Overview
- Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Hernandez denied the receivership request for now, finding the state has not met the legal threshold and has other court tools to use first.
- The judge criticized the state's proposed tasks as "incoherent" and "confusing" and questioned whether a receiver would differ meaningfully from current leadership.
- He ordered direct testimony from court monitor Michael Dempsey and Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa at hearings set for later in October, leaving future receivership on the table.
- Attorney general lawyers argued youths remain in "grave danger," citing recent transfers arriving with broken jaws and arms, while the county said it was unaware of those claims.
- County officials oppose a takeover as unprecedented and point to recent reforms such as airport-grade body scanners, drug-sniffing dogs and new security leadership, even as Bonta has said the county remains out of compliance with roughly 75% of the 2021 settlement.