latimes--2020-02-06--At Harvey Weinstein trial, six women accused him of sexual assaults. Here are their stories

Manhattan prosecutors rested their case against Harvey Weinstein in New York City on Thursday , where the mogul faces life in prison if convicted of multiple counts of predatory sexual assault and rape that span decades .
The defense will begin its case Friday .
Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges , while his attorneys have repeatedly argued the alleged attacks were consensual .
Over the last two weeks , Weinstein ’ s accusers have made a number of graphic allegations of sexual assault in hotel rooms and apartments in New York City , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements — a promise of career advancement , an invitation somewhere private , and a night that accusers said would leave many of them horrified even decades later : Sciorra , the Brooklyn actress best known for her role in “ The Sopranos , ” claimed Weinstein forced his way into her Manhattan apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and violently assaulted her after they attended an industry event together .
After offering her a ride home from an Irish restaurant , Sciorra alleges Weinstein came up to her apartment in Gramercy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoving his way inside when she opened it .
Once inside , Weinstein began unbuttoning his shirt , she said .
Fearing he wanted sex , she asked him to leave .
Before she could run , she said he grabbed the front of her nightgown , held her wrists above her head and pinned her down .
“ I was trying to get him off of me .
I was punching him .
I was kicking him .
I was just trying to get him away from me and he took my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head , ” Sciorra , 59 , said , nearly crying on the stand in January .
“ He got on top of me and he raped me.
” He then performed oral sex on her , telling her , “ This is for you , ” Sciorra recounted .
“ It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual , ” she said .
“ I didn ’ t really even know what was happening .
It was like a seizure or something.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was confused at the time .
She said she thought “ rape was something that happened in a back alleyway or a dark place , ” committed by “ someone you didn ’ t know with a gun to your head.
” Haley , a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co.-produced reality show “ Project Runway , ” said she first met the mogul at the premiere of “ The Aviator ” in 2004 .
Haley said the two had an awkward interaction at the Cannes Film Festival , when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a professional relationship with Weinstein , Haley said , she left .
Weinstein , however , would not relent , she alleged .
He helped her land a job on “ Project Runway ” in New York , but also repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show , at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited , trying to convince her to take the trip , she said .
He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to offend him , she testified .
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry , Haley said she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006 .
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her .
Panicked , Haley said she kept retreating from Weinstein , even mentioning she was menstruating , until she stumbled backward into a bedroom .
As Haley recalled the alleged assault , tears began streaming down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
He held me down by my arms … no , stay , like that … and I said , ‘ No , no ’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped , ” she said Monday .
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her .
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel , where she said Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her .
In shock , Haley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time while the mogul called her a “ whore ” and a “ bitch.
” “ I didn ’ t resist .
I just laid there , ” she said , dabbing at her eyes .
Haley has since changed her last name from Haleyi , in part due to the high-profile nature of the Weinstein case .
She first went public with her allegation in 2017 .
A once-aspiring actress from a tiny Washington state dairy town , Mann ’ s testimony marked the most gut-wrenching portion of Weinstein ’ s trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the stand recounting a harrowing relationship with the mogul that she admitted was consensual at times , but was also marked by verbal abuse , degradation and at least two instances of violent sexual assault .
On Monday , Mann broke down on the stand during cross-examination , causing Supreme Court Judge James Burke to end proceedings for the day .
Mann said she met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013 , and he initially expressed interest in her acting .
Their early meetings were cordial — in one instance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Book Soup in West Hollywood to help her find reading material that might help her career — but the relationship quickly devolved into one entirely dependent on the mogul ’ s sexual desires , she alleged .
“ It was like Jekyll and Hyde .
He could be the most charming , informative person ; he could lift you up to anyone he introduced you to and then behind closed doors it was ... dependent on if I gave him what he wanted , ” Mann told jurors last week .
Mann said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinks at the Montage in Beverly Hills to discuss a possible role in a “ vampire movie.
” Weisntein invited Mann and a friend — who is expected to testify for the defense — up to his hotel room .
Once upstairs , Mann said through tears , Weinstein bullied her into a bedroom and forced oral sex on her .
Despite the alleged incident at the Montage , Mann said she proceeded to participate in a number of consensual sex acts with him .
Mann said Weinstein reminded her of her father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mogul ’ s approval in the acting field , while describing a consensual but harrowing relationship where the Miramax co-founder treated her well in public but allegedly used her as a sexual plaything in private .
While Mann described a number of the encounters as consensual — she said she felt “ compassion ” for Weinstein — she also said she was not attracted to him .
During their encounters , she said Weinstein was domineering and verbally abusive .
In one instance , she said , he urinated on her in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in oral sex until 2013 , she said , when Mann traveled to New York to help arrange a meeting between Weinstein and a friend of hers working as an agent .
The morning of the meeting , Mann alleged , Weinstein checked himself into her hotel .
Fearing he was trying to set the stage for a sexual encounter , she said she confronted him in the hotel lobby .
The mogul grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside before leading her to the room , she alleged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from leaving and ordered her to undress .
Unable to escape , Mann said she “ gave up ” and had sex with Weinstein against her will .
Later in the same year , Mann said Weinstein helped her find work as a hairdresser at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills .
By that time she had begun dating an actor , which Weinstein had expressly forbidden .
But she said she was in love and wanted to tell Weinstein , hoping he would end their situation .
Sobbing from the witness stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her once she had admitted she was dating an actor .
“ His eyes changed and he wasn ’ t there .
He picked me up from the chair … he was screaming , ‘ You owe me !
You owe me one more time !
’ ” she alleged , saying he dragged her to a hotel room and raped her .
Dunning was the first of three “ Molineux witnesses ” to testify in the New York trial , meaning that while her alleged assault could not be prosecuted , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call her to testify about “ prior bad acts ” that Weinstein allegedly took part in .
She said she met Weinstein while working at a Manhattan nightclub in 2004 .
He appeared to take an interest in her acting career , so Dunning said they arranged several meetings .
During one encounter in a hotel , Weinstein allegedly thrust his hand up Dunning ’ s skirt and attempted to touch her genitals .
Dunning objected and Weinstein asked her not to make a “ big deal ” of the situation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein asked her to meet him in a hotel room along with his assistant .
Once there , she said , Weinstein was clad in nothing but a bathrobe , and the mogul had placed three movie contracts on a coffee table .
Dunning said Weinstein promised her a role in each contract , as long as she had a threesome with Weinstein and his assistant .
“ When he said that , I laughed .
I thought he was kidding , ” Dunning said .
“ He got really angry ; he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never make it in this business .
This is how the industry works.
’ ” She refused and said she fled the hotel .
Dunning ’ s allegation is too old for prosecutors to charge Weinstein with a crime .
Wulff said she met Weinstein while working as a waitress at Cipriani ’ s in Manhattan in 2005 .
She claimed Weinstein , a friend of the venue ’ s owner , led her away from a VIP area and into an unused terrace section of the restaurant , where she said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
At trial , prosecutors said , Wulff ran past Weinstein and later shrugged off the incident as the mogul being a “ dirty old man.
” A few weeks later , after agreeing to what she believed to be an audition at Miramax ’ s New York offices , Wulff got into a private car sent by Weinstein only to be escorted instead to the producer ’ s apartment .
Led up to his apartment , Wulff said , Weinstein quickly became aggressive with her and used his size and strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately rape her .
Wullf ’ s allegation is also too old to be prosecuted .
A Pennsylvania native who was 22 at the time of the alleged attack , Young said she had been living in Los Angeles for two years when she first met the mogul in February 2013 in the restaurant of the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills .
Young said a recent acquaintance , who was also present at the Montage that night , arranged the meeting to talk about Young ’ s unfinished script .
After talking briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told both women that he needed to go up to his room because he had to prepare to accept an award with Quentin Tarantino that night , Young said .
Once they entered Weinstein ’ s hotel room , Young said she unwittingly followed the producer into the bathroom , with the other woman trailing behind .
The bathroom was at the end of a hallway attached to the bedroom , Young said , so she didn ’ t realize where she was being led .
As Young stepped into the bathroom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mirror and saw the other woman closing the door , leaving Young alone with the producer .
Weinstein entered the shower , turned it on and started undressing , she said .
As Young attempted to leave , she realized that the other woman was blocking the door from the outside , she said .
“ That ’ s when I realized this was set up , she put me in here , ” Young testified .
As Young approached the door , Weinstein moved closer to her and prevented her from leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then backed her toward the sink , and she turned away because she didn ’ t want to look at his naked body .
Her voice cracked in court as she recalled how she told the producer that she wasn ’ t interested and that she had a boyfriend .
Weinstein then forcefully grabbed and pinched her breast with one hand while masturbating with the other , Young said .
Young ’ s allegations are among those that led to sexual assault charges against Weinstein in Southern California , where he faces multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copulation , sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint .

Harvey Weinstein is escorted into court on May 25, 2018, in New York.
Manhattan prosecutors rested their case against Harvey Weinstein in New York City on Thursday, where the mogul faces life in prison if convicted of multiple counts of predatory sexual assault and rape that span decades.
Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges, while his attorneys have repeatedly argued the alleged attacks were consensual. The defense began its case Thursday.
Over the last two weeks, Weinstein’s accusers have made a number of graphic allegations of sexual assault in hotel rooms and apartments in New York City, with many of them sharing the same elements — a promise of career advancement, an invitation somewhere private, and a night that accusers said would leave many of them horrified even decades later:
Annabella Sciorra
Actress Annabella Sciorra arrives as a witness in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial in New York on Jan. 23. (Richard Drew / Associated Press)
Sciorra, the Brooklyn actress best known for her role in “The Sopranos,” alleged Weinstein forced his way into her Manhattan apartment in late 1993 or early 1994 and violently assaulted her after they attended an industry event together.
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After offering her a ride home from an Irish restaurant, Sciorra alleges, Weinstein came up to her apartment in Gramercy Park and knocked on the door, shoving his way inside when she opened it.
Once inside, Weinstein began unbuttoning his shirt, she said. Fearing he wanted sex, she asked him to leave. Before she could run, she said, he grabbed the front of her nightgown, held her wrists above her head and pinned her down.
“I was trying to get him off of me. I was punching him. I was kicking him. I was just trying to get him away from me and he took my hands and he put them over my head,” Sciorra, 59, said, nearly crying on the stand in January. “He got on top of me and he raped me.”
He then performed oral sex on her, telling her, “This is for you,” Sciorra recounted.
“It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual,” she said. “I didn’t really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure or something.”
Sciorra said she never called police and was confused at the time. She said she thought “rape was something that happened in a back alleyway or a dark place,” committed by “someone you didn’t know with a gun to your head.”
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Mimi Haley
Haley, a former production assistant on the Weinstein Co.-produced reality show “Project Runway,” said she first met the mogul at the premiere of “The Aviator” in 2004. Haley said the two had an awkward interaction at the Cannes Film Festival, when he requested a massage.
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein, Haley said, she left.
Weinstein, however, would not relent, she alleged. He helped her land a job on “Project Runway” in New York, but also repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show, at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited, trying to convince her to take the trip, she said. He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “a terrible reputation with women,” which seemed to offend him, she testified.
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry, Haley said, she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006.
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her.
Panicked, Haley said, she kept retreating from Weinstein, even mentioning she was menstruating, until she stumbled backward into a bedroom. As Haley recalled the alleged assault, tears began streaming down her face.
“He pushed me down. He held me down by my arms … no, stay, like that … and I said, ‘No, no’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped,” she said Monday.
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her.
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel, where, she said, Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her. In shock, Haley said, she lay still the entire time while the mogul called her a “whore” and a “bitch.”
“I didn’t resist. I just laid there,” she said, dabbing at her eyes.
Haley has since changed her last name from Haleyi, in part due to the high-profile nature of the Weinstein case. She first went public with her allegation in 2017.
Jessica Mann
A once-aspiring actress from a tiny Washington state dairy town, Mann’s testimony marked the most gut-wrenching portion of Weinstein’s trial so far. She spent three days on the stand recounting a harrowing relationship with the mogul that she said was consensual at times, but was also marked by verbal abuse, degradation and at least two instances of violent sexual assault. On Monday, Mann broke down on the stand during cross-examination, causing Supreme Court Judge James Burke to end proceedings for the day.
Mann said she met Weinstein at a Hollywood Hills party in 2013, and he initially expressed interest in her acting. Their early meetings were cordial — in one instance Weinstein escorted her through the shelves of Book Soup in West Hollywood to help her find reading material that might help her career — but the relationship quickly devolved into one entirely dependent on the mogul’s sexual desires, she alleged.
“It was like Jekyll and Hyde. He could be the most charming, informative person; he could lift you up to anyone he introduced you to and then behind closed doors it was ... dependent on if I gave him what he wanted,” Mann told jurors last week.
Mann said their relationship turned after a meeting for drinks at the Montage in Beverly Hills to discuss a possible role in a “vampire movie.” Weinstein invited Mann and a friend — who is expected to testify for the defense — up to his hotel room.
Once upstairs, Mann said through tears, Weinstein bullied her into a bedroom and forced oral sex on her.
Despite the alleged incident at the Montage, Mann said, she proceeded to participate in a number of consensual sex acts with him.
Mann said Weinstein reminded her of her father, adding that she was desperate for the mogul’s approval in the acting field, while describing a consensual but harrowing relationship in which the Miramax co-founder treated her well in public but allegedly used her as a sexual plaything in private.
While Mann described a number of the encounters as consensual — she said she felt “compassion” for Weinstein — she also said she was not attracted to him. During their encounters, she said, Weinstein was domineering and verbally abusive. In one instance, she said, he urinated on her in a shower.
The two had only engaged in oral sex until 2013, she said, when Mann traveled to New York to help arrange a meeting between Weinstein and a friend of hers working as an agent. The morning of the meeting, Mann alleged, Weinstein checked himself into her hotel. Fearing he was trying to set the stage for a sexual encounter, she said, she confronted him in the hotel lobby.
The mogul grabbed her by the arm and pulled her aside before leading her to the room, she alleged. Once inside, he physically barred Mann from leaving and ordered her to undress.
Unable to escape, Mann said, she “gave up” and had sex with Weinstein against her will.
Later in the same year, Mann said, Weinstein helped her find work as a hairdresser at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. By that time she had begun dating an actor, which Weinstein had expressly forbidden. But she said she was in love and wanted to tell Weinstein, hoping he would end their situation.
Sobbing from the witness stand, Mann told jurors Friday that Weinstein grabbed her once she had admitted she was dating an actor.
“His eyes changed and he wasn’t there. He picked me up from the chair … he was screaming, ‘You owe me! You owe me one more time!’” she alleged, saying he dragged her to a hotel room and raped her.
Dawn Dunning
Dunning was the first of three “Molineux witnesses” to testify in the New York trial, meaning that while her alleged assault could not be prosecuted, the district attorney’s office was allowed to call her to testify about “prior bad acts” that Weinstein allegedly took part in.
She said she met Weinstein while working at a Manhattan nightclub in 2004. He appeared to take an interest in her acting career, so, Dunning said, they arranged several meetings.
During one encounter in a hotel, Weinstein allegedly thrust his hand up Dunning’s skirt and attempted to touch her genitals. Dunning objected and Weinstein asked her not to make a “big deal” of the situation.
Some time later, she said, Weinstein asked her to meet him in a hotel room along with his assistant. Once there, she said, she found Weinstein clad in nothing but a bathrobe, and the mogul had placed three movie contracts on a coffee table. Dunning said Weinstein promised her a role in each contract, as long as she had a threesome with Weinstein and his assistant.
“When he said that, I laughed. I thought he was kidding,” Dunning said. “He got really angry; he started screaming, ‘You’ll never make it in this business. This is how the industry works.’”
She refused and said she fled the hotel. Dunning’s allegation is too old for prosecutors to charge Weinstein with a crime.
Tarale Wulff
Wulff said she met Weinstein while working as a waitress at Cipriani’s in Manhattan in 2005. She said Weinstein, a friend of the venue’s owner, led her away from a VIP area and into an unused terrace section of the restaurant, where, she said, he masturbated under his clothes in front of her.
At trial, prosecutors said Wulff ran past Weinstein and later shrugged off the incident as the mogul being a “dirty old man.”
A few weeks later, after agreeing to what she believed to be an audition at Miramax’s New York offices, Wulff got into a private car sent by Weinstein only to be escorted instead to the producer’s apartment.
After she was led up to his apartment, Wulff said, Weinstein quickly became aggressive with her and used his size and strength to force her onto a bed and ultimately rape her. Wulff’s allegation is also too old to be prosecuted.
Lauren Young
A Pennsylvania native who was 22 at the time of the alleged attack, Young said she had been living in Los Angeles for two years when she first met the mogul in February 2013 in the restaurant of the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Young said a recent acquaintance, who was also present at the Montage that night, arranged the meeting to talk about Young’s unfinished script. After talking briefly at the restaurant over drinks, Weinstein told both women that he needed to go up to his room because he had to prepare to accept an award with Quentin Tarantino that night, Young said.
Once they entered Weinstein’s hotel room, Young said, she unwittingly followed the producer into the bathroom, with the other woman trailing behind. The bathroom was at the end of a hallway attached to the bedroom, Young said, so she didn’t realize where she was being led.
As Young stepped into the bathroom, she said, she looked into a mirror and saw the other woman closing the door, leaving Young alone with the producer. Weinstein entered the shower, turned it on and started undressing, she said.
As Young attempted to leave, she realized that the other woman was blocking the door from the outside, she said.
“That’s when I realized this was set up, she put me in here,” Young testified.
As Young approached the door, Weinstein moved closer to her and prevented her from leaving, she said. Young said Weinstein then backed her toward the sink, and she turned away because she didn’t want to look at his naked body.
Her voice cracked in court as she recalled how she told the producer that she wasn’t interested and that she had a boyfriend. Weinstein then forcefully grabbed and pinched her breast with one hand while masturbating with the other, Young said.
Young’s allegations are among those that led to sexual assault charges against Weinstein in Southern California, where he faces multiple counts of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint.


latimes--2020-02-06--Mayor Garcetti safe from recall effort after campaign fails to get enough signatures

A campaign to remove Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti from office over his handling of the city ’ s homelessness @ @ @ @ @ Datig , a Republican political commentator who led the drive , announced Thursday that her @ @ @ @ @ the required number of signatures to put the issue before voters .
Datig needed more @ @ @ @ @ L.A. voters by end of day Thursday .
In a statement , Datig said her @ @ @ @ @ signatures , including through an online petition — a format that isn ’ t accepted @ @ @ @ @ Shaw , the only Los Angeles mayor to be recalled , was forced out in @ @ @ @ @ Arthur Harper , resigned from office in 1909 amid a recall effort .
Datig targeted @ @ @ @ @ at a news event last summer that he couldn ’ t handle the crisis .

A campaign to remove Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti from office over his handling of the city’s homelessness crisis has fizzled.
Alexandra Datig, a Republican political commentator who led the drive, announced Thursday that her group didn’t gather the required number of signatures to put the issue before voters.
Datig needed more than 300,000 signatures from registered L.A. voters by end of day Thursday. In a statement, Datig said her group had gathered about 50,000 signatures, including through an online petition — a format that isn’t accepted by the city.
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Recall efforts are costly, time-consuming and rarely successful.
Frank Shaw, the only Los Angeles mayor to be recalled, was forced out in 1938. Another mayor, Arthur Harper, resigned from office in 1909 amid a recall effort.
Datig targeted Garcetti over homelessness, saying at a news event last summer that he couldn’t handle the crisis.


latimes--2020-02-06--Kobe Bryant public memorial set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center

Los Angeles will host a public memorial Feb. 24 at Staples Center for Kobe Bryant and eight others killed last month in a helicopter crash , two sources familiar with the event told The Times on Thursday .
The event will cap weeks of tributes across the city following the Jan. 26 crash that killed the Lakers icon , his 13-year-old daughter , Gianna , as well as parents , coaches and players on Bryant ’ s Mamba Academy basketball team .
People converged for a week after the fatal crash , gathering at L.A. Live and Staples Center — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to grieve .
Fans from around the globe have also trekked to the crash site in Calabasas to pay their respects .
On Friday before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers , the Lakers put on an emotional tribute at Staples Center led by LeBron James .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week a memorial was in the works .
“ I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player , this is about a father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about a filmmaker , this is about an artist , this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court , ” he told reporters .
“ It ’ s a reminder how much unity we have , though .
We are one city that believes in each other , believes in something bigger than ourselves and we will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.
” Planning for the massive event is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorials for artists Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle .
Information about timing and tickets for the ceremony was not immediately available .
With limited seating , however , entry is expected to be severely restricted , sources say .
The date was selected after discussions with Bryant ’ s widow , Vanessa , the Lakers organization and Staples .
One source said there will be no procession , and the event will conclude in time to allow a previously scheduled Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies to go forward in the evening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ home games , one against the Boston Celtics and another against the New Orleans Pelicans .

Fans gather at L.A. Live on Sunday to pay respects to Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven others who were killed in a helicopter crash Jan. 26.
Los Angeles will host a public memorial Feb. 24 at Staples Center for Kobe Bryant and eight others killed last month in a helicopter crash, two sources familiar with the event told The Times on Thursday.
The event will cap weeks of tributes across the city following the Jan. 26 crash that killed the Lakers icon, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, as well the helicopter pilot and parents, players and a coach on Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy basketball team.
People converged at L.A. Live and Staples Center — where the Laker became a basketball legend — for a week after the fatal crash to grieve. Fans from around the globe have also trekked to the crash site in Calabasas to pay their respects. On Friday before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers put on an emotional tribute at Staples Center led by LeBron James.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week that a memorial was in the works.
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“I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player, this is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court,” he told reporters.
“It’s a reminder how much unity we have, though. We are one city that believes in each other, believes in something bigger than ourselves, and we will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.”
Planning for the massive event is underway. Staples Center has previously hosted memorials for artists Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle. Information about timing and tickets for the ceremony was not immediately available. With limited seating, however, entry is expected to be severely restricted, sources say.
The date was selected after discussions with Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, the Lakers organization and Staples Center. One source said there will be no procession, and the event will conclude in time to allow a previously scheduled Clippers game against the Memphis Grizzlies to go forward in the evening. The memorial will fall between two Lakers home games, one against the Boston Celtics and another against the New Orleans Pelicans.


latimes--2020-02-06--2nd child under coronavirus quarantine in Riverside is hospitalized

A second child was transported to Riverside University Health System-Medical Center after developing a fever Wednesday while under quarantine at March Air Reserve Base , authorities said .
The child was tested for novel coronavirus and is awaiting results , Riverside County Department of Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo Jr. said .
On Monday , a child was taken to the medical center after developing a fever .
The child — a 10-month-old boy , according to documents obtained by Newsweek — was returned to the base Wednesday by government vehicle after testing negative for the virus , Riverside public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among a group of 195 Americans who are under a mandatory 14-day federal quarantine at the base that began Jan. 29 .
The travelers — among them , U.S. diplomats and their families — fled Wuhan , China , the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak .
Additionally , a traveler who landed at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday and was transferred to the base has been released after a short quarantine .
Arballo said the individual was isolated from the larger group and was screened for the virus Wednesday afternoon before receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials have confirmed 12 cases of coronavirus in the United States , with a new case verified in Wisconsin .
Six cases are in California .

Nearly 200 travelers have been quarantined at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County.
A second child was taken to Riverside University Health System-Medical Center after developing a fever Wednesday while under quarantine at March Air Reserve Base, authorities said.
The child was tested for the new coronavirus and is awaiting results, Riverside County Department of Public Health spokesman Jose Arballo Jr. said.
On Monday, a child was taken to the medical center after developing a fever. The child — a 10-month-old boy, according to documents obtained by Newsweek — was returned to the base Wednesday by government vehicle after testing negative for the virus, Riverside public health officials said.
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The children are among a group of 195 Americans who are under a mandatory 14-day federal quarantine at the base that began Jan. 29. The travelers — among them, U.S. diplomats and their families — fled Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Additionally, a traveler who landed at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday and was transferred to the base has been released after a short quarantine. Arballo said the individual was isolated from the larger group and was screened for the virus Wednesday afternoon before receiving clearance to leave.
To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials have confirmed 12 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with a new case verified in Wisconsin. Six cases are in California.


latimes--2020-02-06--21 dogs who ate tree branches to survive are rescued from Ontario home, authorities say

Almost two dozen dogs that were so neglected and malnourished they ate tree branches to survive were removed from an Ontario home Wednesday , authorities said .
The 21 dogs — mostly Labrador retrievers and spaniel breeds ages 1 to 13 — were found in “ deplorable conditions ” in the 3800 block of Antelope Creek Drive , according to the Inland Valley Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
The Pomona-based nonprofit had received multiple complaints about conditions at the property , including from neighbors who said the odor was so strong it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Humane Society and the Ontario Police Department found nearly two dozen dogs during a search .
Because there was no fresh water or food available , the dogs had been eating small tree branches , Humane Society officials said .
“ They ’ re all pretty thin .
... For the most part , they were all lacking the necessary food in their diets , ” said James Edward , the organization ’ s operations manager .
Edward said Thursday the dogs were kept on an average-sized property in a typical single-family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely not a ranch.
” The property itself , he said , had “ a lot of concrete , artificial turf , makeshift caging system , makeshift fencing ” and reeked of feces and urine .
The owner relinquished all the animals to the Humane Society , Edward said .
“ We will definitely be pursuing criminal action against this individual through the court system , ” he said .
All the dogs will be spayed or neutered , de-wormed , given flea and tick treatments , vaccinated and microchipped , and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be assessed before they can be put up for adoption , the organization said .
The dogs will need continued “ loving care to get them to where they will become more acclimated to being around people , ” Edward said .
Prospective owners are “ going to have to approach them and treat them like you would a child who has been abused and/or neglected , ” he said .
Once the animals are available for adoption , information about each one will be posted on the Humane Society ’ s website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furry new member to the family should plan on visiting in person .
“ When you ’ re going to pick out an animal that is going to be a part of your family for the rest of its life , ” he said , “ you want to come down to the shelter that animal is at , interact with it , make sure it ’ s a good fit with your family .
”

Almost two dozen dogs that were so neglected and malnourished they ate tree branches to survive were removed from an Ontario home Wednesday, authorities said.
The 21 dogs — mostly Labrador retrievers and spaniel breeds ages 1 to 13 — were found in “deplorable conditions” in the 3800 block of Antelope Creek Drive, according to the Inland Valley Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The Pomona-based nonprofit had received multiple complaints about conditions at the property, including from neighbors who said the odor was so strong it could be smelled from across the street.
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The Humane Society and the Ontario Police Department found nearly two dozen dogs during a search. Because there was no fresh water or food available, the dogs had been eating small tree branches, Humane Society officials said.
“They’re all pretty thin. ... For the most part, they were all lacking the necessary food in their diets,” said James Edward, the organization’s operations manager.
Edward said Thursday the dogs were kept on an average-sized property in a typical single-family neighborhood near an elementary school — “definitely not a ranch.”
The property itself, he said, had “a lot of concrete, artificial turf, makeshift caging system, makeshift fencing” and reeked of feces and urine.
The owner relinquished all the animals to the Humane Society, Edward said.
“We will definitely be pursuing criminal action against this individual through the court system,” he said.
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All the dogs will be spayed or neutered, de-wormed, given flea and tick treatments, vaccinated and microchipped, and their individual medical needs will also have to be assessed before they can be put up for adoption, the organization said.
The dogs will need continued “loving care to get them to where they will become more acclimated to being around people,” Edward said.
Prospective owners are “going to have to approach them and treat them like you would a child who has been abused and/or neglected,” he said.
Once the animals are available for adoption, information about each one will be posted on the Humane Society’s website. Edward said anyone considering adding a furry new member to the family should plan on visiting in person.
“When you’re going to pick out an animal that is going to be a part of your family for the rest of its life,” he said, “you want to come down to the shelter that animal is at, interact with it, make sure it’s a good fit with your family.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Majestic tree at Paramount Ranch will be cut down, a victim of Woolsey fire

A majestic tree with sprawling branches that experts believe could be a century old will be cut down this month , a victim of the destructive Woolsey fire , which charred more than half of the Santa Monica Mountains in 2018 .
The venerable tree was given more than a year to show signs of recovery and life , but little bursts of greenery quickly died out .
Not long after , decay set in and fungi took hold .
“ Eventually , there ’ s failure , ” said John Tiszler , plant ecologist and arborist for the Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some trees can stand many years as a dead tree .
Other trees can fall pretty quickly.
” The iconic Valley oak , which stands on Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills , is known as the Witness Tree , a name given to trees that have been present during key events in history .
This tree “ has seen some part of Native American history and a huge part of European history in this area , ” Tiszler said .
“ It ’ s sorta sad to lose that.
” Even now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its form and structure , it ’ s a beautiful , magnificent tree.
” The tree will be cut down mid-month and its wood used for items such as hitching posts , signs and benches for Paramount Ranch ’ s planned Western Town .
Once it ’ s cut down , officials will count the rings inside to learn its exact age .
The tree has been present at weddings , served as a backdrop for family photos and special occasions , and even appeared in television shows .
Park staff have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ranch at the beginning of the 20th century , Tiszler said , and the tree was already mature in those images .
Visitors ’ last chance to say goodbye to the Witness Tree is Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at a formal farewell .
The public is invited to bring their photos of the tree to display during the gathering .
Staff and volunteer historians will be present to answer questions .
You can also enter a contest to guess the tree ’ s age .
Email ana_cholo @ nps.gov with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The winner will receive a gift .

A majestic oak tree at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills that experts believe could be more than a century old will be cut down this month, a victim of the destructive Woolsey fire, which charred more than half of the Santa Monica Mountains in 2018.
The venerable tree with its sprawling branches was given more than a year to show signs of recovery and life after the fire swept through the area, but decay set in and fungi took hold, park officials said.
The dead tree will be cut down by the end of the month due to fears that it could pose a safety hazard.
The iconic Valley oak is known as the Witness Tree, a name given to trees that have been present during key events in history. The tree has served as a backdrop for countless weddings, family photos and special occasions, and even appeared in television shows.
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Visitors’ last chance to say goodbye to the Witness Tree is Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at a formal farewell. The public was invited to bring their photos of the tree to display during the gathering. Staff and volunteer historians were to be present to answer questions. There is also a contest to guess the tree’s age, which will be determined by counting its rings after it’s cut down.
“We’re trying to take what is otherwise a pretty sad event for the community and instill a little bit of fun into it,” said Beatriz Cholo, spokeswoman for the National Park Service. As of Saturday morning, she had received over 100 responses from as far away as Switzerland.
“A lot of people, I imagine, grew up here and they moved on, but the tree has remained a fixture in their memories,” she said.
Park staffers believe it’s at least 100 years old because it can be seen in photos from the early 1920s, Cholo said.
The tree once stood in the center of Paramount Ranch’s Western Town, used for movie and TV shoots. The collection of rustic buildings doubled as the Colorado mining town in the television show “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and more recently served as the backdrop for HBO’s “Westworld.”
All of the buildings were destroyed in the Woolsey fire. A barn next to the Witness Tree burned for hours, and heat from the flames is believed to have contributed to the intense damage the tree sustained.
“It’s already kind of leaning a little bit,” Cholo said. “It has twin trunks, so we don’t want to take any chances on it hurting anyone.”
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The tree will be cut down in mid-February and its wood will be used for items such as hitching posts, signs and benches for Paramount Ranch’s planned reconstruction of Western Town.


latimes--2020-02-06--This 'false memory' expert has testified in hundreds of trials. Now she's been hired by Harvey Weins

This 'false memory' expert has testified in hundreds of trials. Now she's been hired by Harvey Weinstein

Mimi Haley remembers repeatedly resisting Harvey Weinstein ’ s sexual advances in his Manhattan apartment in 2006 , when she was a young production assistant .
She remembers Weinstein ignoring her protests and backing her into a bedroom , where children ’ s drawings decorated the walls .
And she remembers Weinstein pinning her to a bed and forcibly performing oral sex on her .
It has been the job of Weinstein ’ s legal team to cast doubt upon the veracity of those memories , and the memories of five other accusers , during the movie mogul ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service of this effort , the defense is expected to call to the stand Elizabeth Loftus , a renowned cognitive psychologist who for decades has studied the malleability of human memory .
Prosecutors rested their case Thursday .
Loftus is expected to testify as early as Friday .
Loftus has appeared as an expert witness in more than 300 trials and has testified in a number of high-profile sexual misconduct and murder cases , including those of O.J .
Simpson , Ted Bundy and the officers accused in the Rodney King beating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has routinely testified that memories can be distorted and contaminated — and , in some cases , altogether false .
The psychologist ’ s involvement in the Weinstein case underscores the ways in which memory itself is tested in the court of law , especially in the absence of forensic evidence or independent witnesses .
Jurors will need to sift through what Weinstein ’ s accusers say they remember , what they may not remember , and how those memories conflict with Weinstein ’ s assertion that each of these encounters was consensual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ juries about the ways in which memory can be unreliable .
She believes her voice is needed to balance the scales of justice .
“ The world is full of people who support accusers , ” Loftus said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times .
“ I think people who are accused deserve some modicum of support as well.
” Her critics , however , say that although Loftus ’ efforts to prevent wrongful convictions based on inaccurate eyewitness accounts are commendable , her testimony in cases of alleged sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has the potential to mislead jurors .
Loftus , 75 , has been a psychology professor at UC Irvine since 2002 and is one of the most influential researchers in her field .
She began studying memory in the 1970s ; her early work showed that exposure to inaccurate information and leading questions could corrupt eyewitness testimony .
Those studies led to a critical understanding in the world of law : Even if eyewitnesses to a crime are certain of what or who they saw , their memories of an event are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are identifying people of color in a lineup .
Mistaken identifications are the leading factor in wrongful convictions .
Loftus ’ later research was more controversial .
In the 1990s , she became intrigued by an upsurge in allegations of sexual abuse , and the increasingly popular idea that memories could be repressed and then recovered .
She wanted to find out whether therapy and hypnosis could plant false memories of events that had never taken place .
Perhaps her most well-known study , “ Lost in the Shopping Mall , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews , people could be induced to remember that they had once gotten lost in a shopping mall as children and were rescued by a stranger , even though that never happened .
Loftus ’ research has been used to discredit abuse survivors ’ testimony in court , and it also has led to stricter requirements for the use of recovered memories in trials .
Therapists and academics who believe memory repression is a natural survival technique continue to contest her stance on the phenomenon .
Loftus told an L.A. Times reporter in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repressed memory grew so heated that she sought firearms training in the face of threats on her life .
At the time , a bullet-riddled paper target hung in her UC Irvine office .
Loftus has testified or consulted about the fallibility of memory in trials involving Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby , and the allegations of sex abuse and satanic rituals at the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach ( these charges were dropped in 1990 after it was judged — with the help of Loftus — that therapists had unintentionally implanted false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
With the exception of a few cases , Loftus told The Times , she has always worked for defense teams .
She says she may be paid up to $ 500 an hour for her legal work .
In Weinstein ’ s trial , Loftus will be limited to testifying on the “ general functions of memory , ” according to court filings , and will not be allowed to speak on issues of memory tied to sexual interactions .
Weinstein ’ s team also has enlisted as a potential expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memory expert at the University of Nevada , Reno .
The prosecution already has called its own psychiatric expert , Barbara Ziv , to testify about why victims would continue communicating with their perpetrator or delay reporting the assault .
Davis and Loftus wrote a paper together in 2006 on recovered memories and another in 2015 on disputed sexual encounters .
“ Just because a ‘ memory ’ report is detailed , just because a person expresses it with confidence and emotion , does not mean that the event actually happened , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made this point in past trials .
She also has said that memories of those who have experienced a traumatic incident are more likely to be contaminated by the suggestions of other witnesses , police investigators and the media .
If Loftus is called to the stand in Weinstein ’ s trial , her testimony will follow those of Haley , a former employee of Weinstein ’ s production company , and Jessica Mann , an aspiring actress who alleges the producer raped her in 2013 .
Those women ’ s allegations prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial .
As part of the prosecution ’ s effort to establish a pattern of predatory behavior , four other women have testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted them .
One of them , Lauren Young , is at the center of a criminal case against him in Los Angeles .
Weinstein , 67 , faces five counts of sexual assault and life in prison if convicted .
When asked if she must believe in the innocence of a defendant to testify on their behalf , Loftus answered the question indirectly .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
So my decisions on whether to work on a case are sometimes based on scheduling , or whether it seems interesting , or whether it ’ s a death penalty case where the outcome could be very severe , ” she said .
“ Most of the time , I don ’ t know if they did it or not.
” In her 1992 book , “ Witness for the Defense , ” Loftus writes that she is not defending the clients whose cases she takes on .
She is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she says , “ simply presenting the research on memory.
” She writes : “ In order to convict , the jury must believe that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt .
If my testimony causes members of the jury to doubt the defendant ’ s guilt , then according to the most basic , indispensable principles of our justice system , the defendant should be acquitted.
” Nita Farahany , a legal scholar at Duke University , noted that “ even people who have been accused of many different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put up a vigorous defense.
” “ Testimony like hers can only help us find the truth , ” she said , “ which is ultimately what we should be trying to find.
” But critics say Loftus ’ pattern of testifying for alleged offenders , and not their accusers , shows an inherent bias .
Prosecution teams rarely hire memory experts , according to Wendy Murphy , a professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex-crimes prosecutor .
That ’ s because the prosecution is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense teams are more likely to utilize a memory expert who could undermine the credibility of those witnesses , she said .
And prosecutors tend to have tighter budgets than wealthy defendants .
“ If this tactic is being disproportionately applied to discredit women and children reporting abuse , it ’ s just a convenient prop that looks like a legitimate legal device , ” Murphy said .
Some psychologists who study memory and trauma disagree with how Loftus frames her award-winning research in court .
All memories are fragmentary and incomplete , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A trauma victim may incorrectly recall certain details of the event , such as the color of an attacker ’ s eyes , or how he or she got home that night .
But people almost always remember the general outline , or the “ gist ” of what happened , said Jennifer Freyd , a researcher at the University of Oregon who studies the psychology of sexual violence .
“ You ’ re going to forget a lot of things about a person , ” Freyd said .
“ But you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they made you feel.
” Gail S. Goodman , a professor of psychology at UC Davis , has observed that Loftus often makes “ broad statements about memory ” when testifying in sex crime cases , and focuses on how memory fails , without sufficient emphasis on how it can be reliable .
In her own research , Goodman has found that , for most people , the more distressing an event is , the more accurate the memory of it will be in the future .
“ She could broaden her scope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ but she chooses not to do so.
” A review of research finds that 2 % to 10 % of sexual assault accusations are false , according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center .
Many such studies are unreliable , though , because of inconsistencies in methods used to evaluate data .
For Loftus , Goodman said , it ’ s as if those statistics were flipped .
“ Whenever I have heard her speak , she always strongly suggests that reports are easily false , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the message is ‘ everything is false , ’ but we know reality doesn ’ t work that way.
” Loftus ’ eloquence and charisma lend to her persuasiveness on the stand , as does the accessibility of her research , legal experts say .
And most jurors will lack the training or experience needed to dissect generalizations she may make .
But prosecutors could point out in their cross-examination of Loftus that her research could just as well apply to the unreliability of Harvey Weinstein ’ s memory , experts say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused has engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior — which is expected to happen in Weinstein ’ s trial — it “ cuts against how valuable this kind of memory research is , ” Farahany said .
“ When you have a very convicted witness with very specific testimony , ” she said , “ juries tend to believe a witness more than they believe the science .
”

Mimi Haley remembers repeatedly resisting Harvey Weinstein’s sexual advances in his Manhattan apartment in 2006, when she was a young production assistant.
She remembers Weinstein ignoring her protests and backing her into a bedroom, where children’s drawings decorated the walls.
And she remembers Weinstein pinning her to a bed and forcibly performing oral sex on her.
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It has been the job of Weinstein’s legal team to cast doubt upon the veracity of those memories, and the memories of five other accusers, during the movie mogul’s rape trial in New York. In service of this effort, the defense is expected to call to the stand Elizabeth Loftus, a renowned cognitive psychologist who for decades has studied the malleability of human memory.
Prosecutors rested their case Thursday. Loftus is expected to testify as early as Friday.
Loftus has appeared as an expert witness in more than 300 trials and has testified in a number of high-profile sexual misconduct and murder cases, including those of O.J. Simpson, Ted Bundy and the officers accused in the Rodney King beating. Drawing on her own research, she has routinely testified that memories can be distorted and contaminated — and, in some cases, altogether false.
The psychologist’s involvement in the Weinstein case underscores the ways in which memory itself is tested in the court of law, especially in the absence of forensic evidence or independent witnesses. Jurors will need to sift through what Weinstein’s accusers say they remember, what they may not remember, and how those memories conflict with Weinstein’s assertion that each of these encounters was consensual.
Loftus contends that her testimonies educate juries about the ways in which memory can be unreliable. She believes her voice is needed to balance the scales of justice.
“The world is full of people who support accusers,” Loftus said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. “I think people who are accused deserve some modicum of support as well.”
Advertisement
Her critics, however, say that although Loftus’ efforts to prevent wrongful convictions based on inaccurate eyewitness accounts are commendable, her testimony in cases of alleged sexual misconduct tends to be one-sided and incomplete and has the potential to mislead jurors.
Loftus, 75, has been a psychology professor at UC Irvine since 2002 and is one of the most influential researchers in her field. She began studying memory in the 1970s; her early work showed that exposure to inaccurate information and leading questions could corrupt eyewitness testimony.
Those studies led to a critical understanding in the world of law: Even if eyewitnesses to a crime are certain of what or who they saw, their memories of an event are not necessarily reliable, especially when white people are identifying people of color in a lineup. Mistaken identifications are the leading factor in wrongful convictions.
Loftus’ later research was more controversial. In the 1990s, she became intrigued by an upsurge in allegations of sexual abuse, and the increasingly popular idea that memories could be repressed and then recovered.
She wanted to find out whether therapy and hypnosis could plant false memories of events that had never taken place. Perhaps her most well-known study, “Lost in the Shopping Mall,” showed that, through a series of interviews, people could be induced to remember that they had once gotten lost in a shopping mall as children and were rescued by a stranger, even though that never happened.
Loftus’ research has been used to discredit abuse survivors’ testimony in court, and it also has led to stricter requirements for the use of recovered memories in trials. Therapists and academics who believe memory repression is a natural survival technique continue to contest her stance on the phenomenon.
Loftus told an L.A. Times reporter in 2005 that her confrontations with believers in repressed memory grew so heated that she sought firearms training in the face of threats on her life. At the time, a bullet-riddled paper target hung in her UC Irvine office.
Loftus has testified or consulted about the fallibility of memory in trials involving Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby, and the allegations of sex abuse and satanic rituals at the McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach (these charges were dropped in 1990 after it was judged — with the help of Loftus — that therapists had unintentionally implanted false memories in the minds of nine preschoolers).
With the exception of a few cases, Loftus told The Times, she has always worked for defense teams. She says she may be paid up to $500 an hour for her legal work.
In Weinstein’s trial, Loftus will be limited to testifying on the “general functions of memory,” according to court filings, and will not be allowed to speak on issues of memory tied to sexual interactions. Weinstein’s team also has enlisted as a potential expert witness Deborah Davis, a psychologist and memory expert at the University of Nevada, Reno.
The prosecution already has called its own psychiatric expert, Barbara Ziv, to testify about why victims would continue communicating with their perpetrator or delay reporting the assault.
Davis and Loftus wrote a paper together in 2006 on recovered memories and another in 2015 on disputed sexual encounters.
“Just because a ‘memory’ report is detailed, just because a person expresses it with confidence and emotion, does not mean that the event actually happened,” they wrote in 2006.
Loftus has made this point in past trials. She also has said that memories of those who have experienced a traumatic incident are more likely to be contaminated by the suggestions of other witnesses, police investigators and the media.
If Loftus is called to the stand in Weinstein’s trial, her testimony will follow those of Haley, a former employee of Weinstein’s production company, and Jessica Mann, an aspiring actress who alleges the producer raped her in 2013. Those women’s allegations prompted the charges for which he now stands trial.
As part of the prosecution’s effort to establish a pattern of predatory behavior, four other women have testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted them. One of them, Lauren Young, is at the center of a criminal case against him in Los Angeles.
Weinstein, 67, faces five counts of sexual assault and life in prison if convicted.
When asked if she must believe in the innocence of a defendant to testify on their behalf, Loftus answered the question indirectly.
“I believe that science belongs to all of us. So my decisions on whether to work on a case are sometimes based on scheduling, or whether it seems interesting, or whether it’s a death penalty case where the outcome could be very severe,” she said. “Most of the time, I don’t know if they did it or not.”
In her 1992 book, “Witness for the Defense,” Loftus writes that she is not defending the clients whose cases she takes on. She is “detached and disassociated” on the stand, she says, “simply presenting the research on memory.”
She writes: “In order to convict, the jury must believe that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If my testimony causes members of the jury to doubt the defendant’s guilt, then according to the most basic, indispensable principles of our justice system, the defendant should be acquitted.”
Nita Farahany, a legal scholar at Duke University, noted that “even people who have been accused of many different acts of sexual assault are entitled to put up a vigorous defense.”
“Testimony like hers can only help us find the truth,” she said, “which is ultimately what we should be trying to find.”
But critics say Loftus’ pattern of testifying for alleged offenders, and not their accusers, shows an inherent bias.
Prosecution teams rarely hire memory experts, according to Wendy Murphy, a professor of sexual violence law at New England Law in Boston and a former sex-crimes prosecutor. That’s because the prosecution is usually the side calling witnesses, so defense teams are more likely to utilize a memory expert who could undermine the credibility of those witnesses, she said. And prosecutors tend to have tighter budgets than wealthy defendants.
“If this tactic is being disproportionately applied to discredit women and children reporting abuse, it’s just a convenient prop that looks like a legitimate legal device,” Murphy said.
Some psychologists who study memory and trauma disagree with how Loftus frames her award-winning research in court.
All memories are fragmentary and incomplete, and they tend to fade over time. A trauma victim may incorrectly recall certain details of the event, such as the color of an attacker’s eyes, or how he or she got home that night.
But people almost always remember the general outline, or the “gist” of what happened, said Jennifer Freyd, a researcher at the University of Oregon who studies the psychology of sexual violence.
“You’re going to forget a lot of things about a person,” Freyd said. “But you’re not going to forget how they made you feel.”
Gail S. Goodman, a professor of psychology at UC Davis, has observed that Loftus often makes “broad statements about memory” when testifying in sex crime cases, and focuses on how memory fails, without sufficient emphasis on how it can be reliable. In her own research, Goodman has found that, for most people, the more distressing an event is, the more accurate the memory of it will be in the future.
“She could broaden her scope to gain more balance,” Goodman said, “but she chooses not to do so.”
A review of research finds that 2% to 10% of sexual assault accusations are false, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Many such studies are unreliable, though, because of inconsistencies in methods used to evaluate data.
For Loftus, Goodman said, it’s as if those statistics were flipped. “Whenever I have heard her speak, she always strongly suggests that reports are easily false,” she said. “It’s as if the message is ‘everything is false,’ but we know reality doesn’t work that way.”
Loftus’ eloquence and charisma lend to her persuasiveness on the stand, as does the accessibility of her research, legal experts say. And most jurors will lack the training or experience needed to dissect generalizations she may make.
But prosecutors could point out in their cross-examination of Loftus that her research could just as well apply to the unreliability of Harvey Weinstein’s memory, experts say.
And if the prosecution establishes that the accused has engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior — which is expected to happen in Weinstein’s trial — it “cuts against how valuable this kind of memory research is,” Farahany said.
“When you have a very convicted witness with very specific testimony,” she said, “juries tend to believe a witness more than they believe the science.”


latimes--2020-02-06--Key questions unanswered in Kobe Bryant crash as NTSB prepares preliminary report

The National Transportation Safety Board is moving closer to releasing preliminary findings in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others .
In the 11 days since the Calabasas crash , some details have been revealed .
But many questions remain unanswered .
Officials said the chopper , which was flying using only visual readings , slammed into a hillside amid extremely foggy conditions .
A Times data analysis tracked the final moments of the flight , finding the helicopter flew dangerously close to another hillside just before crashing .
What we know WEATHER ISSUES : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built in 1991 — departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. Jan. 26 , according to publicly available flight records .
The aircraft passed over Boyle Heights , near Dodger Stadium and circled over Glendale during the flight .
The pilot , Ara Zobayan , requested special visual flight rules , or VFR , which allow pilots to fly in controlled airspace when ceilings are less than 1,000 feet or when visibility is less than three miles .
As weather conditions deteriorated on the trip to Ventura County , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help navigate .
In recorded radio communications , the air traffic control tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following .
Radar data indicate Zobayan , who had been a licensed commercial helicopter pilot for 19 years , guided the copter to 2,300 feet and then began a left turn .
SUDDEN DESCENT : NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy said last week the helicopter , which lacked a terrain warning system , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with air traffic controllers .
The helicopter was descending at more than 2,000 feet per minute at the time of impact .
The chopper hit the hillside at an elevation of 1,085 feet , about 20 to 30 feet below an outcropping .
Even if the pilot had been able to fly above the hilltop , he would have faced new hazards , officials said .
“ There are actually other higher hills surrounding it , ” said Bill English , a lead investigator .
What we don ’ t know • Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crash itself .
Investigators said last week they were examining possibilities that included weather , mechanical issues and pilot actions .
• It appears the pilot had lost contact with air traffic control at the very end , according to radio recordings reviewed by The Times , but it ’ s unclear why .
• Though the last moments of the flight are captured on flight trackers , the reason the pilot made the fateful series of moves is unclear .
• The NTSB has said the chopper was not equipped with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pilot he was approaching a hillside .
The agency had recommended 16 years ago that the Federal Aviation Administration require all helicopters carrying six or more passengers be equipped with the device .
But the recommendation was not implemented , so the chopper wasn ’ t required to have the system .
Would it have made a difference ?

Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with daughter Gianna while attending a women’s basketball game between Long Beach State and Oregon on Dec. 14, 2019.
The National Transportation Safety Board is moving closer to releasing preliminary findings in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.
In the 11 days since the Calabasas crash, some details have been revealed. But many questions remain unanswered.
Officials said the chopper, which was flying using only visual readings, slammed into a hillside amid extremely foggy conditions. A Times data analysis tracked the final moments of the flight, finding the helicopter flew dangerously close to another hillside just before crashing.
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What we know
WEATHER ISSUES: The helicopter — a Sikorsky S-76 chopper built in 1991 — departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. Jan. 26 , according to publicly available flight records. The aircraft passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium and circled over Glendale during the flight.
The pilot, Ara Zobayan, requested special visual flight rules, or VFR, which allow pilots to fly in controlled airspace when ceilings are less than 1,000 feet or when visibility is less than three miles. As weather conditions deteriorated on the trip to Ventura County, the pilot requested “flight following,” a process in which controllers are in regular contact with an aircraft and can help navigate.
In recorded radio communications, the air traffic control tower is heard telling the pilot the chopper is too low for flight following. Radar data indicate Zobayan, who had been a licensed commercial helicopter pilot for 19 years, guided the copter to 2,300 feet and then began a left turn.
SUDDEN DESCENT: NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy said last week the helicopter, which lacked a terrain warning system, was at 2,300 feet when it lost communication with air traffic controllers. The helicopter was descending at more than 2,000 feet per minute at the time of impact.
After taking off in Orange County, the helicopter flew northwest and then crashed shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road, south of the 101 Freeway, in Calabasas.
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The chopper hit the hillside at an elevation of 1,085 feet , about 20 to 30 feet below an outcropping. Even if the pilot had been able to fly above the hilltop, he would have faced new hazards, officials said.
“There are actually other higher hills surrounding it,” said Bill English, a lead investigator.
What we don’t know
Officials have not indicated any cause for the crash itself. Investigators said last week they were examining possibilities that included weather, mechanical issues and pilot actions.
It appears the pilot had lost contact with air traffic control at the very end, according to radio recordings reviewed by The Times, but it’s unclear why.
Though the last moments of the flight are captured on flight trackers, the reason the pilot made the fateful series of moves is unclear.
The final moments of Kobe Bryant’s flight. (Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-02-06--For hundreds fleeing coronavirus in China, home is now a quarantine zone on California bases

Hundreds of Americans fleeing the epicenter of in Wuhan , China , have arrived at three California military bases .
The travelers are subject to a 14-day federal quarantine — the incubation period for the virus — under orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The quarantine order , the CDC ’ s first in 50 years , has forced the creation of new communities on the bases that are trying to be welcoming to visitors while also working to protect the public ’ s health from any potential spread of the illness .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , two jets carrying about 350 Americans arrived at Travis Air Force Base near Vacaville .
One of the aircraft refueled at the base before heading to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego , where it arrived shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday .
Travis officials said on Facebook that the evacuees “ will be housed at Travis ’ Westwind Inn lodging facility .
A safety cordon will be established , away from residential housing , to ensure the Travis mission can safely continue , the privacy of the evacuees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and welfare of our Team Travis community.
” Shortly after touching down , four of 167 passengers who landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in the San Diego area were transported to local hospitals after showing signs and symptoms of coronavirus infection , the CDC said Wednesday night .
None of the evacuated Americans aboard a commercial airliner from Wuhan showed any symptoms when they boarded the flight .
However , medical screenings performed after their arrival at Miramar found that three adults and one child had a fever or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC will be necessary to determine what is causing those symptoms .
March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County was the first California base to be used for screenings .
A plane carrying a group from Wuhan landed at the base last week .
Nearly 200 people remain under quarantine there , where they will be monitored for symptoms until the virus ’ 14-day incubation period has ended .
An infant was taken to the hospital Monday with virus symptoms , but tests came back negative and the child and a parent were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also on its tarmac in preparation for additional passengers who may be diverted to the base for screenings .
In a separate incident Monday , another person traveling from mainland China was transferred from Los Angeles International Airport to the base .
The traveler will be isolated from the other people at the base and will remain under quarantine for the next few days , authorities said .
Those in the quarantine zones are being fed catered meals : breakfast burritos in the morning and noodles and chicken for dinner .
Baby food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available , as are soda and water .
A nonprofit group has provided toys for the children and toiletries to make it feel more like home .
Times staff writer Shalby reported from Los Angeles and San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Sisson reported from San Diego .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

A charter plane with an unknown number of U.S. Citizens on board returning from China landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Wednesday to begin a 14 day quarantine.
Hundreds of Americans fleeing the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, have arrived at three California military bases.
The travelers are subject to a 14-day federal quarantine — the incubation period for the virus — under orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The quarantine order, the CDC’s first in 50 years, has forced the creation of new communities on the bases that are trying to be welcoming to visitors while also working to protect the public’s health from any potential spread of the illness.
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Here’s what we know about the quarantine:
Travis Air Force Base
On Wednesday, two jets carrying about 350 Americans arrived at Travis Air Force Base near Vacaville.
One of the aircraft refueled at the base before heading to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego, where it arrived shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Travis officials said on Facebook that the evacuees “will be housed at Travis’ Westwind Inn lodging facility. A safety cordon will be established, away from residential housing, to ensure the Travis mission can safely continue, the privacy of the evacuees can be enforced and to protect the health and welfare of our Team Travis community.”
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Shortly after touching down, four of 167 passengers who landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in the San Diego area were transported to local hospitals after showing signs and symptoms of coronavirus infection, the CDC said Wednesday night.
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None of the evacuated Americans aboard a commercial airliner from Wuhan showed any symptoms when they boarded the flight.
However, medical screenings performed after their arrival at Miramar found that three adults and one child had a fever or a cough. Additional DNA-based testing at the CDC will be necessary to determine what is causing those symptoms.
Science & Medicine How to prevent coronavirus: Wash your hands and ditch the mask A face mask won’t do much to protect you from the new coronavirus from China. If you want to reduce your risk of getting sick, focus on washing your hands.
March Air Reserve Base
March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County was the first California base to be used for screenings.
A plane carrying a group from Wuhan landed at the base last week. Nearly 200 people remain under quarantine there, where they will be monitored for symptoms until the virus’ 14-day incubation period has ended. An infant was taken to the hospital Monday with virus symptoms, but tests came back negative and the child and a parent were returned to the base.
March has also set up tents on its tarmac in preparation for additional passengers who may be diverted to the base for screenings.
In a separate incident Monday, another person traveling from mainland China was transferred from Los Angeles International Airport to the base. The traveler will be isolated from the other people at the base and will remain under quarantine for the next few days, authorities said.
Those in the quarantine zones are being fed catered meals: breakfast burritos in the morning and noodles and chicken for dinner. Baby food and kid-friendly options including chicken nuggets are available, as are soda and water. A nonprofit group has provided toys for the children and toiletries to make it feel more like home.
Times staff writer Shalby reported from Los Angeles and San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Sisson reported from San Diego. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-06--Plane crash kills two in Tuolumne County

Two people were killed after their small plane crashed Wednesday evening in Tuolumne County , west of Yosemite National Park @ @ @ @ @ plane went down shortly after 6 p.m. in the 21000 block of Springfield Road , @ @ @ @ @ according to the Tuolumne County Sheriff ’ s Office .
The cause of the crash @ @ @ @ @ victims have not yet been identified , authorities said .
Officials from the National Transportation @ @ @ @ @ arrive Thursday to investigate .

Two people died after a small plane crashed in Tuolumne County on Wednesday, officials said.
Two people were killed after their small plane crashed Wednesday evening in Tuolumne County, west of Yosemite National Park, authorities said.
The plane went down shortly after 6 p.m. in the 21000 block of Springfield Road, near the Columbia Airport, according to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of the crash is under investigation and the victims have not yet been identified, authorities said.
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Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to arrive Thursday to investigate.


latimes--2020-02-06--California Senate settles retaliation lawsuit by former employee of Sen. Tony Mendoza

The California Senate agreed to pay $ 310,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former employee who alleged that the upper house and former Sen. Tony Mendoza fired and retaliated against her for reporting an allegation that the lawmaker sexually harassed her co-worker .
The accusation was the first in a wave of complaints against Mendoza , initially reported by the Sacramento Bee , that ultimately led the Artesia Democrat to resign from office in 2018 and prompted the Senate to begin to overhaul its internal policies for handing sexual harassment claims .
The new settlement with Adriana Ruelas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marks the Senate ’ s second six-figure payout since the # MeToo movement helped expose a culture of harassment at the state Capitol .
“ I am profoundly proud of her for having the courage to step forward and speak truth to power , ” said Micha Star Liberty , an attorney for Ruelas .
“ Without her coming forward and demanding an investigation occur , one may never have been done .
I sincerely hope that this resolution can close a very dark chapter where legislative employees were afraid to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retribution.
” Ruelas filed the lawsuit two years ago against the state Senate , Mendoza and two top Senate staff members .
None of the defendants admitted any wrongdoing under the settlement , which will be paid with taxpayer dollars from the Senate ’ s operating budget .
Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras confirmed the agreement with Ruelas , who now works as chief of staff to Assemblyman James Ramos ( D-Highland ) , and described it as an amicable resolution in a written statement .
“ We take all workplace misconduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned a corner in resolving claims such as these , ” she said .
Mendoza did not respond to requests seeking comment .
Ruelas alleged that she was fired in September 2017 because she had informed her supervisor and Senate officials about what she alleged in the lawsuit to be a pattern of discrimination , harassment and inappropriate behavior by Mendoza toward a recent college graduate working in his office through a Sacramento State fellowship program .
The fellow is referred to as “ Jane Doe ” in the suit .
The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of sexual harassment or assault .
Five months after Ruelas ’ termination , the Senate announced that its investigation had substantiated complaints of Mendoza ’ s unwanted advances or sexually suggestive behavior toward the fellow and five other women , which included three of his onetime employees .
Mendoza , who has largely denied wrongdoing and accused his colleagues of treating him unfairly , stepped down days after the Senate publicly released the findings and as senators privately discussed ousting him from his position .
The Senate investigation did not substantiate Ruelas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were fired in retaliation for reporting Mendoza ’ s alleged behavior and other problems .
Ruelas and her lawyer pushed back on the finding , claiming in the lawsuit that the conclusion was made without “ sufficient basis ” and testimony from a key witness .
Ruelas alleged that , in late 2016 , an official with the fellows program asked her to watch out for the younger employee because Mendoza had “ issues with women ” in the past , according to her lawsuit .
The lawsuit describes several situations that Ruelas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times Mendoza allegedly asked the fellow to attend overnight work trips with him , making her uncomfortable .
In two other instances , the senator allegedly invited the fellow over to his home to review resumes for a position she had applied for , according to the lawsuit .
Ruelas alleges that Mendoza ’ s chief of staff told her that he had been reporting the behavior to the Senate ’ s human resources department since February 2017 .
Her lawyer said in the lawsuit that Ruelas told a human resources official that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that year .
The lawsuit also states that Ruelas , the chief of staff and a scheduler in Mendoza ’ s office met with the human resources official and again detailed concerns about the senator ’ s alleged behavior at a meeting in late September 2017 .
All three employees were handed termination letters during the meeting , according to the lawsuit .
Ruelas and her lawyer argued that Mendoza , a former East Los Angeles elementary school teacher , later disparaged her in the press .
Mendoza was among four state lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassment and voluntarily gave up their seats in the Legislature .
Two Democratic Assembly members , Raul Bocanegra of Pacoima and Matt Dababneh of Woodland Hills , announced their resignations in late 2017 after being accused of sexual misconduct .
Both denied wrongdoing , and legislative investigations later substantiated claims against both men .
Former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas , a Democrat from Los Angeles , resigned in December 2017 citing health issues .
The following August , The Times reported that the lawmaker was the subject of two sexual harassment complaints at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation found that he likely made an unwanted sexual advance toward a female Capitol staffer .
Both houses of the Legislature committed to changing their policies to investigate sexual harassment claims after questions were raised about how the institution treated whistleblowers and responded to complaints .
The Legislature formed a new workplace conduct unit and appointed a panel of legal experts early last year to review and investigate reports of sexual harassment in the Senate and Assembly .
Democratic leaders said the investigators would work independently within the Office of Legislative Counsel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass a law in 2018 to protect legislative staff who speak out about misconduct .

Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza, admitted no wrongdoing under the $310,000 settlement, which will be paid out of the Senate’s operating budget.
The California Senate agreed to pay $310,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former employee who alleged that the upper house and former Sen. Tony Mendoza fired and retaliated against her for reporting an allegation that the lawmaker sexually harassed her co-worker.
The accusation was the first in a wave of complaints against Mendoza, initially reported by the Sacramento Bee, that ultimately led the Artesia Democrat to resign from office in 2018 and prompted the Senate to begin to overhaul its internal policies for handing sexual harassment claims.
The new settlement with Adriana Ruelas, Mendoza’s former legislative director, marks the Senate’s second six-figure payout since the #MeToo movement helped expose a culture of harassment at the state Capitol.
“I am profoundly proud of her for having the courage to step forward and speak truth to power,” said Micha Star Liberty, an attorney for Ruelas. “Without her coming forward and demanding an investigation occur, one may never have been done. I sincerely hope that this resolution can close a very dark chapter where legislative employees were afraid to come forward and report misconduct for fear of retribution.”
Ruelas filed the lawsuit two years ago against the state Senate, Mendoza and two top Senate staff members. None of the defendants admitted any wrongdoing under the settlement, which will be paid with taxpayer dollars from the Senate’s operating budget.
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Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras confirmed the agreement with Ruelas, who now works as chief of staff to Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland), and described it as an amicable resolution in a written statement.
“We take all workplace misconduct allegations very seriously, and we have turned a corner in resolving claims such as these,” she said.
Mendoza did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Ruelas alleged that she was fired in September 2017 because she had informed her supervisor and Senate officials about what she alleged in the lawsuit to be a pattern of discrimination, harassment and inappropriate behavior by Mendoza toward a recent college graduate working in his office through a Sacramento State fellowship program.
The fellow is referred to as “Jane Doe” in the suit. The Times does not reveal the names of alleged victims of sexual harassment or assault.
Five months after Ruelas’ termination, the Senate announced that its investigation had substantiated complaints of Mendoza’s unwanted advances or sexually suggestive behavior toward the fellow and five other women, which included three of his onetime employees.
Mendoza, who has largely denied wrongdoing and accused his colleagues of treating him unfairly, stepped down days after the Senate publicly released the findings and as senators privately discussed ousting him from his position.
The Senate investigation did not substantiate Ruelas’ claim that she and two others were fired in retaliation for reporting Mendoza’s alleged behavior and other problems. Ruelas and her lawyer pushed back on the finding, claiming in the lawsuit that the conclusion was made without “sufficient basis” and testimony from a key witness.
Ruelas alleged that, in late 2016, an official with the fellows program asked her to watch out for the younger employee because Mendoza had “issues with women” in the past, according to her lawsuit.
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The lawsuit describes several situations that Ruelas reported to her supervisor, including two times Mendoza allegedly asked the fellow to attend overnight work trips with him, making her uncomfortable. In two other instances, the senator allegedly invited the fellow over to his home to review resumes for a position she had applied for, according to the lawsuit.
Ruelas alleges that Mendoza’s chief of staff told her that he had been reporting the behavior to the Senate’s human resources department since February 2017. Her lawyer said in the lawsuit that Ruelas told a human resources official that the allegations were true in August of that year.
The lawsuit also states that Ruelas, the chief of staff and a scheduler in Mendoza’s office met with the human resources official and again detailed concerns about the senator’s alleged behavior at a meeting in late September 2017. All three employees were handed termination letters during the meeting, according to the lawsuit.
Ruelas and her lawyer argued that Mendoza, a former East Los Angeles elementary school teacher, later disparaged her in the press.
Mendoza was among four state lawmakers in California who were accused of sexual harassment and voluntarily gave up their seats in the Legislature.
Two Democratic Assembly members, Raul Bocanegra of Pacoima and Matt Dababneh of Woodland Hills, announced their resignations in late 2017 after being accused of sexual misconduct. Both denied wrongdoing, and legislative investigations later substantiated claims against both men.
Former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, resigned in December 2017 citing health issues. The following August, The Times reported that the lawmaker was the subject of two sexual harassment complaints at the time he stepped down . An Assembly investigation found that he likely made an unwanted sexual advance toward a female Capitol staffer.
Both houses of the Legislature committed to changing their policies to investigate sexual harassment claims after questions were raised about how the institution treated whistleblowers and responded to complaints.
The Legislature formed a new workplace conduct unit and appointed a panel of legal experts early last year to review and investigate reports of sexual harassment in the Senate and Assembly. Democratic leaders said the investigators would work independently within the Office of Legislative Counsel.
The scandals also inspired the Legislature to pass a law in 2018 to protect legislative staff who speak out about misconduct.