Valley Solutions

Legal shakedowns continue

Sacramento Bee. 1 woman sues 47 Sacramento businesses in 3 years. 
Synopsis: “Shakedown” lawyers are back, reports The Bee, as a single law firm, representing a single client, has filed 47 lawsuits over alleged violations of the American with Disabilities Act. The ADA allows aggrieved parties to settle with violators, often for thousands of dollars over relatively minor violations – like the size of the print in warning notices or faded paint in a parking lot. The plaintiff in all these cases is a 70-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair. Her lawyer is Daniel Malakauska, who uses boilerplate paperwork to threaten businesses. He usually settles with $5,000 going to the plaintiff and $15,000 to him. More than a decade ago, Malakauskas was profiled in an award-winning Modesto Bee investigation into ADA lawsuits by reporter Garth Stapley. The series of stories first used the term “shakedown lawsuits” to describe what Malakauskas does.  
MAD Take: Editorials written to accompany Stapley’s reporting pointed out a fairly easy fix for this kind of legal abuse: Provide well-meaning businesses an “opportunity to cure” before assessing penalties. If, once informed it is denying disabled persons access, the business doesn’t cure the problem, then the lawsuit can proceed. Another solution, first offered by then-Assemblymember Adam Gray, was to force high-frequency litigants to justify the charges before going to a jury. Unfortunately, both solutions were rejected by the lawyers in the legislature. Wonder why.

Prepping for election mayhem

Modesto Bee. How Trump’s executive order may impact mail-in voting in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: In an effort to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, Donald Trump has ordered federal screening of all mailed ballots. This isn’t sitting well with California officials. Stanislaus has been an “all-mail ballot” county since the early 1990s when it served as a pilot program for sending every voter a ballot in the mail. It increased participation and cut costs, leading the entire state to adopt the procedures. A CA researcher said 14 county grand juries have looked into all-mail voting over the years and found zero problems and no evidence of fraud. Among those decrying Trump’s latest attack on democracy was the League of Women Voters. “The Constitution is clear: Election administration is the responsibility of the states, not the executive branch.” Nate Monroe at UC Merced says placing “increased barriers to voting … could end up costing” Republicans more than Democrats, since so many Republicans vote by mail. Stanislaus State professor David Colnic says, “I don’t see how (Trump’s order) would survive a legal challenge.” That challenge is already in the works, says AG Rob Bonta.

Candidates kept talking

GV Wire. What candidates told GV Wire after Fresno governor’s debate.
Synopsis: After their forum, reporter David Taub spoke to the six candidates for governor who assembled in Fresno on Wednesday. Hosted by Western Growers Association and the Maddy Institute, the forum focused on affordability, gas prices, water, housing and the importance of farming. After the event, Xavier Becerra said staying out of reckless wars would keep gas prices down. Steve Hilton said he would drill more (though there is no shortage of oil wells in the US) and regulate less. Chad Bianco said he would remove “every single regulation on the oil industry.” Matt Mahan said he would suspend the gas tax.

Pacheco makes his case

Merced County Times. Pacheco says he’s in position to deliver results for local residents. 
Synopsis: Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco says in the entire CA legislature there’s “not one bona fide farmer – whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican.” The Kerman dairyman wants to change that and is running to replace Esmeralda Soria in the Assembly. Soria is running to replace termed-out Anna Caballero in the Senate. Pacheco is facing former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy and Livingston councilmember Japjeet Singh Uppal. Affordability, protecting water rights and supporting law enforcement are the main pillars of his campaign.

Fresno to sue its assessor?

Fresno Bee. Supes may sue Fresno’s elected assessor; would they have to pay his legal fees. 
Synopsis: The Fresno board of supervisors is considering suing its own county Assessor, Paul Dictos, for having overcharged developers for real estate transactions. State law allows a charge of $75 for each transaction. Dictos charges $75 for every parcel within a transaction. The board agrees with developers, who say charges should be capped at $225. Apparently, Fresno is the only county that is charging per parcel. It puts Fresno in the interesting position of having to pay to defend against a lawsuit it is bringing.

Victims relive abuse trauma

Modesto Focus. Confronting stigma of sexual abuse in the aftermath of Cesar Chavez’s alleged crimes. 
Synopsis: Reporter Garth Stapley talks to Christine Nguyen, CEO of My Sister’s House, about the emotional trauma felt by victims when new reports of sexual abuse surface. “Rehashing all that trauma – sometimes the soul and body cannot handle the pain,” said Nguyen. Among those quoted were victims of sexual abuse that occurred at Modesto’s First Baptist Church, a case Stapley helped uncover as a reporter for The Modesto Bee.

ICE hasn’t cooled it

Modesto Bee. ICE arrested 18 in Stanislaus County over last 6 months. 
Synopsis: In the past six months, ICE has arrested 18 people in Stanislaus County, bringing the total since Trump’s return to 36. All the arrests occurred at the Stanislaus County jail. The numbers were contained in the required report provided by the Sheriff’s Office but does not include apprehensions away from the jail or detentions done by the Border Patrol. The overwhelming majority of those arrested by ICE in Northern California have had no criminal record or charges pending.

No snow, no kidding around

LA Times. April 1 is supposed to be peak snow in CA; forget that this year. 
Synopsis: Reporter Ian James writes about the snow drought and unseasonal heat wave drying out our high-mountain meadows. At Lake Tahoe, DWR’s Andy Reising measured “zero” snow on Wednesday. Overall, the Sierra snowpack is at 18% of normal, the lowest percentage since 1950. Scientists say this is exactly what climate change looks like, and it’s compounding CA’s water problems. James quotes well-known climate scientists Peter Gleick and Daniel Swain. Said Gleick: “It could be a very bad fire year. It also means rivers and streams are going to dry out sooner, and that has implications for natural ecosystems and our fisheries.” DWR boss Karla Nemeth put bluntly: “What we have in our reservoirs in California is all we’re going to get. … Every Californian needs to use water as carefully as they can.”

History Day a thing of the past

GV Wire. Fresno Unified halts competition funding for academic teams.
Synopsis: Speech and debate competitors in Fresno’s high schools will no longer be able to argue their cases outside the district. Participation in History Day competition will be a thing of the past. Fresno Unified has decided to stop funding competition as it tries to fill a $77 million hole in the budget. One of the first moves announced by staff was to defund competition that requires learning instead of running, jumping or throwing a ball. One observer questioned why “student-facing” activities are the first things to be cut rather than the last.

Good cheese, and bad cheese

Merced Sun Star. Atwater cheesemaker claims three medals at world championship event.
Synopsis: Joseph Gallo Farms won three medals at the 2025 World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland. “We’re incredibly proud of these awards,” said CEO Mike Gallo. There were more than 5,000 cheeses in the competition from 40 nations. Joseph Gallo Farms has been making cheese for 80 years.

KSEE / CBS47. Fresno’s Raw Farm issues voluntary recall amid FDA’s E.coli investigation.
Synopsis: After several weeks of defiance, Raw Farms has issued a recall for seven of its products due to E.coli contamination. The company does not pasteurize the milk it uses and has been the subject of several previous recalls. The cheddar cheese products are suspected in making at least nine people ill. The company continues to insist its products are safe. “This voluntary recall is being performed under protest.”  

Walking, praying to end violence

Merced County Times. Faithful gather to walk against violence in Merced.
Synopsis: Merced Community Collaborative Intercessors are walking and praying to end violence in the community. They have already begun conducting monthly prayer walks. The third was on March 28 with several dozen folks gathering at Bob Hart Square then walking through the community. Jeremy Jenkins and Francesca Mares Lopez say they were “led by the Holy Spirit” to gather the community.

Old guy busted with meth

GV Wire. Merced County authorities arrest 72-year-old for pound of meth.
Synopsis: Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ronald Killman after spotting him near the Sure Stay Best Western in Livingston. He already had a warrant out for his arrest. When they searched his vehicle, they found a pound of meth and “items suggesting the drugs were intended for sale.”

Young guys busted with booze

Merced Sun Star. Four suspects arrested for Le Grand robbery, Merced sheriff says.
Synopsis: Two teens and two juveniles were arrested for robbing the Le Grand Village Market, stealing bottles of liquor from behind the counter. They threatened to kill the cashier and were still filling their backpacks when deputies arrived. All four spent the evening as guests of Sheriff Vern Warnke.