Dr. Jan Adams makes headlines Again

The doc was probably under the influence when Kanye West's mother died:

The Los Angeles plastic surgeon who operated on rap star Kanye West's mother before she died last year was arrested in Solano County early Thursday on suspicion of drunk driving and driving on a suspended license.

Dr. Jan Adams was stopped by the California Highway Patrol after it received calls about 2:41 a.m. of a car traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 680 near Benicia after using an offramp to enter the freeway, officials said.

To CHP officers, Adams, who lives in Laguna Beach, appeared to have been driving his 2004 Jaguar XJ8 under the influence of alcohol.

He was booked into Solano County Jail on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood-alcohol level above the state's 0.08% limit and driving on a suspended license from a 2006 DUI conviction, officials said.

Man Guilty In MetroLink Crash

He thought someone would believe his bogus excuse of a failed suicide attempt.

Jurors today convicted Juan Manuel Alvarez of 11 counts of first-degree murder for the deadly Metrolink crash he caused three years ago when he parked his vehicle on railroad tracks.

The jury also found the 29-year-old Compton laborer guilty of arson and a special circumstance allegation that makes him eligible for the death penalty. Jurors will now hear testimony to determine whether Alvarez should be put to death for his crimes.


It's time for him to pay the consequences.

Are You Religious?

Well, according to a new survey, Californians may not be:

A national survey released Monday revealed that Californiana are less religious and less certain about the existence of God than the nation as a whole.

Residents of the Golden State do not pray as much as people in other parts of the country. They are less inclined to take scripture literally. And they are likelier to embrace "more than one true way" of interpreting their religious teachings.

You Can't Be Choosy

You can't pick and choose who you will service:

Several employees of the county clerk's office have been reassigned to other duties because they expressed "sincerely held religious objections" to gay marriage, county clerk Gregory Smith said Friday.

No employee is being allowed to perform marriage duties involving only heterosexual couples, Smith said. Instead, employees are being shifted to other duties that do not include issuing marriage licenses, officiating at civil weddings or acting as witnesses.

To Probe Or Not To Probe

Shouldn't there be a valid reason to probe someone's activities?

A legal ethics watchdog group Wednesday called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) for actions surrounding the foreclosure of her Sacramento home and defaults on her homes in San Pedro and Long Beach.

William Marshall, a spokesman for Richardson, called the complaint "pretty mean-spirited. It rehashes old news." He said the House ethics counsel last week met with the congresswoman and said her ethics statement met House rules.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, acknowledged that the chances for an investigation were slim because members of Congress must ask for the probe, and the committee has shown little interest lately in investigating representatives.

Same Sex Marriages

Opponents will be watching their every move:

The first legal same-sex marriages in California were performed Monday night, and thousands more gay couples are expected to flood into clerks' offices in the coming weeks to obtain marriage licenses. It's all happening with both sides keenly aware that in less than five months, voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman only.

With that in mind, proponents are trying hard to manage what kinds of same-sex marriage images Californians see during this year's so-called Summer of Love.

Opponents maintain that Californians' views have not changed substantially since 2000, when more than 60% of voters cast ballots against same-sex marriage. They predict that the spectacle of men marrying men and women marrying women will anger voters and spur them to support the anti-same-sex marriage amendment.

Same Sex marriage Licenses Issued

Although county offices are typically closed by 5 p.m., the registrars and clerks who issue marriage licenses in several counties -- Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, Sonoma and Yolo -- remained open to allow at least two dozen same-sex couples the distinction of being among the first to wed.

Upcoming Trial Of Ira Isaacs

How does one define obscenity?

Hollywood filmmaker Ira Isaacs says the videos he sells are works of art, protected under the Constitution. Federal prosecutors contend they are criminally obscene. The prosecution is the first in Southern California by a U.S. Department of Justice task force formed in 2005 after Christian conservative groups appealed to the Bush administration to crack down on smut.

For jurors to determine whether Isaacs' work is obscene, they will view hours of hard-core pornography so degrading that in one film, an actress cries throughout, prosecutors said in court papers. But if jurors find that any of the four videos at issue in the case have any "literary, scientific or artistic value," the work is not legally obscene, according to a 1973 Supreme Court ruling.

One man's art can be another man's trash.

Teachers Can Protest State Budget

What will your children be doing the first hour of classes on Friday? Well, the teachers have already made plans:

Los Angeles teachers can skip the first hour of their workday Friday to protest the state's education budget while students are overseen by aides and administrators, a Superior Court judge ruled today.

The Los Angeles Unified School District had filed for a temporary restraining order this morning, but Superior Court Judge David P. Yaffe declined the request. Earlier in the week, the state Public Employment Relations Board also declined to file an injunction on behalf of the district, which has expressed concern that the demonstration could endanger students.

California Facing A Drought

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning proclaimed a statewide drought, warning that California's water supply is falling dangerously low because of below-average rainfall and court-ordered water restrictions aimed at protecting fish.

Along with the proclamation, the governor issued an executive order intended to speed transfers of water to areas experiencing the most severe shortages, help local water districts boost conservation efforts, identify risks to the state's water supply, and assist farmers.

Who Will Be The Next O C Sheriff?

It looks like Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson is out of the race:

The Orange County Board of Supervisors today selected two finalists to become the county's next sheriff -- retired Los Angeles County sheriff's Division Chief Sandra Hutchens and Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.

Supervisors voted to have background checks conducted on each finalist before making their final decision June 10. The new sheriff will succeed former Sheriff Michael S. Carona, who resigned in January after he was indicted on federal corruption charges. Carona, who has pleaded not guilty, said he needed to focus his attention on his upcoming corruption trial.

Hospital's Penalty For Dumping Homeless Patients

What will the paraplegic man get?

Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center on Friday settled charges that it left a paraplegic man crawling around downtown Los Angeles' skid row in a hospital gown and colostomy bag by agreeing to pay $1 million and be monitored by a former U.S. attorney for up to five years.

As part of the settlement, Hollywood Presbyterian agreed to adopt new discharge rules and enhance services for homeless patients. The $1 million will go to nonprofit groups that aid the indigent and homeless patients in the Hollywood area and other parts of the city.