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Big businesses like Amazon support tax for King County, but questions about Seattle, suburbs remain


Amazon and several other large Seattle-area corporations, including Alaska Airlines, Costco, Expedia, Microsoft and Starbucks, expressed support Tuesday for the concept behind a Washington House bill that would allow King County to enact a big-business tax.




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Police investigate whether man was injured during altercation with Snohomish County deputies


The man, who was taken into custody on Wednesday night, is in "critical, but medically stable" condition at an Everett hospital.




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Snohomish County will not pay for sheriff’s legal defense in recall effort over his refusal to enforce state’s stay-home order during pandemic


Prosecutor Adam Cornell likened the decision by Sheriff Adam Fortney to publicly question and refuse to enforce the stay-home order "to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater."




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Yakima County’s ban on pot retailers upheld by appellate court


The three-member appellate court panel ruled Tuesday that the county has legal authority to ban recreational marijuana businesses from unincorporated areas.





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Snohomish County will not pay for sheriff’s legal defense in recall effort over his refusal to enforce state’s stay-home order during pandemic


Prosecutor Adam Cornell likened the decision by Sheriff Adam Fortney to publicly question and refuse to enforce the stay-home order "to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater."




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Walla Walla County retracts claim about ‘coronavirus parties,’ says they never occurred


“We have discovered that there were not intentional COVID parties. Just innocent endeavors,” says the director of the county's Department of Community Health.




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King County parks and public lands reopen Friday after coronavirus shutdown. Here’s what you need to know


Some King County parks and public lands will reopen on Friday as the first phase of Gov. Jay Inslee's plan to reopen Washington's economy continues. Here's what's open and what's not as we head into a sunny spring weekend.




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Snohomish County will not pay for sheriff’s legal defense in recall effort over his refusal to enforce state’s stay-home order during pandemic


Prosecutor Adam Cornell likened the decision by Sheriff Adam Fortney to publicly question and refuse to enforce the stay-home order "to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater."




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King County parks and public lands reopen Friday after coronavirus shutdown. Here’s what you need to know


Some King County parks and public lands will reopen on Friday as the first phase of Gov. Jay Inslee's plan to reopen Washington's economy continues. Here's what's open and what's not as we head into a sunny spring weekend.




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Lawsuit, countersuit over Black athlete’s arrest in Pierce County are dropped; accusations aren’t


Former Timberline High School basketball star Sasha Weber has settled a lawsuit filed against the Roy chief of police. She says it was to move on with her life; the chief's attorneys say her claims were baseless and the settlement amounts to a "nuisance" payment.




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Snohomish County will not pay for sheriff’s legal defense in recall effort over his refusal to enforce state’s stay-home order during pandemic


Prosecutor Adam Cornell likened the decision by Sheriff Adam Fortney to publicly question and refuse to enforce the stay-home order "to yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater."




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King County has big racial disparities in coronavirus cases and deaths, according to public-health data


Hispanic people in King County are dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than white people, according to a new study. The insight into the coronavirus’ uneven impact in King County comes into focus as people of color represent an increasing percentage of the county's COVID-19 cases. 




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King County agrees to $2.25M settlement with family of teen killed in misguided sheriff’s sting operation


The high school senior was killed as he tried to flee from three plainclothes sheriff's detectives who sprang from the back of an unmarked van on a darkened Des Moines street the night of Jan. 27, 2017.




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King County had decade’s third-largest population growth among U.S. counties


King County added more people than only two other U.S. counties, which are located in the Sunbelt.




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People of color hard hit by coronavirus in King County, but numbers are incomplete


Public health officials warned against drawing conclusions from the demographic breakdown, because race and ethnicity data was known for only about 51% of confirmed cases in King County.




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King County has big racial disparities in coronavirus cases and deaths, according to public-health data


Hispanic people in King County are dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than white people, according to a new study. The insight into the coronavirus’ uneven impact in King County comes into focus as people of color represent an increasing percentage of the county's COVID-19 cases. 




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County has highest rate of COVID-19 cases on West Coast


SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The highest rate of coronavirus cases of any county on the U.S. West Coast is in Washington state’s Yakima County. Health experts point to a large number of essential workers, a large number of cases in long-term care facilities and a large agricultural workforce living and working in close quarters as […]




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Wyoming's Carbon County To Place Land Records On Blockchain

Carbon County in the Western U.S. State of Wyoming is set to implement a blockchain-powered land registry system in 2020, which will assure immutability of records and help in registering and validating property ownership with a clear chain of title. The land records and information platform will be developed in partnership with Overstock.com's blockchain subsidiary Medici Land Governance (MLG).




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Arkansas Racing Commission sticks with competition for Pope County casino; Mississippi operators promise lawsuit if they don’t win

The Racing Commission had a long and open discussion but again cleared the Cherokee Nation's belated application for a casino permit in Pope County. A Mississippi casino operator says it will sue if the Cherokees win the permit.

The post Arkansas Racing Commission sticks with competition for Pope County casino; Mississippi operators promise lawsuit if they don’t win appeared first on Arkansas Times.





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County of Riverside v. Estabrook

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed a judgment of non-paternity. Held that the family court should have ordered genetic testing to determine whether a man was the father of a child born to another man's wife.




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County of San Diego Department of Child Support Services v. C.P.

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a father was not entitled to an adjustment in the child support arrears that accrued during his incarceration in federal prison. Vacated the decision below and remanded for further proceedings in this family court matter.




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Jewish Community Centers Develop. Corp. v. County of Los Angeles

(California Court of Appeal) - In a property tax refund action based on the welfare exemption set forth in Revenue and Taxation Code section 214, the trial court's judgment in favor of plaintiff is affirmed where: 1) the State Board of Equalization's (SBE) interpretation of section 214 was clearly erroneous; 2) the SBE's advisory rule regarding who must file a welfare exemption is not binding and therefore should not be given independent legal effect; and 3) the County failed to establish that the trial court should have denied a tax refund because plaintiff's claims were tardy and its claim forms were incomplete.



  • Tax-exempt Organizations
  • Property Law & Real Estate
  • Tax Law

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City and County of S.F. v. Regents

(California Court of Appeal) - In a case to decide whether the City and County of San Francisco can compel state universities that operate parking lots in the city to collect city taxes from parking users and remit them to San Francisco, the trial court's denial of the City's petition for writ of mandate is affirmed where the California Constitution's 'home-rule provision' -- which grants charter cities broad powers, including the power to tax -- does not create an exception to the long-recognized doctrine that exempts state entities from local regulation when they are performing governmental functions.




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Fort Bend County v. Davis

(United States Supreme Court) - Held that Title VII's charge-filing requirement is not jurisdictional and thus is subject to forfeiture if tardily asserted. The issue involved whether an employer waited too long to dispute that a discrimination plaintiff filed a proper complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before initiating suit. Justice Ginsburg delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.




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CABELL COUNTY COMMISSION v. WHITT

(WV Supreme Court of Appeals) - No. 18-0408




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Riverside County Sheriff's Dep't v. Stiglitz

(California Court of Appeal) - Trial court's grant of a county sheriff's department's petition for a writ of administrative mandate seeking to vacate a hearing officer's decision concerning a terminated correctional officer's request for a Pitchess motion is reversed where: 1) an administrative hearing officer may rule on a Pitchess motion where Pitchess discovery is relevant; and 2) if Pitchess discovery is relevant to an officer's defense in a section 3304(b) hearing, the officer who is subject to discipline must have the opportunity to demonstrate the relevance of the personnel records of other officers and to obtain the records if they are relevant.




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Wilson v. County of San Joaquin

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed. Plaintiff pled no contest to a felony charge of child abuse for injuries to his infant son, but filed this suit against Defendant, Fire Department, for the emergency medical aid that allegedly led to the death of his infant son. Defendant filed a summary judgment motion that was granted by the trial court on the grounds of government immunity. The appeals court held that government immunity applies to situations where fire fighters are supplying firefighting services, not emergency medical services.




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Pina v. County of Los Angeles

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed judgment on the verdict and remand for new trial. Plaintiff brought a personal injury action against Defendant for injuries suffered in a bus accident. The jury found for Plaintiff but awarded minimal damages on the belief from an expert testimony that future surgery would not be required. The court awarded Defendant costs and attorney fees under CCP 998. Plaintiff appealed on the grounds that the expert testimony exceeded the scope of permissible impeachment. The appeals court agreed and ordered the trial court to vacate its order on the post-trial motions.




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Griggs v. Chickasaw County, Mississippi

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Affirmed. The trial court's determination that the County Board of Supervisors' elimination of a longtime county Solid Waste Enforcement Officer's position was retaliation was upheld. The employee was running for sheriff as an Independent and the Board preferred Democrats.




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Campos v. Cook County

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. The dismissal of a suit alleging that protracted employment termination proceedings violated the substantive due process rights of a Sheriff's Office employee following their DUI arrest was proper because it did not meet the high standard for making out substantive due process claims.




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Ray v. County of Los Angeles

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Affirmed in part, reversed in part. The panel affirmed Los Angeles County was not entitled to 11th Amendment immunity because the County was not an arm of the state when it administered the In-Home Supportive Services program. The court reversed on the collective period’s effective date.



  • Labor & Employment Law

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Glovis America, Inc. v. County of Ventura

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a vehicle inspection company that leased land from the U.S. Navy failed to demonstrate that county tax authorities overvalued its leasehold interest by assuming that the lease would be extended beyond its original term. Affirmed the dismissal of the taxpayer's suit seeking a tax refund.




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Perry v. Coles County, Illinois

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed the dismissal of taxpayers' suit alleging that a county government imposed a disproportionate tax on commercial and industrial properties in one particular township as opposed to similar types of properties elsewhere in the county. Held that the district court appropriately abstained from hearing this Equal Protection Clause suit under the comity doctrine.




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Next Century Associates, LLC v. County of Los Angeles

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a county appeals board erred in denying a hotel's request for a property tax refund. The hotel contended that the property valuation was incorrect. Reversed and remanded to the board for a new hearing.



  • Tax Law
  • Property Law & Real Estate

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Karas-Durante v. County of Santa Clara

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a homeowner was not entitled to a refund of property taxes. County officials correctly determined that there was a change in ownership of a house she co-owned with her sister, which triggered a reassessment of its value. Affirmed a judgment after trial.



  • Tax Law
  • Property Law & Real Estate

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Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. v. County of Los Angeles

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a property owner could not proceed with a lawsuit seeking to recover tax overpayments. Affirmed a dismissal, in a case involving the determination of the real property's base-year value, a core metric for assessing property taxes in California.




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DFS Group, L.P. v. County of San Mateo

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a county tax assessor incorrectly determined the value, for property tax purposes, of a concessionaire's lease at San Francisco International Airport.




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Dondlinger v. Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a taxpayer could not proceed with a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a voter-approved special property tax imposed by Los Angeles County. Affirmed a judgment on the pleadings.




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Wright v. County of San Mateo

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that homeowners were not disqualified from taking a tax break. California has a special tax provision benefitting homeowners over 55 years of age when they relocate to a replacement dwelling in the same county. Reversed the trial court.




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SSL Landlord LLC v. County of San Mateo

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a plaintiff in a tax refund lawsuit was not entitled to an award of attorney fees. Affirmed the ruling below.




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SSL Landlord LLC v. County of San Mateo

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a plaintiff in a tax refund lawsuit was not entitled to an award of attorney fees. Affirmed the ruling below.




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City and County of San Francisco v. Regents of the University of California

(Supreme Court of California) - Held that it is constitutional for San Francisco to impose a tax on drivers who park their cars in paid parking lots, even when the parking lot is operated by a state university.




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Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County

(Supreme Court of California) - In an action that implicates the public‘s interest in transparency and a public agency‘s interest in confidential communications with its legal counsel, the Court of Appeal’s judgment concerning whether billing invoices are privileged is reversed where invoices for work in pending and active legal matters are so closely related to attorney-client communications that they implicate the heart of the privilege rule.



  • Evidence
  • Ethics & Professional Responsibility

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Medical Board of California v. The Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco

(California Court of Appeal) - Granting a writ petition in the case of a doctor who contested the introduction of arrest records relating to his conviction for possession of cocaine in professional misconduct proceedings and the tension between the Penal Code section stating that successful completion of a diversion program should not be used in a way that could result in the loss of a license and the Business and Professions Code section stating that the successful completion of diversion does not prohibit the agency from taking disciplinary action, holding that the latter statute was controlling.




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Magana v. The Superior Court of San Mateo County

(California Court of Appeal) - Denying a petition for writ of mandate or prohibition challenging a trial judge's refusal to disqualify himself and for the attorney's removal as defense counsel in a case where the defense attorney engaged in a series of procedural delays in his defense of a man charged with two counts of rape that the court eventually held was denying the victim, defendant, and government their right to a speedy trial because the court correctly found that his motion to disqualify was untimely and the trial court had the authority to remove defense counsel to ensure adequate representation is provided and to avoid the substantial impairment of court proceedings... a rarely exercised authority that was held to be appropriate in this instance.




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Yelp, Inc. v. Superior Court of Orange County

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirming the trial court's ruling that Yelp lacked standing to assert the First Amendment rights of an anonymous reviewer whose identity was sought in connection with a defamation claim, finding no error in the determination that the plaintiff made a prima facie showing that the comments made by this person were defamatory, and concluding that this finding was sufficient to support the court order compelling the production of subpeonaed documents, for which reason the petition for writ of mandate was denied, but also finding the opposition to the motion to compel was substantially justified and reversing the order of sanctions against Yelp.




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American Beverage Association v. City and County of San Francisco

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an en banc opinion, addressed the constitutionality of a San Francisco ordinance that requires health warnings to be included in advertisements for certain sugar-sweetened beverages. Industry groups challenged the ordinance, contending that it violates freedom of commercial speech. Finding this argument persuasive, the Ninth Circuit held that the district court should have granted a preliminary injunction against the ordinance.