San Francisco Superior Court

SF Parking Measure Stays on the Ballot

Anti-Weekly Lawsuit Set for Trial

Marjorie Knoller case inches forward

Back In Court

Legal Armageddon! Christians v. Pagans, the Final Battle -- At S.F. Superior Court

Locked in theological stuggle for millemnia, the belief systems of Paganism and Christianity have taken their rivalry to a higher authority -- the courts, according to names appearing on the docket at San Francisco Superior Court. Anna Marie Cross, along with a group of co-plaintiffs, has ... More >>

Vote on Ammiano's Marijuana Bill Postponed Amid Difficult Time For S.F. Pot Fans

In what is perhaps the best news of late for aficionados of marijuana legalization, a scheduled March 31 committee hearing of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's legalization bill was postponed likely until 2010 (drag) -- which gives marijuana advocates some time to reverse what would have almost definitely b ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

In what is perhaps the best news of late for aficionados of marijuana legalization, a scheduled March 31 committee hearing of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's legalization bill was postponed likely until 2010 (drag) -- which gives marijuana advocates some time to reverse what would have almost definitely b ... More >>

Marjorie Knoller mauled by courts

In what is perhaps the best news of late for aficionados of marijuana legalization, a scheduled March 31 committee hearing of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's legalization bill was postponed likely until 2010 (drag) -- which gives marijuana advocates some time to reverse what would have almost definitely b ... More >>

The Gay Divorcees

Gay marriage is new. Gay divorce isn't.

Trying Time

Guardian's lawsuit against SF Weekly nearing trial after more than three years.

Baring Equality

The cases of a young defendant and a repeat offender attorney show power and privilege tip the scales

Political Insurance

To help thousands of the disabled, a San Francisco attorney takes on an insurance company -- and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

"I Do" Redux

Do you subconsciously oppose gay marriage? Take our quiz and set your id free!

Drug Warfare

A Marin pharmacist sticks up for the little guys, and gets run over

Lawyers, Bucks, and Books

Settlement talks on City College bookstore lawsuit collapse

Three Courthouse Guards Allege Sex, Drugs, and Weapon-related Violations Inside San Francisco's Northern District Court

Three guards employed by Akal Security, a prominent New Mexico-based corporation that contracts with federal courthouses around the country, are making some pretty shocking claims about their employer and workplace -- the Northern District Court in San Francisco. Their complaint, filed rec ... More >>

California's First Openly Gay Superior Court Judge Hopes To Avoid Being 'Cubbyholed'

San Francisco Superior CourtJudge Ronald AlbersWhen new superior court judges are appointed by the governor, it's usually a three-paragraph story in the back of the paper. In Judge Ronald Albers' case, that was how it went -- and yet it didn't. It wasn't just another appointment for Gov. Arnold Schw ... More >>

North Beach turns to East Bay 'ambassadors' to calm club violence

San Francisco Superior CourtJudge Ronald AlbersWhen new superior court judges are appointed by the governor, it's usually a three-paragraph story in the back of the paper. In Judge Ronald Albers' case, that was how it went -- and yet it didn't. It wasn't just another appointment for Gov. Arnold Schw ... More >>

Judge Orders Pink Diamonds Strip Club Closed for One Year

The wild nights are over​San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter Busch ordered today that the Pink Diamonds be closed for one year, a victory for City Attorney Dennis Herrera in his efforts to crack down on the notoriously violent strip club."I am gratified that Judge Busch clearly recognized the ... More >>

'Signs' Point to Better Times Ahead for Cyclists

The tide is turning...​ For San Francisco's ever-growing cadre of bicyclists, this week opened with both good news and bad.On Monday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter Busch postponed until Nov. 12 his decision on whether to allow the city to install bicycle improvements. San Francisco has ... More >>

DJ, Party Guest Given Back Laptops Confiscated By Cops

SF Weekly's Jennifer Maerz earlier this month broke the story about an apparently far-reaching San Francisco Police strategy to keep that damn noise down. Cops, it seems, were systematically seizing the laptops of DJs playing at underground parties -- or, in some cases, even some who claim they were ... More >>

SFPD Returns Laptops to DJ, Party Guest (from The Snitch)

Tom Dougherty​Fellow SF Weekly reporter Joe Eskenazi followed up on the story I broke Nov. 16 about problems DJs and partygoers were having with the SFPD seizing laptops and DJ equipment. This morning, Electronic Frontier Foundation's Jennifer Granick represented a DJ and a partygoer from a SOMA H ... More >>

Supes to Prod State for $2 Million in Defense Costs for 'San Francisco Eight' Murder Case

This just in: Public Defender Jeff Adachi has persuaded a few members of the Board of Supervisors to help his office recoup millions of dollars in defense costs racked up in the failed prosecution of eight alleged former militants charged with murdering a San Francisco police officer in 1971.Sergean ... More >>

Top Ten Most Read Snitch Posts of 2009

It's almost the end of the year, and we're extremely grateful to the readers who visited our site in 2009. Here are the Snitch posts that garnered the highest readership, and reflect what is truly important to you: sex, crime, and weed. And serial killers.10. Lawsuit Alleges ER Doctor Let Man D ... More >>

Patrol Special Officer Sues City, Claiming Mistreatment Because She Is Lesbian

One of the public faces of San Francisco's quasi-public community policing agency, the Patrol Special Police, is suing the city under state anti-discrimination laws, asserting she was subject to unfair treatment because she is a woman and a lesbian.The gloves come off​In a complaint filed this mon ... More >>

DA Announces Charges Against Two Suspects in Weekend Murders

The suspects in two high-profile killings last weekend will be arraigned on charges of murder tomorrow morning in San Francisco Superior Court, according to the office of District Attorney Kamala Harris.​Keandre Davis, 20, will face three charges related to a shooting outside the Suede nightclub o ... More >>

DA Announces Sweeping Broke Niggas Thievin' Gang Indictment

​District Attorney Kamala Harris announced today that 10 members and associates of the notorious Bayview street gang known as Broke Niggas Thievin' have been indicted by a San Francisco criminal grand jury for dozens of felonies, including three murder charges.The indictment came after three month ... More >>

S.F. State student who invoked Shield Law reveals murder scene photo in national contest

​District Attorney Kamala Harris announced today that 10 members and associates of the notorious Bayview street gang known as Broke Niggas Thievin' have been indicted by a San Francisco criminal grand jury for dozens of felonies, including three murder charges.The indictment came after three month ... More >>

'SF Weekly Is Not Going Out of Business'

​That's word from our bosses. Sorry, Brugmann -- it's still too early to declare "mission accomplished" on your plan to use an obscure state antitrust law to snuff out the competition. (Oh, the irony!)Earlier this week, a San Francisco Superior Court commissioner ordered SF Weekly to give half of ... More >>

Men Who Lost $1M in Scheme to Earn $10M Per Week File Suit

​If you are industrious or fortunate enough to be able to scare up $1 million on short notice, what would you do? A. Invest in government bonds; B. Invest in real estate; C. Hand it over to some skeezy guys who float a wild scheme about "leasing" $10 million, and parlaying that into earnings of $1 ... More >>

A Lack of Conviction

As D.A. Kamala Harris campaigns to be attorney general, her success rate in felony trials has dropped below that of any big-city prosecutor in California.

Caltrans Sued Over Highway Project Through Redwood Forest

​Environmental activists are suing Caltrans over plans to expand and reroute a highway that passes through Richardson Grove State Park, the Humboldt County preserve that boasts some of California's oldest and tallest coast redwoods.The suit was filed yesterday in San Francisco Superior Court by th ... More >>

Printing Company Charged in Pregnant Worker's Death Paid Large Civil Settlement

​The San Francisco printing company charged with involuntary manslaughter and violating labor laws for the 2008 death of an employee has already paid at least $1.5 million in a civil lawsuit resulting from the incident, court records show.Digital Pre-Press International, located at Mariposa and Te ... More >>

Cops' Decoy Sting Operations Criticized as Immoral Wastes of Time By Jurors

​Among all the decoy operations performed by the cops, one is purportedly rubbing an increasing number of jurors the wrong way: those from the San Francisco Robbery Abatement Team (RAT). These are cases in which a cop poses as a homeless person or hapless tourist with a large bill literally flappi ... More >>

City Attorney Sues Martin Guajardo, Alleged Immigration Attorney Fraud

Martin Guajardo is accused of being a legendary bloodsucker​ City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed suit today against a San Francisco-based immigration attorney, accusing him of defrauding multiple clients and bilking them of their life savings to fight doomed immigration cases that often led to ... More >>

Sale of State-Owned Buildings Halted

Maybe later...​The pending sale of 11 state-owned buildings -- a short-term cash infusion that would cost taxpayers billions down the road -- has been halted, albeit temporarily. The 6th Appellate District Court in San Jose today issued an order staying the sale, which was to commence Dec. 15. Amo ... More >>

Schwarzenegger Dealt Setback In Bid to Rush $1.3 Billion Building Sale

Drag​Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's frantic bid to rush the $1.3 billion fire sale of 11 state buildings before he leaves office suffered a blow this afternoon. A state appeals court in San Jose announced it wouldn't hear arguments until Jan. 26 regarding whether the sale should be allowed. Schwarze ... More >>

Internet Businesses Sued for 'defrauding' Online Shoppers

Just one click ​Daniel Cox was just trying to buy flowers from ProFlowers.com when an ad popped up , offering him free shipping. Great, who wouldn't want free shipping?So he clicked on the ad, beginning what has now turned into a major class action lawsuit against two online companies. Thousands o ... More >>

S.F. Sued for 'Killing' Endangered Species at Sharp Park Golf Course

He has a family to look after, too​It came as no surprise to city leaders when conservation groups slapped them with a lawsuit today, accusing the Recreation and Park Department of perpetually killing endangered species at Sharp Park Golf Course. The suit -- which was filed today in San Francisco ... More >>

GameStop Sued for Swiping Buyers' Private Information

Personal information is....personal​The thing about giving away your personal information -- it's no longer personal. One Alameda County woman trusted a local GameStop employee who had asked her for her private numbers -- address and credit cards -- as she bought games from the retailer.  She ... More >>

Burlesque Performing Professor Gets Fired

You learn something new everyday ​A female college professor was fired from her teaching job after university officials found out she had a fetish for performing burlesque shows. Sheila M. Addison, an Alameda County resident, received a termination letter from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasan ... More >>

'Bait Car' Conversations With Cops Likely To Be Revealed, Could Help Alleged Car Thieves

As they say, the devil is in the details.​The nitty-gritty details of the behind-the-scenes discussions between San Francisco police and truTV's "Bait Car" reality TV show will likely be revealed in court -- soon. On Thursday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Cheng said he was granting a ... More >>

Garfield Smith Accused of Bomb Threat Near Federal Building

Bomb threats also create traffic jams ​Update: Police have arrested 45-year-old Garfield Smith, a transient. He was booked for false reports of a bomb, placing a fictitious bomb, and terrorist threats. Original Story 3:15 p.m.: San Francisco's bomb squad detonated a suspicious backpack that was le ... More >>

Recycling Company Pays SFPD to Catch Trash Thieves

Bomb threats also create traffic jams ​Update: Police have arrested 45-year-old Garfield Smith, a transient. He was booked for false reports of a bomb, placing a fictitious bomb, and terrorist threats. Original Story 3:15 p.m.: San Francisco's bomb squad detonated a suspicious backpack that was le ... More >>

DA's Office Can Prosecute Wheelchair-Bound Man Shot by Police, Judge Rules

​A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled today that District Attorney George Gascón does not have to recuse himself from prosecuting Randal Dunklin, the man shot by police in January while he was sitting in a wheelchair.Dunklin, whose case attracted heavy media attention after the shooting was ... More >>

Criminal Cases Would Be Less Affected by S.F. Court Layoffs

​California's oft-discussed governmental dysfunction is starting to take its toll. Public access to our state's natural resources is already on the chopping block; on Friday, more ominous news arrived about public access to justice. In light of the budget approved last week by the state Legislatur ... More >>

Hate Crime Allegations Dismissed in Attack on S.F. Transgender Woman

This isn't exactly how the LGBT community imagined kicking off gay pride ​SF Weekly readers might recall the incident two months ago when two men were arrested after beating a transgender woman on the 16th Street BART plaza. Well, despite the public outcry over the incident -- which sparked a rall ... More >>

Circumcision Ban Tentatively Snipped from S.F. Ballot

Snipped from the ballot?​The growing effort to remove San Francisco's circumcision ban from the November ballot San Francisco Superior Court Judge Loretta M. Giorgi issued a tentative ruling this afternoon, saying that because the measure attempts to regulate a medical procedure, the purpose of th ... More >>

Civil Courts Are San Francisco's Newest Endangered Species

Like the California grizzly, another symbol of our state is about to die off: the civil courts.​The warnings of cuts are over. They're here -- for real -- and San Francisco's civil court system will soon be a cozy concept from a bygone era in which the state had the cash to fund such luxuries as ... More >>

Letter to S.F. Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein Says Clerks 'Betrayed' by Management

Just cuts?​An interesting subplot is emerging in the story of the severe budget cuts forcing the layoffs of San Francisco Superior Court employees and closure of civil courtrooms. An open letter to Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein has surfaced that accuses court administrators of "gutting" the ... More >>