Local Politics
The U.S. Justice Department sued California to sequester roughly 20,000 ballots from alleged noncitizen voters and charged 28 California legal permanent residents with voter fraud on Oct. 19, arresting 11. A federal judge rejected the ballot-sequestration demand Oct. 28, calling it unprecedented coercion of a state; a federal appeals court upheld that ruling Oct. 30. The dispute also includes subpoenas to California election officials for Nov. 4 grand jury appearances and multiple lawsuits by voting-rights groups challenging federal actions ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election.
Local Politics · Santa Clara County
The Service Employees International Union filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in San Jose U.S. District Court challenging warnings from Justice Department officials, President Trump, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that California election workers could face prosecution for processing ballots cast by people on a list of approximately 20,000 potential noncitizens. The complaint alleges the threats constitute voter intimidation and violate states' constitutional authority to regulate elections. The filing followed Justice Department grand jury subpoenas sent to California county election officials and came days before Tuesday's congressional election. A federal judge in Los Angeles had rejected the DOJ's request to set aside ballots from people on the list, and a 9th Circuit panel upheld that ruling Friday in a 2-1 decision.
Crime · San Jose, CA
Police arrested two women in connection with a homicide investigation that began after a stab-victim's body was discovered in a Livermore ravine on Aug. 25, authorities said. Investigators determined the killing occurred at a home in San Jose, and one suspect was located in Los Angeles while the other was found in San Jose earlier this week. Both suspects were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail. Police have not released additional information about the suspects or the victim.
