlighted in a new LAist investigation, show why it’s important for renters to have an attorney.
“A tenant doesn't need to call eight different nonprofit law firms to try to find one that has capacity for their case,” Jager said. “They can just call StayHousedLA.” “Everyone who signs up should be getting some sort of communication back from the legal services provider they are paired with, even if it is to say, ‘We do not have capacity to take this case on,’” said, another Public Counsel attorney. “They might be able to provide a vetted list of referrals to private attorneys who may be able to assist.”on the first floor of Downtown L.A.’s Stanley Mosk courthouse. Tannenbaum recommends showing up early to maximize your chances of getting legal help.
“To the credit of the Newsom administration, they were very prudent about, as much as possible, treating those dollars as one-time resources,” said Donna Sneeringer, chief strategy officer at the Child Care Resource Center, an organization that helps families with childcare resources in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties.
And while the last of the stipends will go out by the end of the year, California has extended the pandemic-era policies like waiving family fees for many families. Before the pandemic, low-income families who received subsidies for childcare paid up to $600 a month in fees. Now, the“This really was a huge step,” Sneeringer said.
“It was very, very hurtful. I went down to only one student during that time and keeping up with rent … it was really hard to get all the bills paid,” Corona said. But she said that money will just go to help offset other rising costs. “Everything else is going up – food, the rent, the insurances we have to pay,” she said. “Thinking about all of the expenses that we have, you know, the money is not enough.”Haiku Duel: Venice Beach, The Rose Room
When landlords in Southern California want to evict their tenants, they often hire Dennis Block. His law firm, Dennis P. Block and Associates,But in one recent eviction case, Block didn’t just lose. His firm was also sanctioned for submitting a court filing a judge said was “rife with inaccurate and false statements.”
The court never got to the bottom of exactly how the filing was prepared. But six legal experts told LAist they could think of a likely explanation: misuse of a generative AI program. The outcomes for renters can be dire, in some cases leading to homelessness. It all unfolds in a court system that can move very quickly, with most tenants lacking access to an attorney.At the same time, Block's firm has faced criticism from many tenant advocates, as well as some landlords. An LAist investigation of court records found Block or his firm have faced 12 lawsuits filed by clients alleging their cases were mishandled.
Any time you cite a case and a holding to the court, it has to be accurate. That's your obligation. I don't care how busy you are.Based on a user’s prompt, they mine vast troves of data to predict words that should come next in a sentence. They can produce stunningly detailed documents full of words seemingly written by a human. But often those words bear no relation to the truth.
And some legal experts told us the fact that defendants often represent themselves in venues like eviction court just heightens concerns about accountability.“Someone is going to be thrown out on the street because a lawyer couldn't bother doing research on their own,” Waldman said. “If that's where our legal system is heading, we're all in trouble.”Block did not agree to an interview with LAist.
“I felt a little bit like I was completely misreading or misunderstanding what was happening,” Nicholson said in an interview. “It was one of the weirdest opposition briefs I have ever received.” In a separate court filing, Block identified the attorney responsible for preparing the filing as a first-year lawyer admitted to the bar in November 2022. LAist reached out to her for this story, but she did not agree to an interview.
The exterior of the Los Angeles Superior Court's Stanley Mosk courthouse, where many L.A. eviction cases are handled, is seen in 2004.By keeping the sanction just under $1,000, Fusselman allowed Block’s firm to avoid a requirement to report the violation to the state bar for further investigation and possible disciplinary action.
Evictions plummeted early in the pandemic after state and local governments put new COVID-19 renter protections in place. But Nelson said L.A. County eviction filings are“You have a system that's supposed to be equitable, but it's not,” said Javier Beltran, deputy director of the L.A.-based, all while attorneys and onlookers shuffle in and out of the courtroom and chat in the wings. Tenants without attorneys regularly struggle to understand what’s going on.
“I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with my mother and my sister,” Block said. “I now employ 26 attorneys. And I have a support staff — a total staff of 45 people — that are making their contributions to the government, paying their taxes. But somehow if you're big, if you're successful, then all of a sudden you're not revered by society. You're hated by society.”
“Renters who don't comply with their lease agreements end up getting away with months of free rent, and oftentimes put owners in a position to pay out relocation fees,” Yukelson said. “In some cases, it's like extortion.” In 2011, one former landlord client alleged that after Block’s firm served his tenant a three-day notice to pay or quit, Block’s firm turned around and defended that same tenant against the eviction. According to court records, Block’s firm said they dropped the tenant after discovering the connection. The lawsuit was settled out of court.were one-star ratings as of early October 2023. About 28% were five-star reviews. We should note that not all Yelp reviews are genuine.
Tracey Adlai said she came to Block’s firm in an emotionally raw moment. Her father had just died, and her family was seeking help with evicting a tenant who refused to leave his Hollywood Hills condo.ongoing lawsuit “If this could have been wrapped up before going to a trial, it would have saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Adlai said. The lawsuit claims more than $200,000 in damages, including legal fees, lost rent and other costs associated with maintaining the property while it was occupied by a non-paying tenant.
Adlai’s brother decided to drop Block’s firm and hire a different lawyer. The eviction case went to trial in September 2022. A jury decided the tenant had to leave her father’s condo. But after nearly two years of fighting, Adlai could no longer afford to move in.Other former clients told LAist that Block’s firm passed their cases from attorney to attorney, with lawyers at times coming to important court dates appearing unknowledgeable and unprepared.
“Things seemed to go south pretty quickly when the attorney could not answer the judge’s questions about simple, basic stuff,” said Frazier, who was with the couple that day in the Stanley Mosk courthouse in Downtown L.A. The judge pushed the trial back almost three months, saying, “It appears the case is not ready for trial because of the plaintiff’s failure to comply with the court rules… It is with a heavy heart that I continue these trials, given that the plaintiff has waited a very long time for their day in court.”
LAist has a new early childhood reporter. Elly Yu will now be covering issues facing the youngest Californians and their families. And if you’re a parent or work with young children, she wants to hear from you.. I still plan to use my investigative skills on this beat, and welcome your tips, so I always have that lens on when I’m reporting.
“If a car gets stuck, or a car thinks it's going to beat the signal, they're on the train tracks, and the fatalities have been horrific,” she said. LAist published photos shown in some of those videos last week, which also appear in a gallery at the top of this story.The new motion comes after Baker’s failed attempt to keep photos from public view that were taken by an AQMD inspector who visited the facilities throughout 2022.
David Loy, legal director of the California First Amendment Coalition, agreed that there can be exceptional trade secret claims. But he said that they should not be “abused to deprive the public of information that it would otherwise be entitled to.” The motors were donated by Northrop Grumman. They've been housed at the Mojave Air & Space Port about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The airfield also posted the travel itinerary and navigation route the caravan took to arrive at the California Science Center in Exposition Park.The Mojave Air & Space Port wrote on Facebook,"the SRMs are big enough to take up a full lane.
“Narcan is easy to use, anyone can carry it, and it saves lives,” Hahn said in a statement last fall. “Fentanyl poisonings are on the rise, and we should make sure Narcan is at our County Libraries where so many young people spend time after school. Parents are scared and want to know how they can get Narcan to keep in case of an emergency so I want to explore making our libraries Narcan kit distribution sites.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
World Mental Health Day: Here’s a list of phone numbers for individuals facing hardshipsNews4JAX has compiled a list for anyone who may be struggling with their mental health or who may be facing hardships they no longer know how to control.
Read more »
Pair arrested at New Jersey home with dozens of dead dogs facing new chargesAuthorities in New Jersey say more charges are expected to be brought against two people who are believed to have run an illegal animal rescue at a home where dozens of pets were found dead or malnourished.
Read more »
Congressman George Santos facing new criminal charges including identity theft, fraudThe charges follow the indictment last week of Santos' former campaign finance chief Nancy Marks.
Read more »
Man acquitted in Jersey stabbing now facing more charges in Florida stalking caseGet New Jersey latest news. Find photos and videos, comment on the news, and join the forum discussions at NJ.com.
Read more »
N.J. couple found with malnourished, dead dogs facing more charges, police sayGet the latest news from Burlington County from The Star-Ledger, find Burlington County real estate listings and talk about local news on NJ.com.
Read more »
Russian Troops Facing 'Mental Health Crisis'—UKHuge numbers of Russian military personnel have post-traumatic stress disorder, said Britain's defense ministry.
Read more »