Private Investigator News: California Department of Corrections launches inmate locator searchable database

"The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today launched the Inmate Locator web page, an online database designed to help family members find an inmate in California’s prison system.
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca | San Francisco, Ca | California - Private Investigator

Private Investigation News: California Accountancy Board accusations online

"After two years of debate, a year of Watchdog posts and unilateral action by the Schwarzenegger administration, the California Board of Accountancy finally voted this week to post online detailed accusations against California accountants.

Accusations are official, public documents outlining the alleged wrongdoing of accountants but the board, which is charged with protecting the public from bad accountants, resisted posting the information online — even though all of the other boards and commissions under the state Department of Consumer Affairs already post them. In August,Brian Stiger, director of the department, became so frustrated with the Board that he unilaterally started posting the documents on the department’s website."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca | San Francisco, Ca | California - Private Investigator

Private Investigation News: Is data in GIS parcel map a public record?

"After losing a ruling in Orange County Superior Court, the Sierra Club is turning to the California Court of Appeal in an attempt to win no- or low-cost access to the County of Orange's Landbase parcel map system, which the public must currently pay thousands of dollars to get to.

The lower court on Aug. 9 handed down a final decision that granted Orange County an exemption from the California Public Records Act (PRA) when it comes to public access to the what is also known as the Geographic Information System (GIS) parcel basemap database.  


The county claimed its Oracle-based "OC Landbase" database is a GIS database, and that GIS databases are part of "computer mapping systems" and therefore, they are exempt under PRA Section 6254.9 that excludes software from the public record."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca | San Francisco, Ca | California - Private Investigator

Private Investigator News: UC objects to California open records legislation

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will have to determine whether to sign off on a bill this week that would bring UC and CSU foundations under the authority of public record requests, though UC officials say the bill could end up costing the cash-strapped university millions of dollars in anonymous donations.

The bill, authored by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, was unanimously approved by the state Assembly last week and narrowly cleared the state Senate Thursday morning. If approved, the bill would expand the definition of a state agency to include state university auxiliaries, bringing them under the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

UC officials are opposing the bill, saying expanded access to records could mean a loss of anonymous donors at a time when the university is growing more reliant on donor funds. University foundations provided over $500 million to the UC in the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to a UC officials.

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Private Investigator News: 'Private' Data on Social Networks Is Protected from Discovery

"On May 26, a federal court issued an opinion in a discovery dispute that applies outmoded federal electronic privacy laws from the 1980s to Facebook and MySpace. The ruling could permanently change the way "social networking" sites are viewed by businesses and those involved in litigation. The decision also appears to offer the first in-depth analysis on the effect of "privacy settings" found on many social networking sites and whether information is protected from discovery by federal privacy laws."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California Governor calls for public salaries to be put online

More sunlight may shine across California for taxpayers and open government proponents -- perhaps a little too late for the residents of Bell.

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger challenged California's cities Thursday to post public officials' salaries on websites.

If they have nothing to hide.

"Put the information on the website so people don't even have to call," Schwarzenegger said in a budget speech to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Republican governor said Californians have been asking for compensation information after revelations that the Southern California city of Bell paid three of its top administrators a total of $1.6 million a year."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California probation using GPS to monitor offenders

"Calaveras County probation officers this summer are using upgraded electronic bracelets to track nonviolent criminals who wear them as an alternate way to serve jail sentences.

A recent test of the global positioning system technology showed it is extremely accurate. Probation officer Ben Leija put one of the bracelets on me at 11:05 a.m. July 14. Then I went home for lunch."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California lawmaker wants children's autopsies sealed

"A state Senate committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would seal the autopsy reports of murdered children.

The legislation by Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta, was prompted by slayings in Northern California and San Diego County.

"Once the images are released, they are on the Internet forever," Angela Chavez, an aunt of 8-year-old murder victim Sandra Cantu, said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Kern County considers Public Records Act request to release pension pay and names

"The Kern County Employees' Retirement Association, the agency that invests taxpayer money to fund county employee pensions, has kept the size of each member's retirement check a secret for years.

But the legal argument KCERA lawyers say demands secrecy is crumbling in courts across California, forcing them to choose between angering retirees and clinging to a law that may not stand up in court.

On Wednesday The Californian asked the retirement association to release the size of each county retiree's monthly pension check and other related data as part of its ongoing look at how skyrocketing benefit costs are hitting county coffers. A Sacramento County court had just ruled taxpayers have a right to that information."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Discipline for California Nurses Sanctioned in Other States is now checked by licensing agency

"After running its list of active and inactive nurses against a database maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, BRN found that roughly 3,500 of its nurses have been punished for misconduct or even had their licenses revoked in other states while maintaining clean licenses in California. As many as 2,000 of these nurses will now face discipline in California.

Until 2008, BRN checked the records of only initial applicants for a California license, not renewals, against disciplinary actions in other states. BRN will now run quarterly record checks on California nurses to capture the most current information."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California matches familial DNA to identify a serial killer

"The arrest in the case of the “Grim Sleeper” — a serial killer who terrorized South Los Angeles for two decades — has put one of the hottest controversies in American law enforcement to its first major test."

"This week, law enforcement struck a significant blow for the practice when the Los Angeles Police Department used it to arrest a man who they say murdered at least 10 residents here over 25 years. It is the first time an active familial search has been used to solve a homicide case in the United States."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Statewide Law Enforcement Access to “Real Time” CDCR Parolee Data Now Available

"Working with local law enforcement, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today launched version 2.0 of its online parolee database that provides police and sheriff’s deputies faster and more thorough access to offender information, including photos and criminal background."

"LEADS 2.0 is a streamlined application that is updated every 15 minutes, and has search functions that allow partner law enforcement agencies to find real time information on the status of a parolee they have made contact with, including Non Revocable Parole (NRP) status, PC 290 registration and potentially any available victim contact information."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California Counties Get Grants to Fight Workers' Comp Insurance Fraud

"The California Department of Insurance is awarding $30 million in grants to local district attorneys to be used to find and prosecute workers' compensation insurance fraud.

"Workers' compensation insurance fraud creates costs that are a burden on our economy at the time it can least sustain it," said Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. "We must care for injured workers so they get the timely medical care they need and return to work, but for those bilking the system will be caught and prosecuted."

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California government news site aggregates content from more than 200 sources

"Curious about what news the State of California is making right now? Want to see the latest YouTube videos or Twitter activity at-a-glance? California’s news hub, news.ca.gov, aggregates content from more than 200 sources from across state departments and agencies into one place. Launched today by State Chief Information Officer Teri Takai, the news site is part of the newly redesigned CA.gov portal that receives 7.3 million unique visitors each month.

“Governor Schwarzenegger is committed to increasing transparency and citizen engagement, to keep Californians informed of all that is happening with their state government,” said Teri Takai, state chief information officer. “The State is publishing a vast amount of news and information every day. With social networking sites and automated information feeds, state agencies are making it easier for news to reach the public. We have taken the additional step of creating this continuously updated news hub, a one stop destination for Californians to see what is happening in state government — all at a glance.”

With more official sources being added daily, the news hub scoops up real-time feeds from across State government, including 83 Twitter accounts, 40 YouTube channels, and nearly 100 RSS feeds. The homepage features quick and easy access to all of the latest news, including aggregated, up-to-date RSS, Twitter, and YouTube feeds. Clicking on the topical areas such as business, education, government, health and safety, family, and visit provides users a view into news items organized by category."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Two years after new California law, handheld cell phone use on the road remains widespread

"Two years after California made it illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, the law remains one of the most ignored in the state, as suggested by the estimated half-million tickets that have been issued so far.

The California Highway Patrol released a report Wednesday that said talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel has become the leading factor contributing to crashes blamed on inattentive drivers."
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California court index wildcard searches

The Open Access system used in some California court case lookups supports wildcards and word stemming in queries.

For a business name variation:
amer% medical

For any words that precede or follow the word "medical":
%medical

For letters that follow "a" with words between the "a" word and "center":
a% %center

For any letters that precede the suffix "son" in a personal name:
%son

Some courts using the Open Access system:

Superior Court of Riverside County
Superior Court of San Bernardino County
Superior Court of Contra Costa County
Superior Court of San Mateo County
Superior Court of Santa Cruz County 
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California medical marijuana resources

California State Associations of Counties Medical Marijuana - White Papers, legal issues, city and county ordinances 

California Department of Public Health, Medical Marijuana Program, County Programs and Business Hours

Verification of California Medical Marijuana Identification Card
Medical marijuana doctors and dispensaries (A limited directory.)
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California: Appellate Decision Strikes Down Red Light Camera Evidence

"California: Appellate Decision Strikes Down Red Light Camera Evidence Three-judge appellate panel finds a total lack of evidence from Santa Ana, California red light camera program.

Appellate courts in California are becoming increasingly upset at the conduct of cities and photo enforcement vendors. On May 21, a three-judge panel of the California Superior Court, Appellate Division, in Orange County tossed out a red light camera citation in the city of Santa Ana in a way that calls into question the legitimacy of the way red light camera trials are conducted statewide. Previously, a string of brief, unpublished decisions struck at illegal contracts, insufficient notice and other deficiencies. This time, however, the appellate division produced a ten-page ruling and certified it for publication, setting a precedent that applies to the county's three million residents.

"This appeal involves an issue far too often presented to this court, namely the admissibility of evidence and the statutory compliance with the procedures employed by several municipalities in this county in what have come to be known as 'photo enforcement' citations," the unanimous ruling stated."

Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California Bill Prevents Social Networking Sites from Displaying Home Address & Telephone # – How can this be…bad?

"There’s a bill moving in California (SB 1361) that restricts how social networking sites display the personal information of 13 to 17 yr olds. It’s billed as a privacy bill and at first glance seems relatively harmless — after all, kids don’t need to be broadcasting their contact information, right? Maybe. It all depends.

It depends on the situation, obviously. We teach our kids to recognize risky situations and to react appropriately.

But whether or not teens are at risk by publishing their telephone numbers is not the threshold question here. The law presumes such and I’m not aware of any specific findings offered in testimony about the bill.

Instead, the issue at hand is whether we need a law to restrict social networking websites from publishing certain information from teenagers. And with any law, there’s always the corresponding principle of unintended consequences."  
Read more
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California legislation would destroy FasTrack toll data

"State senators are moving to bar California transportation agencies from selling details about travelers' commuting habits and other personal information.

Sen. Joe Simitian says under current law, the state transportation department, Bay Area Toll Authority and others can keep and sell information they collect through automatic vehicle identification systems such as FasTrack."

Read more 
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator