Californias

Chico Man Faces Court for Allegedly Igniting California’s Massive Park Fire

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OROVILLE, Calif. — A resident of Chico, Ronnie Stout II, faced the Butte County Superior Court on Thursday, charged with initiating a wildfire that ranks among California’s largest in history. Stout stands accused of causing the Park Fire in July 2024, which devastated extensive regions in Bidwell Park. Following his arraignment, Stout entered a plea of not guilty to multiple charges during a court session presided over by Judge Kristen Lucena. This incident traced back to an event where Stout allegedly rolled a burning car into a gully within Upper Bidwell Park, subsequently igniting the … Read more

Kelly Cunningham Honored as One of California’s Top Intellectual Property Lawyers for Second Year Running

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP proudly announced on April 3, 2025, that their partner, Kelly Cunningham, has once again been named one of California’s “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers” by the Daily Journal. This marks the second consecutive year that Cunningham has been featured in this prestigious list, which highlights the top 100 intellectual property legal experts in the state. Cunningham, who boasts over 29 years in the field of intellectual property, illustrates a career driven by a deep passion that transitioned from engineering to legal advocacy. His journey into law began … Read more

Leno’s Law: New Bill Proposes Smog Check Exemptions for California’s Classic Cars

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Owners of vintage vehicles in California could soon see relief from stringent smog-check regulations that make owning newer classic cars more challenging. Senate Bill 712, currently under consideration, aims to amend the state’s existing vehicle emissions laws to exempt classic cars that are 35 years old or older. The legislation, spearheaded by State Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, seeks to reinstate a rolling exemption, which has not been updated since 2005. As it stands now, only vehicles from the 1975 model year or earlier are exempt from smog checks. The proposed change … Read more

California’s Bold Housing Laws Struggle to Spark Construction, Finds Nonprofit Report

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Sacramento, Calif. — Recent legislative efforts in California aimed at increasing housing construction across the state have not delivered the desired results, according to a report by YIMBY Law, a pro-development nonprofit focused on housing issues. The organization evaluated the effectiveness of five state laws enacted since 2021 designed to boost residential development through various means such as transforming vacant commercial sites and underutilized church parking lots into housing. These initiatives included progressive approaches like converting defunct shopping centers into residential apartments and relaxing zoning laws that traditionally limited many areas to single-family homes. However, … Read more