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The California Highway Patrol is being investigated for an alleged “game” in which officers shared nude photos of women stolen from suspects’ cell phones. In a search warrant affidavit, CHP Officers Sean Harrington and Robert Hazelwood are accused of snagging near-naked selfies from arrestees’ phones and then trading them like baseball cards. The Contra Costa Times reports that Harrington confessed to stealing explicit photos from a DUI suspect’s phone as part of a sophomoric “game” between other officers....

Religious freedom guarantees do not give California medical care providers the right to refuse to treat gay and lesbian patients, even if that treatment goes against the caregivers’ religious beliefs, the California Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The case arose when Guadalupe Benitez, a lesbian, sought treatment for fertility and pregnancy assistance at a California medical facility. Two physicians at the facility expressed their reluctance to perform a common artificial insemination technique on Benitez, based on the physicians’ religious views....

What began with a history making raid on a congressional office and $90k found in a freezer, ended with a 13 year sentence for ex-Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson last Friday. Jefferson was convicted of 11 out of 16 counts of bribery, racketeering and money laundering related to business ventures in Africa. If he had been convicted on all counts, the 62 year old Jefferson could have faced up to 235 years in prison....

Internet Explorer users beware: Homeland Security experts have noted a bug in the browser that can allow hackers to completely compromise an affected system. The U.S. Computers Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), part of the Department of Homeland Security, advised Monday that Internet Explorer users “consider employing an alternative web browser.” What can you do to avoid Internet Explorer putting you at risk? IE Bug May Allow Remote Access The Internet Explorer (IE) bug affects IE versions 6 through 11, which are running on most PCs packaged with Windows sold in the last decade or so....

Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis is on the losing side of a legal in his lawsuit against Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole. In a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) hearing tied to the Jayde Nicole vs. Joe Francis dispute, a judge has thrown out part of Francis’ claim. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Francis’ defamation claim stemmed from Playboy model Jayde Nicole claiming Francis punched her. Francis claimed the woman libeled and slandered him, as well as painted him in a false light....

It’s time for Beliebers to rejoice: it turns out it probably wasn’t his baby. Justin Bieber’s paternity suit has been dropped by would-be baby mama, Mariah Yeater. Alleged text messages sent by Yeater about the real father may also be landing the 20-year-old in some legal trouble. Yeater’s suit was quietly dropped on November 9. Her previous attorneys withdrew from representing her. Her new attorneys, however, are still negotiating with Bieber’s attorneys out of court in an effort to get him to take the paternity test....

Kylie Jenner, younger half-sister of Kim and Chloe Kardashian, made like her sisters and did something stupid legally suspect while a camera was rolling. Jenner, 16, was filmed last week giving a tattoo to Miles Richie, son of the famous Lionel, at a Hollywood recording studio. Unlike most of her sisters’ chronicled stupidity, however, the underage Kylie’s turn behind the tattoo gun could have real-world legal consequences. Jenner may soon be asking local authorities, “Hello....

Financial analyst and fraud tipster Harry Markopolos testified before the House Financial Services Committee today about the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scandal. For almost nine years, Markopolos conducted his own investigation and pleaded with the SEC to investigate what would become the largest Ponzi scheme yet recorded. His testimony questions fundamental competency within the SEC and suggests that SEC attorneys failed for the same reason many Madoff investors got duped: ignorance about the investments plus embarrassment at not understanding....

Toyota is coming under fire because more and more agencies are coming out of the woodwork claiming that the car manufacturer knew about unintended acceleration problems in their vehicles years before the recent recalls. The Detroit News reports that State Farm Insurance told federal regulators that there was a rise in claims due to unintended acceleration. The insurance company also reported that the incidents involved Toyota vehicles. The insurance company notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in a letter that was dated Sept....

While the matter of Masterpiece Cakeshop was argued before the Supreme Court in December, a ruling as yet to be issued. And in the meantime, the Oregon Court of Appeals decided another case of bakers refusing to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, upholding a $135,000 fine against Aaron and Melissa Klein for discrimination under state law. It was the third ruling against the Kleins’ now-closed Sweet Cakes by Melissa, but its validity could depend on what the Supreme Court does this term....

Good grief! Peter Robbins, the voice of Charlie Brown in those still-popular “Peanuts” TV specials, has been arrested for stalking. The former child actor, now 56, faces five felony counts. Four of the counts are for making threats to cause death or bodily injury, and one count is for stalking, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. Robbins is being held on $550,000 bail. So just who would Charlie Brown stalk? Robbins was arrested shortly after 8 p....

Last Tuesday, Californians went to the polls and approved a change to the state’s constitution that would limit the legal definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage in the state. Over the weekend, protests over passage of Proposition 8 attracted demonstrators on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate. Many legal experts predict that the issue may once again be resolved – perhaps only temporariliy – in the courts....

Things seem to have become “pretty wild” for Alexis Neiers, the young reality TV star who was sentenced to six months jail time for her alleged role in the celebrity “Bling Ring” case. Alexis Neiers, 18, who appears in the E! reality TV show “Pretty Wild” about teen Hollywood socialites, pleaded no contest to her part in burglarizing the home of the star of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Lord of the Rings,” Orlando Bloom, Reuters reports....

A February lawsuit challenging Utah’s bigamy law may soon be dismissed. Kody Brown and his four Sister Wives brought the suit after Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Buhman launched an investigation into the family’s unique ways. But now Buhman has asked the court to dismiss the Sister Wives lawsuit, claiming that he has changed his mind. He has told the court that he will no longer pursue the Browns unless he finds out they are breaking other, non-bigamy laws....

The Arizona sweat lodge death verdict has come down, with a jury finding James Arthur Ray guilty of negligent homicide in the deaths of 3 people in his self-help seminar back in 2009. Ray, a self-help guru, had been one of the rising stars in the $11 billion industry before the tragic deaths. He previously appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Larry King Live,” with his self-help ventures bringing in about $10 million annually....

Many of us will be out and about this July 4th weekend – cookouts, pool parties, or ball games, all followed by a fireworks show. And some of us will be enjoying a few adult beverages during the festivities. The first rule of drinking is no driving afterwards. But if you do tip a few back before getting behind the wheel, there are a few more rules you should know about the drunk-driving checkpoints that are sure to be set out this weekend....

Celebrity chef Jose Andres has finally been able to settle the 2015 lawsuit filed against him by President Donald Trump’s business organization. Andres was sued for withdrawing his plans to put a restaurant in the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. after President Trump made controversial, pejorative statements about Mexicans and other immigrants while on the campaign trail. After being served with the $10 million lawsuit for breach of contract, Andres fired back with an $8 million countersuit....

Even in the land of the free, fighting in public is illegal. It is disorderly conduct that disturbs the peace. And keeping the peace is part of the social contract. You didn’t sign that contract but were born into it, and being a member of society means following certain rules of behavior that keep a general sense of peace. Ignoring those rules by brawling in public is a criminal offense, punishable by fines, jail time, or both....

As an alternative to a night in jail, Pennsylvania offers people convicted of DUI the choice of serving their sentence in a ‘DUI Hotel.’ This hotel doesn’t have room service or a pool. What it has is alcohol-education programs, treatment sessions, and mandatory evaluations. It’s not so much a luxury stay as a last chance for first-time offenders to stay out of jail. Officially the program is called the DUI Alternative Jail Program and is only available in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh....

“The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison and his wife are divorcing, People Magazine reports. Harrison, 40, and Gwen Jones announced they would be separating after 18 years together. The decision to part was “incredibly difficult,” but they still have “love and mutual respect” for each other, the couple said in a joint statement. Harrison and Jones live in California with their two children, Joshua, 9, and Taylor, 7. So far, everything seems amicable....