California

Trying to prove that cops are good people, a California man stepped out of his car during a traffic stop wielding a loaded rifle, apparently believing it would lead to a kumbaya moment with the officers.
A Bakersfield cop ended up shooting him multiple times.
Now Jose Vaca remains incarcerated on a $400,000 bond, charged with 11 criminal counts.
What the hell was he thinking?
The 29-year-old man said he was conversing with a friend a few months ago about police brutality where she was saying that all cops are bad and he was saying that not all cops are bad.

Despite only testing positive for caffeine, a California prosecutor is pursuing DUI charges against a man arrested during a traffic stop last year.
Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams admits it will be a “very difficult challenge” to convict the man. Especially considering she has absolutely no evidence.
But since when did lack of evidence ever stop a prosecutor from moving forward with an unlawful arrest?

A man who was taking photos in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant ended up detained by cops demanding his identification, telling him they were investigating burglaries in the area.
It is not clear how they took the leap from questioning a man for taking photos in public to investigating burglaries, but “burglaries in the area” is an old standby excuse frequently used by police to detain and harass innocent people, even if there have not been a rash of burglaries.

Jimmy GomezCalifornia elected 5 new freshmen this year— all Democrats replacing Democrats: Ro Khanna, who won a primary against Mike Honda, Jimmy Panetta, who took the seat Sam Farr retired from, Salud Carbajal, who took the seat Lois Capps retired from, Nanette Barragan, who took the seat Janice Hahn retired from and Lou Correa, who took the seat Loretta Sanchez gave top when she ran, unsuccessfully, for the Senate.

Jimmy GomezCalifornia elected 5 new freshmen this year— all Democrats replacing Democrats: Ro Khanna, who won a primary against Mike Honda, Jimmy Panetta, who took the seat Sam Farr retired from, Salud Carbajal, who took the seat Lois Capps retired from, Nanette Barragan, who took the seat Janice Hahn retired from and Lou Correa, who took the seat Loretta Sanchez gave top when she ran, unsuccessfully, for the Senate.

A Northern California woman said she suffered a miscarriage after Bay Area Rapid Transit police officers forced her down on her stomach, placed a knee on her back and cuffed her hands behind her back, even after she told them she was pregnant, which violates a department policy forbidding the handcuffing of pregnant women behind their backs.

Pain pills, water warnings and finger naps + this day in history w/Nixon Meets Elvis and our song of the day by Samantha Crain on your Morning Monarchy for December 21, 2016.

An unnamed California security guard has been fired after he was busted by a football fan with a camera masturbating during an NFL football game right out in the open, standing few feet from the cheerleaders he was supposed to be protecting.
The video was released after the woman who recorded it tried to contact the company four times to address the man disregarding women’s rights and general human decency.

Marijuana legalization won out big time on election day. California, Massachusetts, and Nevada legalized recreational weed, and Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota voted to legalize medical marijuana. Some form of pot use is now legal in the majority of U.S. states, but what will marijuana legalization efforts look like under a Trump presidency?
Source: Marijuana Policy Project

Two California cops who shot and unarmed man earlier this year, then continued shooting him after he fell down clutching his abdomen will not face criminal charges.
Fresno police officers Raymond Camacho and Robert Chavez pulled over Dylan Noble on June 25, suspecting him of walking down the street with a rifle in his hand, even though it was obvious from their body cam footage he was not carrying a rifle.