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Contra Costa supervisors fund hiring more attorneys to tackle Antioch police scandal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

Contra Costa County supervisors have approved a $5.515 billion budget for fiscal year 2023-24, including more money for the district attorney’s and public defender’s offices to handle cases related to the Antioch police scandal.“That’s a big deal — $2.2 million (a) year to review cases that may have been affected by racial bias,” board chair John Gioia said on Wednesday. “We recommended adding these 10 new attorney positions at the budget hearing in April, based on needs expressed by (public defender’s and DA’s offices). They are on top of the other budgeted positions.”Each office will get money for five new attorneys. County officials have said there is a good chance dozens — if not hundreds or more — of previous convictions could be overturned in light of the alleged police misconduct. Those new hires — who represent the beginning of the scandal’s impact on Contra Costa County taxpayers — will work to sort out...

598 cats and kittens need homes in San Jose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

(KRON) -- The San Jose Animal Care and Services Center is experiencing record-high numbers of cats and dogs entering the shelter and staying for long periods of time. The shelter urgently needs community members to adopt or foster animals.The shelter currently has 915 animals on site: 255 dogs and puppies, 598 cats and kittens, and 62 other pets, such as rabbits."With our shelter at capacity, taking in an animal can save the life of another. Now is a great time to consider fostering or adopting a shelter animal," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.In March, the shelter took in an average of 188 animals a week. That number jumped up to 348 animals per week in April, and "those are just stray pets," shelter workers wrote.Last month, members of the public brought 743 kittens to San Jose Animal Care and Services Center. That number is expected to rise in June, which is considered peak kitten season.This fuzzy kitten is one of hundreds in need of a home at San Jose's animal shelter. (Image c...

85-year-old man reported missing in San Ramon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

(KRON) -- The San Ramon Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating an 85-year-old man who was reported missing. John Suwon wandered away from his home at around 12:45 p.m. Thursday, according to SRPD. Jasper Wu murder case: Only 2 defendants will go on trial Suwon lives in the area of Joan of Arc Church and may be wearing a colorful shirt and grey pants, police said. He is 5'2" in height.Police say he may be disoriented and that it's unlikely he will be able to find his way home. Anyone who locates Suwon is asked to contact the San Ramon Police Department.

Menlo Park doctor gets prison time for having 2,000 pieces of child porn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

(KRON) -- A Menlo Park doctor was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Wednesday for having child pornography, the United States Department of Justice announced. Joseph Andrew Mollick, 60, had at least 2,000 images and videos depicting child sex acts, the DOJ said. Jasper Wu murder case: Only 2 defendants will go on trial Mollick admitted in his plea agreement that in August 2019 he used the social media app Kik to upload a video of a prepubescent girl engaged in a sex act with an adult man."Mollick admitted he knew the image was of a prepubescent minor and that its production involved the use of a prepubescent minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct," the DOJ said. "Mollick also possessed on his personal laptop at least 2000 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct."Mollick was indicted on Nov. 16, 2021. He pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography on Jan. 9, 2023. KRON ON is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; pa...

Blue Jays’ players call team meeting after another loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, (AP) — Their latest loss prompted Toronto players to call a postgame meeting in response to a 2-9 stretch Blue Jays manager John Schneider described as being “punched right in the face.”“We have to get better,” Schneider said after Thursday’s 6-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays. “When it comes down to us as a staff, the expectations are put right in front of you. There is an urgency that needs to be had in order to meet those expectations. Wins and losses out the window. the last 10 days haven’t been great, and I think that the urgency in which those expectations are trying to be achieved is not right there.”“Yes, that’s on me and the players … Ultimately on me.” Schneider added. “When the players are recognizing that, and when the players are calling attention to that, it’s going to hold a lot more weight than anyone of the staff members trying to get mad or get in their face,”Zach Eflin became major leagues’ third seven-game winner in the victory over strug...

Yankees prospect Randy Vásquez to debut Friday vs Padres

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Randy Vásquez will be called up to the New York Yankees to make his major league debut in Friday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the 24-year-old right-hander will be used either as an opener or in relief. New York is short on starting pitching while Domingo Germán serves a 10-game suspension through Saturday for violating baseball’s prohibition of foreign substances on the mound.“He did some good things in spring training — good arm, good stuff, he’s been pitching pretty well,” Boone said of Vásquez. “He’s the next guy up right now with an opportunity.”Vásquez was 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in three spring training appearances for the Yankees, striking out seven and walking four in seven innings. He is 1-5 with a 4.85 ERA at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but has a 2.14 ERA in his last four starts, striking out 22 and walking seven in 21 innings.Luis Severino will start Saturday against the Padres on five days...

Judge grants Churchill Downs’ request for summary judgment to dismiss Bob Baffert’s lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has granted Churchill Downs’ motion for summary judgment that dismisses Bob Baffert’s claim the track breached due process by suspending the Hall of Fame trainer for two years.Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert in June 2021 after his now-deceased colt, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test after crossing the finish line first in the 147th Kentucky Derby. The trainer’s request to lift the discipline was denied in February, keeping him out of the Derby for a second consecutive May.U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings ruled in a 12-page opinion issued Wednesday that Churchill Downs’ suspension of Baffert did not devalue his Kentucky trainer’s license. It cited his purse winnings exceeding $1 million at Keeneland in Lexington and stated that his argument “amounts to a false analogy that distorts caselaw.”Jennings denied CDI’s motion to stay discovery as moot.The decision comes less than a week after Baffert-trained colt Nationa...

Manfred: Vote on Athletics’ Las Vegas move could take place at June meetings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet from June 13-15 in New York.“It’s possible that a relocation vote could happen as early as June,” Manfred said Thursday at Milwaukee during his tour of major league stadiums to speak with players. “It’s very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there’s actually a deal to be considered. There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven’t even started that process.”Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said Wednesday that legislative leaders and the Athletics had reached a tentative agreement on a $1.5 billion stadium funding plan that would lure the franchise to Las Vegas. A funding bill still must be approved by the Legislature.Manfred was asked whether he believes the door is completely closed on the possibility of the Athletics remaining in Oakland, where the team has played since 1968.“I think you’d have...

PSAC suspends food support fund for graduate students

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

PSAC 901, the union representing grad student workers at Queen’s, has suspended it’s emergency food support fund after exhausting funds beyond what was budgeted for.The union says this clearly demonstrates the great level of need among members and for intervention from the university. PSAC says 457 applications were received with $31,325 being paid out to members over the course of 15 weeks.Justyna Scezwyck-El Jassem, the new President of PSAC 901, says upon offering the fund the union quickly realized they would need to find more ways to support their members.“We were hoping that it would just help a couple of people but as time started passing every week we were just getting more and more applications,” Scezwyck-El Jassem said.“Quickly we realized that we sometimes needed $3000 a week to cover the needs of our members. The need was overwhelming.”She added that as a labour union it isn’t really their job to do this for grad students, but th...

8 Aurora officers sued in violent arrest caught on body camera video

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:07 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A man is suing eight Aurora police officers who he claims violated his civil rights in a traffic stop that turned violent.The new 22-page lawsuit includes screenshots of body camera video from May 2021. They show Preston Nunn III during a traffic stop, which escalated into a violent arrest that hurt him.Aurora officers stopped Nunn after they say he drove into the officers' lane when they were conducting a separate traffic stop. Woman detained in police car hit by train wants charge dropped According to the lawsuit, instead of allowing Nunn to show his license and registration, Aurora officers pointed a gun at his head, tackled him, slammed his head into the ground, applied a chokehold, handcuffed him, used a Taser on him twice, tried to hogtie him and ultimately arrested him.The lawsuit alleges officers used excessive force, in violation of Nunn's constitutional rights."The only plausible explanation for this senseless escalation is that Mr. Nunn, a Black m...