While certainly not as exciting as the prospect of six Californias, or as debatable as the value of the death penalty, there are still many legal issues in California that are making headlines.

In this week’s update, we take a look at a new celebrity lawsuit, how California is dealing with the water shortage, and keeping firearms out of the wrong hands.

Firearms and the Mentally Ill

In October 2013, the California State Auditor released a report entitled “Armed Persons With Mental Illness,” which found that the “California DOJ was not receiving timely notification from courts when an individual became barred from having a firearm,” California Healthline reports. As a result, Assembly Member K.H. Achadijan (R-San Luis Obispo) introduced Assembly Bill 1591, which gives courts one day to tell the Department of Justice if a person is barred from possessing a firearm because of mental illness or certain convictions. On July 18, Governor Brown signed the bill into law.

Emergency Water Regulation

California’s water shortage is getting worse every day. As you probably know, the State Water Board recently approved an emergency regulation to enforce water conservation by California residents, with respect to outdoor water usage.

Manuel Noriega Sues Activision

Celebrities making appearances in video games is nothing new (and neither are the lawsuits that follow), but one particular case recently filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court caught our eye. Manuel Noriega – yes, that one, the former dictator of Panama – is suing Activision Blizzard Inc. for using his likeness and depicting him in the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” as “a kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state,” reports the Los Angeles Times. (We actually like the subhead in Ars Technica’s coverage: “Ruthless criminal Noriega complains game depicts him as a ruthless criminal.”).

Related Resources:

  • New Lawsuits and Bills: Raiderettes, Mugshots and Cattle (FindLaw’s California Case Law Blog)
  • California Debates Carbon Taxes and Chromium Limits (FindLaw’s California Case Law Blog)
  • Police Can Still Seize and Destroy Guns from Mentally Ill (FindLaw’s California Case Law Blog)

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