A 30-year-old North County man who suffered a brain injury and multiple amputations after being repeatedly tased by a sheriff's deputy has agreed to settle his lawsuit. According to court documents obtained by the Reader, …
February 21, 2017
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Stories by Dorian Hargrove
Virtually electrocuted at the shopping center
Drop the shovel — more court for Plaza de Panama plan
A proposed road from Cabrillo Bridge that bypasses Balboa Park's Plaza de Panama and leads to a newly constructed parking garage must make another stop in San Diego Superior Court. Earlier this month, Cory Briggs …
February 21, 2017
No gold star for Bonsall school district
A taxpayer advocacy group is suing the Bonsall Unified School District for skirting state environmental laws in its pursuit to build a new high school. The group, California Taxpayers Action Network, filed the lawsuit on …
February 16, 2017
North Park Jack in the Box rebuild permit has yet to pop up
Jack in the Box and North Park neighbors return to court.
February 15, 2017
Ethical lapses blamed on Tourism Marketing District
Looking to avoid a $2.6 million payout to opposing attorney Cory Briggs, legal counsel for San Diego's Tourism Marketing District is asking that a judge disqualify Briggs and his firm and wipe out any opportunity …
February 14, 2017
La Jolla sea lion resolution lies in "political sphere"
A California appellate court ruled yesterday (February 9) that the City of San Diego is not responsible for the mitigation of the foul odors wafting from the seal lions at La Jolla Cove. The ruling …
February 10, 2017
Fake Twitter account prompts lawsuit
A University of San Diego law student says a fellow student defamed her on Twitter for her unwavering support of then-candidate Donald Trump. The woman, Tiffany Dehen, is suing the student (who has not been …
February 6, 2017
MTS responds to Baja Rail charges
Metropolitan Transit System officials say that in spite of new litigation, progress is being made on the rehabilitation of the 100-year-old binational railroad. Earlier this week, the Reader reported on a new lawsuit filed by …
February 3, 2017
Likely not the last binational railroad story
Big things are happening on the binational railroad — unfortunately, they are transpiring in courtrooms and not on the 108 miles of track that stretches from Tijuana up through the border at Campo and into …
February 2, 2017
Former lieutenant guns for Goldsmith
Jan Goldsmith completed his eight-year term as San Diego’s city attorney on December 13, 2016. His legacy will remain present at San Diego city hall for years to come, possibly not as much for major …
February 1, 2017
Green Elementary assault trial starts today
A civil trial begins today (January 30) in a molestation case of a special-needs student who was allegedly assaulted by three older students inside a bathroom at Green Elementary School in San Carlos. The lawsuit …
January 30, 2017
More pressure on Mickey Kasparian
In a lawsuit filed in December, United Food and Commercial Workers Union president Mickey Kasparian was accused of sexual harassment and denigrating employees. Demands for him to step down are increasing, and the protests continue. …
January 26, 2017
Kindergarten sexual harassment case continues
New details have emerged regarding an alleged sexual assault by an elementary-school student on another student at San Diego Unified School District's Green Elementary School. On August 18, 2016, San Diego Unified School District superintendent …
January 26, 2017
Goldsmith loses, Briggs wins
The legal fight over city-related emails that former San Diego city attorney Jan Goldsmith sent over his private server during his time in public office has concluded, almost three years to the date that watchdog …
January 21, 2017
La Jolla crosswalk horror story
A New Jersey man on vacation in San Diego who was hit by a truck while using a crosswalk in La Jolla is suing the City of San Diego. Attorneys for Santo Bencivenni, 72, filed …
January 19, 2017
Grossmont school district sued
The fight over public employees' use of private devices to send emails and texts and the refusal from agencies they work for to turn over those missives has landed Grossmont Union High School District in …
January 16, 2017
City to block mayor's testimony in accident case?
The City of San Diego doesn't want mayor Kevin Faulconer to testify in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a seven-month-old girl who was struck by a car and died while crossing Catalina …
January 12, 2017
Regents Road bridge, deleted
A group of San Diego residents is suing the City of San Diego for deleting long-term plans to build the Regents Road bridge from the University City Community Plan. The proposed bridge, in discussion for …
January 9, 2017
Uptown preservationists sue city
On January 4, 2017, preservationist groups Save Our Heritage Organisation and Mission Hills Heritage filed suit against the City of San Diego for allowing last-minute changes to Uptown's community-plan update. The revised plan would include …
January 6, 2017
After the Goldsmith, his politics on trial
The politicization of San Diego's city attorney's office under Jan Goldsmith's lead has landed the city in court again. On December 3, Goldsmith's former assistant city attorney, Marlea Dell'Anno, sued the city and Goldsmith, alleging …
January 5, 2017
San Diego's porn studios
The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter wants to make you feel like a star. Adhered to the wall behind the front desk is a colorful photo looking out at a raucous crowd …
January 4, 2017
Former Poway schools chief claims innocence
The civil trial against former Poway Unified School District superintendent John Collins — accused of collecting $345,263 in unauthorized vacation pay over the course of a three-year period — continues in San Diego Superior Court. …
January 2, 2017
Wheelchairs can't roll over pipes
The City of San Diego has tentatively settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who says the city failed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements while crews were repairing sections El Cajon Boulevard. As …
December 29, 2016
SeaWorld sees the tank as half full
SeaWorld is moving forward with plans to pump millions in new attractions at its San Diego theme park. On December 19, the City of San Diego provided notice that SeaWorld has applied for the necessary …
December 22, 2016
City to pay for cops' mother-and-son tussle
The City of San Diego has agreed to settle a long-running excessive-force lawsuit filed against four San Diego police officers who allegedly assaulted members of a family during an incident in 2014. According to documents …
December 19, 2016
City sued over storm-drain failure
The City of San Diego may have to fork over yet another hefty settlement over its crumbling and inadequate storm-water system. On December 13, the Chicano Federation of San Diego County filed a lawsuit against …
December 16, 2016
Civic San Diego commits foul, says group
Civic San Diego, the city-owned nonprofit corporation in charge of permitting and planning in downtown and surrounding communities, is again under fire for the process in which it approves development proposals. On December 6, a …
December 12, 2016
Torrey Pines cyclists' pothole nightmare continues
The City of San Diego is poised to pay out another large sum for failing to maintain safe bike lanes and roads for pedestrians. On Tuesday (December 13) city councilmembers are expected to finalize a …
December 8, 2016
Confusion as to what's classified "sustainable" construction
A City of San Diego program to incentivize affordable housing developments and sustainable buildings by offering permitting in half the time of standard projects is underperforming, says a December 2 report from San Diego's city …
December 6, 2016
Uber as designated driver choice backfires
In an effort to cut back on public intoxication and loud noise from drunken bar patrons leaving Encinitas' burgeoning bar scene, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is targeting minorities and chasing out “undesirables" from …
December 5, 2016
Not fake news: Trump sued for $2 trillion
Less than two weeks after president-elect Donald Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle two lawsuits filed in San Diego over his for-profit university, the New York City mogul has been slapped with another …
December 2, 2016
San Diego Reader 2016 guide to Holiday Fun
I read somewhere that the reason you’re sad around Christmastime is because it’s a reminder of what you’ve lost since childhood: the belief that the world is a magical place that is interested in your …
November 30, 2016
Ex-councilman dodges domestic violence charges
Former city-council president Tony Young will not face criminal charges for his August 2016 domestic violence arrest, says a spokesperson for San Diego's city attorney. Young, who served as councilmember for San Diego's District 4 …
November 29, 2016
Hoteliers and city sued for "ill-gotten gains"
As attorneys for the city and Tourism Marketing District fight over legal fees in a lawsuit filed in 2012 over a hotel-room fee imposed by hotel owners to pay for promoting San Diego as a …
November 28, 2016
No settlements in SDPD harassment cases
Sexual harassment lawsuits filed by two female San Diego Police Department officers are heading to trial. Recent court documents show attempts to settle the two cases have failed and both sides are now preparing for …
November 26, 2016
Parent sues Grossmont school district over denied access
A father of a Grossmont Union High School District student is suing the district for refusing him access to his child's school because he is a registered sex offender. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court …
November 21, 2016
K-9s unleashed!
The City of San Diego is poised to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who was bitten by a police dog while he walking in a La Jolla canyon in the early hours of …
November 18, 2016
More violence in low-income communities no duh
Gang-related crimes have decreased by 44.5 percent since 2009, says a new report from the City of San Diego's Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention. Despite the downward trend, there are still 4005 documented gang …
November 15, 2016
Cop allegedly didn't seek sex from women only
A San Diego man who was allegedly sexually assaulted by former San Diego police officer Christopher Hays will receive $160,000 in exchange for settling his lawsuit against the city. On Tuesday, November 16, city councilmembers …
November 11, 2016
Wrongly fired by the city
Last week, on November 4, a San Diego Superior Court judge ordered the City of San Diego to reimburse a city employee nearly two years' worth of wages that had been withheld due to an …
November 10, 2016
Issa sues Applegate
Congressman Darrell Issa, who represents portions of northern San Diego County, has filed a defamation lawsuit against his opponent, democratic challenger Doug Applegate. Issa filed the suit on November 7, one day before he narrowly …
November 9, 2016
No day at the park for antennae opponents
A San Diego Superior court judge says the City of San Diego can continue to lease portions of public parkland to cell-phone companies in order to install wireless antennas. On October 31, judge Judith Hayes …
November 8, 2016
Lilac Hills opponents mum on money source
Lilac Hills Ranch is a proposed master-planned community that developer Accretive Investments hopes to build east of Bonsall in northeastern San Diego County. Yesterday (November 2), proponents of the development filed a formal legal complaint, …
November 3, 2016
Tourism Marketing District navigates lawsuit maelstrom
On November 8, residents will cast votes on Measures C and D. If passed, either one would alter the hotel-room tax as it currently stands. Measure C would raise the hotel taxes on guests to …
November 3, 2016
Hot battle re Measure D
The fight between San Diego hoteliers and attorney Cory Briggs continues on. Briggs, whose client San Diegans for Open Government sued the city and San Diego's Tourism Marketing District for what they claimed is an …
October 29, 2016
Cop who shot unarmed man faces civil lawsuit
The San Diego police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man in January 2013 is not entitled to immunity in a civil lawsuit filed by the deceased man's wife. On October 25, a federal …
October 28, 2016
Pacific Imperial Railroad opts for bankruptcy
Pacific Imperial Railroad, the leaseholder of the publicly owned 70-mile stretch of railroad from Campo to Plaster City known as the Desert Line, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As reported by the Reader on …
October 27, 2016
The treacherous Camino Del Sur in Black Mountain Ranch.
Traffic Engineering division plays it street-smart — no emails
October 26, 2016
Cal State San Marcos sued for botched sexual assault case
A Cal State San Marcos student accused of assaulting a female student is suing the college over its handling of the investigation. According to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court on October 21, the student, …
October 25, 2016
Ambulance provider fined for being late
Slow response times continue to plague Arizona-based Rural/Metro Ambulance Services, which serves the City of San Diego. In an October 3, 2016, letter from Rural/Metro director of communications Mike Rice to San Diego fire chief …
October 21, 2016