News

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Court of Appeal has ruled that the state’s prolonged detention of people who have been declared incompetent to stand trial due to psychiatric or intellectual disability violates their right to due process. This has profound implications for the thousands of people who languish in county jails every year because they cannot stand trial or pursue their defense without adequate treatment for their disabilities.

“The court recognized that California cannot continue to warehouse people in jail for months at a time while it denies them both their right to a trial and the mental health treatment they need to become competent to have a trial,” said Michael Risher, counsel for the ACLU Foundation of Northern California. “These are people who have not been convicted of any crime and cannot even demand a trial because of their condition. The ruling affirms that they must have access to prompt treatment, and it highlights the need for the Legislature to address the root causes of this crisis once and for all.”

OAKHURST - The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians announced today that the Tribe has been awarded federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) to construct 17 single-family tribal homes in Oakhurst, California. The Tribe applied for the award to finance the development of a tribal housing community to meet the needs of tribal families.  

The 17-unit development will include thirteen 3-bedroom homes, four 4-bedroom homes, and a tribal community playground. “The Tribe competed and won the award for these tax credits after going through an appeal process,” said Tribal Chairwoman Claudia Gonzales. “The tax credits will be used to finance this exciting new tribal housing community project to provide support to tribal families.”

OAKHURST - Thursday afternoon the Madera County Sheriff’s Communications Center received a call regarding a female subject who had fallen along Lewis Creek at Lewis Creek National Recreation Trail. The patient, a 50-year-old female from Madera County, tripped and fell down about 30- 40 feet into a notch in the rock face while hiking along the creek with her family. She suffered injuries to her lower leg and was unable to walk, and the rock face prevented her from crawling up to safety. Family and bystanders were able to call 911 to request help.

Crews from MCSO, MCSO Search and Rescue Volunteers, CAL-FIRE, Madera County Fire, Sierra Ambulance, California Highway Patrol Helicopter, United States Forest Service Law Enforcement, and USFS Fire responded to the location. Crews were able to locate the female above Corlieu Falls.

SACRAMENTO -  An indictment was unsealed following the arrest of an Acampo man Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On June 10, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Robert Allen Pooley, 46, of Acampo, charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to tandem parachuting courses.

According to court documents, in 2010, Pooley obtained ratings as a “tandem examiner” with the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) and as a “tandem examiner” with Uninsured United Parachute Technologies LLC (UPT), a manufacturer of tandem parachute systems. He then began conducting training courses for candidates seeking to obtain their USPA Tandem Instructor rating and/or their certification to use UPT tandem parachute systems. He charged for these courses and conducted them at a skydiving business located in Acampo.

SACRAMENTO -  Robert Joseph Maher, 42, formerly of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and three months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between November 2010 and February 2018, Maher participated in a scheme to defraud the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) by filing fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits. In furtherance of this scheme, Maher and his co-defendant, Michael Herron II, also of Stockton, created fictitious companies and fictitious employees by using the real identities of persons with and without their knowledge. They then filed claims with EDD, falsely stating that the employees had been laid-off or fired. The unemployment benefits were deposited onto debit cards that were mailed to addresses controlled by Maher, Herron, or their associates.

VISALIA -  To better reflect the breadth of services it offers to elevate the health and well-being of the Central Valley, the largest district hospital in the state and the only California affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, has completed an extensive rebranding initiative.

The largest acute care hospital and the only trauma center between Bakersfield and Fresno is now Kaweah Health following a rebranding initiative that includes a new name, a new logo, and an updated website.