Legal Briefs | San Diego Attorneys

Four defendants charged with kidnapping for extortion charges will be tried for less serious crimes relating to the alleged abduction of a 14-year-old girl in San Diego who was driven to an Oceanside motel where she posed for nude photographs that were posted on the Internet.

The Vista Superior Court Judge said the evidence did not support the extortion charges because the girl willingly went with the defendants and left when the defendants were asleep. Addtionally, he said, a major element of the kidnapping for extortion charge - that it be done to gain reward or ransom - did not appear to apply to the case. 

The defendants were bound over for trial at the conclusion of a three-day preliminary hearing on other felony charges, including human trafficking of a victim under the age of 16, pandering of a victim under 16, employment of a minor to perform prohibited acts and robbery. The defendants could face at least 10 years in prison if convicted of all the remaining counts.

Chula Vista police impounded 28 vehicles from people without valid licenses and arrested 11 suspected drunk drivers as a result of a checkpoint on the island side of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

Officers from Chula Vista, Coronado, National City, and San Diego participated in the crackdown, as did sheriff's deputies. In addition, three people were booked on suspicion of possessing marijuana.

Oceanside authorities arrested more than 30 people, many of them gang members, after a six-month undercover investigation. Oceanside detectives and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) special agents went undercover to purchase crack cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana from street dealers.

The arrests resulted in the seizure of 500 ecstasy pills, more than a half-pound of crack cocaine, several pounds of marijuana and two ounces of methamphetamine. Oceanside police Chief Frank McCoy initiated the probe after receiving complaints about drugs being sold in downtown Oceanside. The people arrested are suspected of being violent gang members. Ralph Patridge, a special agent with the DEA's San Diego office, said six of those arrested have been charged with federal crimes. The others are being prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office.

Mark Kaczmarczyk, 57, was arrested in Taipei at the request of the FBI. San Diego authorities have worked with the Taiwanese government to bring Kaczmarczyk back to the United States to face child-molestation charges.  Kaczmarczyk and his wife, who operated a day-care business in San Diego, are accused of molesting 6 children.

 In 2007, San Diego police were notified when parents from the day care brought their 2-year-old daughter to the hospital and learned she had been sexually assaulted. San Diego police conducting the investigation found five other children from the day care suffered physical injuries.  The couple's two children were placed in protective custody with a foster family.

False accusations of sex assault or sexual abuse are quite common, particularly in domestic disputes and custody battles.  A false accusation of sexual assault can be devastating.  Penalties frequently include prison time and sex offender registration. If you have been accused of sexual abuse or forced touching, it is essential to contact a criminal defense attorney right away.  An experienced sex crimes attorney like those at Pro Law Partners may be able to help you avoid conviction of an offense that requires sex offender registration.

 

A nationwide sweep by federal authorities resulted in 750 arrests, the seizure of $59 million in drug money and an estimated 23 tons of narcotics. The investigation, known as Operation Xcellerator, was a 21-month operation aimed at cracking down on the cartel's U.S. distribution networks.

As a part of the operation, authorities made arrests in San Diego's Imperial County resulting in the seizure of almost $10 million dollars.  Local prosecutors said the operation dismantled six separate organized crime cells that were bringing in tons of illegal drugs across the U.S./Mexico border. Six suspected drug dealers now face terms of 20 years-to-life, if convicted.

Andrea Ramirez, 20, was arrested Saturday night in Coronado for drunk driving. The BMW driven by Ramirez slammed into another car, sending one of the cars up onto the sidewalk. Four or five pedestrians were hit and suffered significant injuries.

The San Diego Police Department is investigating the accident and more charges may be filed.

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A drug-sniffing dog found more than 68 pounds of cocaine stashed inside the back seat and in the rear bumper of a Volkswagen Jetta. The seizure occurred when a border patrol agent pulled over the Jetta near the agency's highway checkpoint.

While questioning the driver, the agent smelled an excessive amount of air freshener in the car, a common trick of drug smugglers to mask the odor of drug in a vehicle. Agents began searching the car when the drug-sniffing dog indicated there were narcotics in the car. This is the fourth Border Patrol cocaine seizure along this stretch of I-15 in February 2009. The agency said the route is popular with traffickers bringing drugs from Mexico.

San Diego County's domestic violence hotline reported a 20% increase in calls in January compared to a year earlier. Worried about the rise in reports, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced new funding by the district attorney's office and other local agencies.

The campaign focuses on how to help children who are exposed to domestic violence. Officers will now be required to list any children involved in a domestic violence incident, directly or indirectly, so the children can receive counseling.??

The would-be robber who was killed in a shootout after he tried to rob an employee and shop owner at gunpoint had a criminal record that included drug and gun offenses. Court records show Michael Watkins Jr., 26, had been convicted of three felonies and spent much of his time in jail, on probation or in drug rehabilitation.

Police have charged two U.S. sailors for allegedly attacking two prostitutes in Tijuana. The men rented rooms at a Zona Norte Hotel where they met the prostitutes. One woman was stabbed, the other was choked and a hotel employee was stabbed.

Both men are being held at the La Mesa prison and they will not be offered bail. One of the men worked for the U.S. Navy and the other was training to be a Navy SEAL.

Defendants Jordan Arnold, Christopher Black, and Jessica King pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of Children, and one count of Coercion and Enticement of a Juvenile into Prostitution. In their pleas, the defendants admitted to being members of a 2007 conspiracy by recruiting, persuading, and employing juveniles to perform acts of prostitution.

Two of the defendants admitted that they took photographs of the juveniles wearing lingerie and in provocative poses, which were then placed in ads posted on the "Craigslist" website. Defendants admitted that they drove the juveniles to and from hotels in the Mission Valley and Sports Arena areas of San Diego, where the juveniles performed the pre-arranged acts of prostitution.

Stephanie Crowe, 12, was stabbed to death in the bedroom of her Escondido home in January 1998. Her brother and two of his friends were arrested. The case collapsed on the eve of trail after drops of the girl's blood were found on clothes worn by a transient seen in the neighborhood the night of the slaying.?

The transient was eventually charged in the case and convicted of voluntary manslaughter. An attorney representing the Crowe family brought a false-arrest lawsuit against the San Diego authorities after hiring one of America's most famous and controversial forensic pathologists, Dr. Cyril Wecht.

In Dr. Wecht's latest book, "A Question of Murder" he openly challenges the conduct of the police and prosecutors in the Crowe case. Dr. Wecht said he was disturbed by "the way the cops zeroed in on the victims brother and the two others without conducting a meaningful, encompassing investigation." He further stated, "That case cries out to anybody who is interested in ethical conduct in our criminal-justice system. Police and prosecutorial bias, incompetence - those kinds of things happen with greater frequency than most of us want to acknowledge."

With Colombian cartels in shambles, the Mexican cartels stepped in to fill the void. While the Colombian cartels still control most of the production of cocaine and heroin, the more profitable part of the trade - transport to the US, and distribution there - has come under control of various Mexican cartels.

Last week authorities arrested more than 50 people who allegedly work for the Sinaloa cartel. The Department of Justice revealed the arrests made were part of a 21-month operation by U.S. and Mexican officials which has resulted in the seizure of $60 million in cash, 24,000 pounds of cocaine, 1200 pounds of methamphetamine, plus other drugs, assets, and weapons.?

Despite huge enforcement actions on both sides of the border, the Mexican cartels' trade is more robust and brazen than ever, law enforcement officials say.

Emily Dowdy, 24, was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver Saturday night in Pacific Beach. Mabrey, the driver, left the scene to get something to eat at Burger King before returning to turn himself in. Empty beer cans were found in the truck and the driver told authorities he had been out drinking pitchers of beer before the accident.

Mabrey was booked on felony drunk driving under the influence and hit-and-run charges, as well as misdemeanor charges of driving on a suspended license. San Diego police Sgt. Jeff Fellows said authorities will additionally seek to have gross vehicular manslaughter charges filed against him. Mabrey is being held on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

A research study conducted by the Automobile Club of Southern California's Steven Bloch revealed that the number of young female drivers involved in serious substance-related crashes has risen steeply since 1998. Bloch said that in San Diego County, intoxicated drivers between ages 21 and 24 saw the largest increase in fatal and injury crashes, up 124% from 1998.

In one 2007 case, a 23-year-old woman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine in a head-on crash that killed four people. She is currently awaiting trial on four counts of murder in connection with the crash.

Most people do not know that when the police have a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed and that there was a DUI for drugs or a DUI because alcohol might have been involved they may demand that you take a chemical test to determine if you were under the influence at the time you were driving. If you refuse, then the DMV may suspend your license for one year. An attorney from Pro Law Partners may be able to attack the refusal on several grounds. If, after a hearing, the DMV believes that in fact there was not a "valid" refusal, then your license will not be suspended.

SAN DIEGO, July 7, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS ), a leading national security, information technology and public safety solutions provider, today provided the following comments on the U.S ...

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- A federal appeals court in San Francisco is overturning a conviction and calling for a new trial for a man found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, the daughter of an Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame football player, in San Mateo ...

Jury selection is expected to begin today in the trial of a Vacaville man suspected of being the serial rapist who plagued Vacaville for more than three years. Defendant Victor Lamar Davis, 27, faces a 57-count felony complaint charging rape, robbery ...

ROANOKE, Ill. (AP) - Authorities have ticketed a central Illinois woman who they say drove a car into a crowd at a fireworks show. One man died in the accident. Woodford County Sheriff Jim Pierceall says 85-year-old Ruby Kennell of Roanoke was ...

Orvis and Lavon Berry of Battle Creek will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with a family gathering in Battle Creek. Orvis Berry married Lavon Spaulding McCarthy on July 22, 1939, in the bride's home in Battle Creek. They have lived at their ...

With bank lending to small businesses nearly frozen, these 8 entrepreneurs are among the thousands fighting for the credit lines and loans they need to keep their companies alive. SAN DIEGO (CNNMoney.com) -- When Marcia Blackwell and her husband Tom ...

As state workers have watched their incomes shrink with the governor?s order that they take three days off a month without pay, one San Diego attorney sees unfairness in what others might see as kindness toward? furloughed workers. Alfred G. Rava ...

"It's not a record," said longtime school board member John de Beck. "But it's getting close." Progress has been slow despite the election of new school board members backed by the union, which was widely perceived as a coup for labor. Both sides ...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Prosecutors in San Diego have decided not to file charges against a pedicab driver whose passenger died after she fell from his pedal-powered vehicle. District attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said Thursday that 23-year-old Sukru Safa ...

SAN DIEGO?Prosecutors in San Diego have decided not to file charges against a pedicab driver whose passenger died after she fell from his pedal-powered vehicle. District attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said Thursday that 23-year-old Sukru Safa ...

SAN DIEGO?Prosecutors in San Diego have decided not to file charges against a pedicab driver whose passenger died after she fell from his pedal-powered vehicle. District attorney spokesman Paul Levikow said Thursday that 23-year-old Sukru Safa ...

Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass Expands Litigation Practice With Addition of Two Associate Attorneys SAN FRANCISCO ? Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP welcomes ... Paramount Staffing Earns National Recognition as Great Place to Work Dallas Branch ...

A pedicab driver in San Diego arrested after the death of one of his customers has been released from jail without charges being filed. Sukru Safa Cinar, 23, was released Thursday.?But officials at the San Diego County district attorney's office ...

Want to know about children?s toys from the late 1800s? Wish you could see prehistoric artifacts dating back thousands of years? Looking for a close by and educational place to take the kids this summer? Look no further. The San Diego ...

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray will be tough to unseat in 2010. The states senior senator from Bothell is flush with $3.5 million in campaign cash and the Democrat can get much flusher given her leadership position in the chambers majority party. Murray is a ...

VALLEY CENTER ---- A-1 Irrigation & Do It Best Hardware will host a discussion on drought-tolerant plants from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday at 28511 Cole Grade Road. Representatives from San Diego County Water Authority, Valley Center Municipal ...

Rick Mueller dedicates all of his DUI & DMV defense attorney practice to aggressively defending those accused of driving under the influence of alcohol in San Diego, California. San Diego California Criminal Defense Attorney Rick Mueller recently spoke at the California Attorneys For Criminal Justice annual DUI seminar in Rancho Mirage, California. The California criminal defense lawyers who attended loved it. Rick has been asked to speak on August 1, 2009 at the annual DUI seminar at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California, sponsored by the Mexican American Bar Association.

For immediate help, try the important Free San Diego DUI Lawyer & Drunk Driving Defense Survey to find out your best strategy and to protect your driving privileges in California.

Video of San Diego DUI / DMV Attorney

San Diego DUI criminal defense lawyers who study science and logic know the way San Diego drunk driving prosecutors presented cases was unfair in breath test cases. Now, the California Supreme Court wisely agreed with Arizona and Vermont that San Diego and California DUI breath test results can mean different things depending on the individual.

San Diego DUI criminal defense attorneys longed for this unanimous ruling deferring to science. Everyone knew breath test results are highly variable and often unreliable. San Diego DUI attorney prosecutors must deal with the reality that there are a number of inaccuracies with breath testing.

The question in the Timmie McNeal case was how much alcohol is in the bloodstream.

Alcohol is absorbed in the blood and carried through the brain to the liver and heart before diffusing in the lungs where it is exhaled in breath. "Henry's law" is used to convert the amount of alcohol vapor in the lungs to a blood-alcohol level.

Homeostatic variables

Breathalyzers assume that the subject being tested has a 2100-to-1 "partition ratio" in converting alcohol measured in the breath to estimates of alcohol in the blood. If the instrument estimates the BAC, then it measures weight of alcohol to volume of breath, so it will effectively measure grams of alcohol per 2100 ml of breath given. This measure is in direct proportion to the amount of grams of alcohol to every 100 ml of blood. Therefore, there is a 2100 to 1 ratio of alcohol in blood to alcohol in breath. However, this assumed "partition ratio" varies from 1300:1 to 3100:1 or wider among individuals and within a given individual over time. Assuming a true (and legal) blood-alcohol concentration of .07%, for example, a person with a partition ratio of 1500:1 would have a breath test reading of .10%?over the legal limit.

Most individuals do, in fact, have a 2100-to-1 partition ratio in accordance with William Henry's Law (1803), which states that when the water solution of a volatile compound is brought into equilibrium with air, there is a fixed ratio between the concentration of the compound in air and its concentration in water. This ratio is constant at a given temperature. The human body is 37 degrees Celsius on average. Breath leaves the mouth at a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius. Alcohol in the body obeys Henry's Law as it is a volatile compound and diffuses in body water. To ensure that variables such as fever and hypothermia could not be pointed out to influence the results in a way that was harmful to the accused, the instrument is calibrated at a ratio of 2100:1, underestimating by 9 percent. In order for a person running a fever to significantly overestimate, he would have to have a fever that would likely see the subject be in the hospital rather than driving in the first place. Studies suggest that about 1.8% of the population have a partition ratio below 2100. Thus, a machine using a 2100-to-1 ratio could actually under-report. As much as 14% of the population has a partition ratio above 2100, thus causing the machine to overestimate the BAC.

Further, the assumption that the test subject's partition ratio will be average?that there will be 2100 parts in the blood for every part in the breath?means that accurate analysis of a given individual's blood alcohol by measuring breath alcohol is difficult, as the ratio varies considerably.

Variance in how much one breathes out can also give false readings, usually low. This is due to biological variance in breath alcohol concentration as a function of the volume of air in the lungs, an example of a factor which interferes with the liquid-gas equilibrium assumed by the devices. The presence of volatile components is another example of this; mixtures of volatile compounds can be more volatile than their components, which can create artificially high levels of ethanol (or other) vapors relative to the normal biological blood/breath alcohol equilibrium.

A major scientific problem is that breath-to-blood ratios vary greatly throughout the population and fluctuate individually, influenced by such factors as body temperature, atmospheric pressure, medical conditions and the precision of the measuring device. That means the same breath-test result for one person's breath could signal intoxication while for another it could simply mean just 2 beers.

California has 2 distinct DUI - driving under the influence laws. The first law, impairment, requires proof that a driver and his driving was impaired. California DUI jurors are told they can presume someone is drunk if blood tests show at least a .08 percent level of alcohol.

The second law, passed by the Legislature in 1981 and updated in 1989, defined a drunk driver as someone with a BAC level of .08% or more regardless of impairment, appearance or behavior. Fiteen years ago, the California Supreme Court limited that definition to include Breathalyzer results, barring drivers charged with the second law from attacking the variability of the breath tests.

San Diego DUI defense attorneys had judges tell them they could not introduce variations in partition ratios, limiting true challenges to San Diego drunk driving breath test machines.

San Diego & California DUI Prosecutors unfairly charge folks with both versions of the law to increase the likelihood of a drunk driving conviction.

San Diego DUI Criminal Defense attorneys and drunk driving prosecutors agreed the state Supreme Court ruling on Thursday reopened the door to breath-test challenges. The court said evidence of the variability of tests can be shown to juries.

"Defense evidence is relevant to rebut the presumption that the defendant was intoxicated, but not to remove the presumption altogether," Justice Carol Corrigan wrote for the Supreme Court.

Prosecutors whined the California ruling will affect their ability to win convictions in DUI cases. "It will confuse jurors," said Margaret O'Malley, a Santa Barbara County prosecutor who represented the California District Attorneys Association before the high court. But San Diego DUI Defense attorneys disagree because jurors won't be confused when the truth comes out. The California Supreme Court now confirms in court what science already knew: one-size-fits-all breath tests don't necessarily reflect reality for all DUI suspects.

DUI defense lawyers remind that folks with one lung will naturally have more alcohol vapors in their breath than someone with two lungs. Drunk Driving defense attorneys should not be improperly barred from challenging the breath test. If you think you need help, answer the online survey.

Energized by a reduced deficit and determined to make further cuts, the city council will soon consider the idea of severing its contracted counsel for an in-house city attorney. At first glance, it seems the move would save Gilroy money - hundreds ...

WASHINGTON, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- George Michael Lee, Duc Cong Nguyen, Hop Nguyen and Tien Duc Vu were sentenced today in San Diego for their roles in a scheme by the "Tran Organization" to cheat casinos across the United States and ...

REGION ---- Two Latino legislators have been dismissed from a lawsuit that alleged they were part of a conspiracy to oust an anti-illegal immigration group from the state's Adopt-A-Highway program. The San Diego Minutemen had accused Assemblyman Joe ...

Masked and hooded Belfast Catholics hurled gasoline bombs, fireworks and other makeshift weapons at police all last night as the most bitterly divisive day on the Northern Ireland calendar reached an ugly end.

SAN DIEGO ---- More than 20 percent of the 5,100 or so inmates in San Diego County jails have been exposed to swine flu, leading jailers to temporarily suspend all visits to inmates, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said Monday. The Sheriff's Department ...

An audit of expenses for a York City school board trip to San Diego found that all but one board member had requested legitimate reimbursements, the district business manager said Monday.

MEXICO CITY ? Prosecutors said they found the bound, blindfolded and tortured bodies of at least a dozen people Monday on a roadside in the western state of Michoacan , which has become a flash point in Mexico's war on drugs. Initial reports ...

Rep. Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar , has taken up the cause pushed by the National Association of Realtors, National Association of Mortgage Brokers and other organizations, co-introducing legislation that would halt the changes for 18 months.

Jacques Lemaire led the Devils to the Stanley Cup in 1995. Hockey: Jacques Lemaire is returning for a second stint as coach of the New Jersey Devils.

Rep. Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County), has taken up the cause pushed by the National Association of Realtors, National Association of Mortgage Brokers and other organizations, co-introducing legislation that would halt the changes for ...

Prosecutors said they found the bound, blindfolded and tortured bodies of at least a dozen people Monday on a roadside in the western state of Michoacan, which has become a flash point in Mexico's war on drugs.

TIJUANA, MEXICO -- Gunmen opened fire on a police patrol car, killing one officer and wounding three others amid a brutal drug war in this border city that has seen at least 18 police officers slain so far this year. The attack happened Sunday, less ...

on to attend the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Chu, a Lowell High School graduate, will attend the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business in the fall of 2009. After undergraduate study, she aspires to attend law ...

The Poker Players Alliance has joined the fight against federal prosecutors who seized about $14 million from bank accounts belonging to Account Services, a payment processor that handles the accounts of online poker players.

Since the minute I first stepped onto one ofA California's gleaming beaches, or drove from LA to San Diego with the windows down, I have been wishing, hoping, and dreaming that one day I'll wake up and discover that I've become a "California girl," . Like many people from my generation and several before me, my picture of California as an idyllic ...

Prosecutors said they found the bound, blindfolded and tortured bodies of at least a dozen people Monday on a roadside in the western state of Michoacan, which has become a flash point in Mexico's war on drugs.

Attorney General Eric Holder will visit Los Angeles this week to discuss federal, state and local cooperation on a variety of issues, including crime and drug trafficking along the Southwest border, violence against women and gang prevention programs.

Twelve people tortured and killed in a cartel-plagued Mexican state were federal agents investigating organized crime, the government said Tuesday, marking one of the boldest attacks on federal forces since President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drugs.

A payment processor that handles the accounts of online poker players wants a judge to order the return of about $14 million that the company says was illegally seized by the federal government.

Upper Marlboro residents Mildred Belton, Michelle Brister, Charles Rogers, Jackie Hicks and Nazareth Belton say a prayer during a vigil for homicide victim Maris Wilkerson at her home in the 9600 block of Meadow Lark Avenue in Upper Marlboro.

We asked your thoughts on the Gay Pride Parade coming up this weekend. Bible thumpers need to get a life.

Arbitron's problems with the rollout of its portable people meter service just won't go away.

Three York City school board members were vindicated, and a former member now owes several hundred dollars, after an audit of trip expenses to a national conference.

In April, San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith declined to file drunk-driving charges against local TV sportscaster Kyle Kraska, despite a police-station breathalyzer test that put Kraska's blood-alcohol content at .09, just above California's legal limit of .08. Kraska's attorney said the case was dismissed because of police error, though Gina ...

SAN DIEGO " The governor has named two county residents to the California Board of Registered Nursing as part of a major shakeup in the wake of reports that it takes an inordinately long time - " an average of 3-1 2 years - " to discipline problem nurses.

Charles D. Stimson, a former prosecutor, is joining the law firm of Schaffer, Black and Flores to provide free legal services.

Complaints about headaches and heart palpitations persist. But so does monosodium glutamate.

El Paso, Texas, is a relatively poor, Hispanic, gun-friendly city and home to many undocumented immigrants.

The Journal Sentinel and the Lakeland Times in Minocqua had requested information under Wisconsin's open records law about certain state workers, but the employees' names were redacted with officials citing a collective bargaining agreement that ...

SAN FRANCISCO - JULY 13: San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom speaks to members of the press and Levi's employees outside of the Levi Strauss headquarters July 13, 2009 in San Francisco, California. After 156 years in San Francisco, the Levi Strauss ...

In April, San Diego's city attorney declined to file drunk-driving charges against local TV sportscaster Kyle Kraska, despite a police-station breathalyzer test that put Kraska's blood-alcohol content just above California's legal limit.

JULY 13: San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom speaks to members of the press and Levi's employees outside of the Levi Strauss headquarters July 13, 2009 in San Francisco, California.

These upcoming informational seminars are to be held in Geneve, Switzerland, on 29-31 July 2009 and San Diego, California, on 20 August 2009.

SCHEDULE Plenty of afternoon action around the majors UNDATED Brandon Moss hit Pittsburgh's season-high fifth homer of the game leading off the ninth inning and the Pirates beat visiting Milwaukee 8-7 to win a series against Milwaukee for the first time in nearly two years.

Not the fitful things that muddy up your mind while you try to get a good sleep.

A San Diego man accused of paying baby sitters to bring him children to molest has pleaded not guilty to 20 criminal counts.

SLICK STUFF : The death this month at 84 of one of the founders of WD-40 sent reporters scurrying for new insight into John Barry, who helped turn a rust-preventer for missiles into a household fix-all. One of those reporters was my former newspaper colleague Tony Perry - one of very few old buddies still gainfully employed by a newspaper.

The unlikely duo of councilmembers Carl DeMaio and Donna Frye took on a mission to reform city council and bring transparency to local government.

An Upper Marlboro woman whose body was found last week in Aquasco begged for her life before she was allegedly shot by her boyfriend, according to police charging documents.

The body of a shark was left lying in the middle of a downtown Miami street after two men tried to sell it to several fish markets.

Background: Bob Claypool, 52, was a Fresno dentist. Why he left: Doctors told him he had asthma and allergies, although they could never find what he was allergic to, he said.

TIJUANA: A 37-year-old U.S. citizen was shot to death Sunday night outside his residence in the suburb of Playas de Tijuana, authorities said yesterday.

SAN DIEGO: The judge who ordered the city to remove the seals from the Children's Pool beach in La Jolla will reconsider his decision at a hearing tomorrow morning.

Sun lovers relax yesterday at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Beach, a choice spot for nude sunbathers.

It turns out that former executive vice president of the San Diego Unified Port District Dan Wilkens , who announced his retirement last fall, hasn't strayed too far from the agency.

Two controversial land use projects were spared the ax by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Wednesday, despite opposition by neighbors in the affected areas of Bonsall and Mount Helix.

Two controversial land use projects were spared the ax by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Wednesday, despite opposition by neighbors in the affected areas of Bonsall and Mount Helix.

A Shreveport veteran about to retire after a second deployment to a war zone was honored, as was her employer, in a ceremony Wednesday at the business, Remington College on Bert Kouns Industrial Loop.

Three young men accused of a group beating at a Cinco de Mayo party will have to stand trial for their alleged violent assault on a partygoer, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled July 15.

Head of state lands commission: Schwarzenegger move a 'sellout' Video: EnvironmentA A A A More video Company launches electric car charging station July 20: A San Diego company is trying to find an eco-friendly way to recharge electric vehicles.

A San Diego man accused of paying baby sitters to bring him children to molest has pleaded not guilty to 20 criminal counts.