Recent Articles

The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently expanded the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is no joy in writing harshly about ADA laws, but I question this Opinion and fear a wave of new ADA lawsuits. Wheelchair Lawsuit Robin Fortyune is a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair for mobility. He sued [...]

Believe it or not I receive lots of e-mails and calls asking for my election recommendation column. So for better or worse, here goes. My opinion. Statewide/Congress Governor. Jerry Brown. I’m a Jerry Brown fan -- and in any event he will be reelected. Lieutenant Governor. Gavin Newsom all the way. Secretary of State. Alex [...]

There you are sitting impatiently in your Tesla Model S waiting for the traffic signal to turn green. You always have your cell phone at hand (even when you’re meeting with friends or dining, my pet peeve, but for another time.) Using your cell phone while waiting at a traffic light, can you: (a) [...]

Lots of folks in our area live in subdivisions managed by homeowner associations or management companies, usually with recorded CC&Rs and architectural guidelines. HOA Law Almost all subdivisions are governed by the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act in the Civil Code. By the way, the “Davis” in the name is former (recalled) Governor Gray Davis. [...]

Disciplining a child by spanking, I would guess the most common form of discipline when I was a kid, is in the news again. Star Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was suspended last week for spanking his 4-year-old son with a tree branch. In today’s world, that is serious business. Here’s a similar recent [...]