Laws

Does anybody know where I can obtain a listing of federal laws that the government has no intention of enforcing? Or of prosecuting? You know, like in the Arizona situation, where the government sued Arizona because the Grand Canyon State tried to actually enforce federal immigration laws. The government, having no intention of actually enforcing its own laws, got all worked up when Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer decided to "Do the job America won't do." And now a federal judge has decided that it, for the most part, can't.

What does it mean for us to be a nation of laws and not of men? This mainstay of our republic takes into account that each one of us, whether beggar or scion, or president of a bank — or of the country — is human, and thus vulnerable to human frailties. Thus our Constitution places us all in the care of an institution of laws that are (ideally) created with patience and reflection. Then those laws will, in turn, protect and defend us in times of peace or strife, but all while helping us to still maintain our sacred liberties.

It is unfortunate that Steve Smith resorted to silly name-calling in his recent pro-illegal-immigrant column ("Juvenile, divisive and just plain wrong," On the Town, May 6). That is a sign that he has no facts to present. And many ideas he did present were inaccurate. Smith said "we didn't care" that we were importing cheap labor and that "they went to some of our schools" and "visited some of our hospital emergency rooms." Nothing could be further from the truth. Americans do care about our country.

Danette Goulet NEWPORT--MESA -- Local and District PTA presidents will meet today to draft a statewide resolution in support of tougher sexual predator laws. If the state PTA passes the resolution, the powerful lobbying group will join Costa Mesa resident Lynn Vogt in her fight to see stricter laws protecting children. Vogt's crusade began after police showed up on her doorstep last April. They told her that Cary Jay Smith, a registered sex offender, had allegedly kept a journal of his desire to rape, kidnap and kill her 7-year-old son. Police told Vogt that Smith's wife had found the journal entry in his car and turned it over to his psychologist, who in turn notified police.

Agood day-labor center works for the community, for the worker and for the contractor, and it works within the laws of the city, the state and the nation. The problem is I have yet to find a good day-labor center. For the past year, I have looked at the day-labor centers in Burbank, Glendale, Laguna Beach, Pomona and Rancho Cucamonga. I have also seen the informal sites in Fullerton, Garden Grove and Lake Forest. None of them work right. The day-labor centers that do not encourage the employer to screen the prospective worker for eligibility for employment in the U.S. are in violation of the laws and pervert the morals of the community.

Regarding Judge James P. Gray's column, "Immigration system is ineffective" (July 15), yes, the immigration system is ineffective (and unenforced). No, the system has not failed, only the enforcement of the law is failing. Yes, it is the federal government's power to control our borders. The honorable Judge Gray appears to forget who the federal government is. It is us ? the taxpayers, the voters ? and we are up in arms to have our corrupt leaders of the executive, legislative and judicial branches enforce the laws.

Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor?s call last week to find stricter ways to crack down on illegal immigrants in the city may be too limited in the eyes of the law, one of the nation?s top constitutional lawyers said Friday. Before enforcing any laws, they would have to be within Costa Mesa?s purview. ?Generally, cities and states can?t enforce federal immigration laws,? said Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. ?Only federal law can do that, and Arizona will test that.

June Casagrande They knew the law was complicated, but they didn't know how complicated. After a detailed and well-attended study session on laws governing residential drug-treatment facilities, the City Council decided Tuesday that the best prescription was another study session. "We need to get a better understanding of state laws and our local zoning ordinances, too," Mayor Tod Ridgeway said near the end of a study session, which focused primarily on federal law. The City Council heard the detailed legal analysis before a nearly full chamber of community members.

Orange County prosecutors are considering whether any laws were broken when a UCI police dispatcher allegedly photographed local high school water polo players and then posted the images on gay pornographic websites, authorities said. If the Orange County prosecutors find laws were broken they will launch a full investigation, spokeswoman Farrah Emami said. “Right now, we’re considering the circumstances and looking at the law,” Emami said. “It’s not an investigation yet,” and it may not become one, she added.

Deirdre Newman Two persistent City Hall critics -- one up close and one who has taken refuge in Las Vegas -- continue to push the city to change the way it enacts and publicizes ordinances. Neither is interested in the arcane workings of city and state government code for his own sake. Each has ulterior motives. Sid Soffer fled the Newport-Mesa area in 1995 after failing to show up for a sentencing date after being convicted of building code violations at several of his properties.

The Orange County Fair Board on Thursday approved the scope of work for a committee that will investigate the attempted sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds, expanding the committee's roster to include five members with no special interest in the property. The board agreed that the committee's work would be subject to state open-meetings laws and approved a list of 71 names of people to whom the committee should talk. The board put off until its next meeting a decision on whether to require committee members to file statements of economic interest.

Three Newport Beach City Council members are among the dozens of Orange County officials accused of violating a state ethics law that bars officials from voting themselves onto paid boards or committees. The state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) found that Councilman Rush Hill violated the rule and issued him a warning in December. The cases against Council Members Steve Rosansky and Leslie Daigle are still open. In the meantime, the city has joined a petition with seven others in Orange County seeking to change the law. At issue are the politicians' appointments to boards outside the city government, some of which include stipends.

Two Corona del Mar neighbors can end their flap now that the City Council decided to keep chickens out of most residential neighborhoods. The "Goldenrod 6" have to go. The hens attracted widespread publicity in recent months when the city asked their owner to remove them from quaint Goldenrod Avenue in December. In response, people lined up on either side of the fence - literally. At least one neighbor to the hens found them offensive, while others thought they were charming . At a study session Tuesday, the City Council agreed with city staff members who recommended that the current law be upheld.

LOS ANGELES — Jeffrey Hubbard misued money meant for schoolchildren when, as Beverly Hills schools chief, he illegally gave funds to two female subordinates, a prosecutor said during closing arguments Thursday. "We're talking about a person who voluntarily chose to take a very high-paying job that entrusted him with public money," Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman said of Hubbard, who is now superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Huntsman later added that "everybody else testified that every dime that was spent had to go to the board in advance except in [an]

I have heard several people say that California general law would govern whatever is not contained in the language of the proposed Costa Mesa city charter. That is a major misconception. Precisely the opposite is true. The reality is that any municipal affair not specifically mentioned in the charter is left to the discretion of the City Council. In order for general law to govern a matter such as, for example, election rules and qualifications for candidates for City Council, the charter must expressly state that general law governs the matter.

Newport Beach residents may have noticed more restrained New Year's celebrations, thanks to the relatively new Loud and Unruly Gathering ordinance. To date, $26,166.66 has been collected from citations issued under the ordinance, which affected 25 homes in 2011, according to the city. So far, 55 tickets have been issued to a tenant, responsible party or landlord. Of those, 23 have been paid in full, four were voided, one is on a payment plan, and 15 are awaiting payment or in collections.

A federal grand jury has indicted six foreign nationals, alleging they ran an elaborate money-laundering operation that scammed hundreds of customers out of more than $4 million in fake Internet car sales on reputable websites. Several state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Costa Mesa Police Department, provided substantial assistance during the investigation, according to a Department of Justice news release. The 24-count indictment accuses the four men and two women of offering vehicles for sale on eBay Motors, Auto Trader, Yahoo!

Irvine business law firm Shulman Hodges & Bastian will be honored with an award for Small Business Philanthropy by the Assn. of Fundraising Professionals on National Philanthropy Day. The national organization, which promotes fundraising efforts worldwide, will recognize the law firm along with seven other county recipients Nov. 15 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove. "Our employees take a lot of pride in the fact that we got the award," said Managing Partner Leonard Shulman.

A small number of inmates who will be tracked by probation instead of parole agencies will soon be released in Costa Mesa, authorities said, adding that some of the tracking will fall on local police. Under the newly enacted public safety realignment plan, the non-serious offenders are being released into probation rather than parole. Parolees who violate conditions of their parole are being sent to jails instead, which helps ease state prison overcrowding. Responsibility for the so-called "three nons" — nonviolent, nonserious and nonserious sex offenders — on Oct. 1 shifted to local agencies like the Orange County Probation Department.

It's time for Costa Mesa to become "a grown-up city," Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer said. Righeimer suggested at Tuesday's City Council meeting that Costa Mesa adopt its own charter, or set of laws, rather than rely on general state law for guidance "In the end, what the city needs to do is be able to have control of its own destiny," the first-year councilman said. "Local control, not have every time Sacramento decides to change a law, have it affect our city. " Righeimer's comments came after he asked City Attorney Tom Duarte at Tuesday's meeting to come back with a written report on how to get a charter city referendum on the June 5 primary election ballot.