Newsletter: Essential California: Are justice reforms to blame for a cop’s death?

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, May 11, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Last year, Michael Christopher Mejia, an admitted gang member who had recently been released from prison, shot two Whitter police officers. His case became a rallying cry for politicians and police officers who point to the shooting as clear evidence of the failure of less strict sentencing laws. The killing of Officer Keith Boyer and wounding of another officer have galvanized a movement to ask state voters this November to reverse some of the recent changes to sentencing laws and the prison system. But records show a far more complex chain of events that allowed Mejia to remain free despite his record of criminal behavior. Los Angeles Times

Timeline: Mejia’s months of rule-breaking before a cop killing. Los Angeles Times

What happened to their son?

Four years after his death in Germany, Brian Claflin’s parents are still trying to understand what happened to their son. Claflin’s father received via email a statement his son sent to a law firm just before his death, alleging that filmmaker Gary Goddard had drugged and sexually assaulted him at age 18 in Los Angeles. It was an allegation Brian Claflin had made repeatedly in the preceding decade. The Times spoke to three people — two close friends and his sister, Molly Jones — who said Claflin told them about the alleged assault, and he accused Goddard directly in an email exchange in 2006. Goddard vociferously denied the allegation then, as he does now. Los Angeles Times

Where the Golden State Killer may have begun

In 1972 and 1973, in an eastern part of Sacramento, a prolific cat burglar struck more than 30 times. Now decades later, investigators are increasingly convinced that Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was this cat burglar. They believe this is where the man they now accuse of being the prolific Golden State Killer got his start, graduating over the next 14 years to increasingly violent and ultimately deadly crimes. Los Angeles Times

Plus: DeAngelo Jr. was charged in four more killings Thursday when prosecutors in Santa Barbara County charged him with a pair of double-slayings in 1979 and 1981. Los Angeles Times

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L.A. STORIES

Dodger blues: If the Dodgers’ early-season malaise becomes a season-long problem, the responsible party will be the front office that constructed the team, writes columnist Dylan Hernandez. Los Angeles Times

Flying taxis?! Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said Wednesday that he is “reasonably confident” that demonstration flights of its flying taxi service will start in Dallas and Los Angeles in two years, with commercial service set to start in 2023. Los Angeles Times

Don’t forget! Where to take mom for Mother’s Day brunch. Los Angeles Times

All those cranes: Check out the ongoing renovations at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Curbed LA

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

ICE in the courthouse: Adopting another measure to counter the Trump administration, the California Senate on Thursday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill that would bar the disclosure of the immigration status of alleged crime victims and witnesses in open court unless a judge rules the information is relevant to the case. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

That’s a lot of voters: California’s electorate stands at 18.8 million voters, but the percentage of registered Republicans in the state fell to a new low, with the number now almost equal in size to the voters unaffiliated with any political party. Los Angeles Times

Endorsement alert! Antonio Villaraigosa showed political courage in hard times. He should be California’s next governor, the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board concludes. Los Angeles Times

Endorsement alert, Part 2! The San Francisco Chronicle went with Gavin Newsom for governor. San Francisco Chronicle

Where they stand: How California’s candidates for governor want to fix the state’s housing problems. Los Angeles Times

And: The GOP in California is quite worried it’ll be completely shut out of the top two spots in the state’s governor race. NPR

Ummmm: This cryptocurrency billionaire is trying to split California into three states. Bloomberg

CRIME AND COURTS

Pay up: Wells Fargo & Co. must pay $97 million to home mortgage consultants and private mortgage bankers in California who didn’t get the breaks they were entitled to under the state’s labor laws. Los Angeles Times

Eesh: The videotaped arrest this week of two men at a domestic-violence call prompted swift condemnation from family members and community leaders Wednesday, as San Diego sheriff’s officials launched an investigation. San Diego Union-Tribune

Rialto in the news: “Earlier this week, three black Airbnb guests checked out of their rental only to be met by seven police cars. Attorneys for the guests said a woman who called Rialto authorities said she made the call because the departing guests didn’t wave to her or smile at her.” CNN

THE ENVIRONMENT

Out in the desert: A radio magnate wants to build cell towers in the California desert. Trump might help. Desert Sun

On the move, hopefully: A lot of nuclear waste that’s been sitting close to downtown Sacramento for decades may finally be on the move. Sacramento Bee

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

The glamour: What it’s like to walk the red carpet on Cannes’ opening night. Los Angeles Times

What to do with a name: Cal State Long Beach’s 49ers have a complicated history, but it’s one worth rooting for, argues columnist Gustavo Arellano. Los Angeles Times

Sumo wrestling! “At a mere 195 pounds, this California native is a sumo wrestling underdog.” Mercury News

Yum: L.A.’s “finest Korean barbecue restaurants,” 2018 edition. Eater Los Angeles

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: partly cloudy, 69, Friday; partly cloudy, 68, Saturday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 63, Friday; partly cloudy, 65, Saturday. San Francisco area: partly cloudy, 72, Friday; sunny, 70, Saturday. Sacramento: cloudy, 65, Friday; partly cloudy, 85 Saturday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Gina Vasquez:

“I grew up in Santa Ana in the late ’50s and ’60s ,when it was still semi-rural. I have fond memories of the area around Bolsa and Harbor Boulevard with its strawberry fields and drive-in movie theater. I now live in Mallorca, Spain, and was amused when I recently read about ‘free-range parenting.’ So glad not to have had to deal with the problems that today’s kids face. I was able to ride my bike throughout the neighborhood and into the next, play in the orange orchard that grew behind our house, go from one friend’s house to another and spend Saturday mornings at the downtown cinema. Sometimes my brother and I crossed town on the public bus from St. Joseph’s elementary school, and I was only about 7. Now that was an adventure!”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.