However, that’s exactly what veteran “skyscraper climber” Dan Goodwin did. Using no ropes (just suction cups), he reached the top of the Millennium Tower right before 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The 645 foot building took about 3 hours to climb.

He ignored police orders to stop the climbing and firefighters say he was too high by the time they arrived to the scene.

San Francisco Police arrested him upon reaching the top of the 58 story cloud-buster after he affixed ol’ glory to an outside window. 

The 54-year-old Lake Tahoe native claims many other credits for feats such as this one, including Chicago’s Sears Tower.

DUI checkpoints, that’s what!

On this 3-day holiday weekend, the LAPD will set up several, and we mean several DUI checkpoints throughout the city. You’ll see plenty of cruisers and CHP on motorcycles everywhere. 

Starting Friday at 6:01 p.m., police officers will begin the Labor Day holiday enforcement initiative which will continue through 11:59 p.m., on Monday Sept. 6th.

There’s a national campaign in effect called, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” It is a coordinated effort of law enforcement agencies that will continue throughout the Labor Day weekend.

So stay cool and drive sober no matter what.  Then, you won’t have anything to worry about.

We thought we’d give you some heads-up anyway. These are the checkpoints we know of thus far. There are sure to be plenty more:

• This Friday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Manchester Avenue and Hoover Street, South Los Angeles. 
• This Friday from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Sunset Boulevard and Sutherland Street, Echo Park.
• This Friday from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. – Slauson Avenue and Olive Street, South Los Angeles.
• This Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.– Jefferson Boulevard and Western Avenue, South Los Angeles.
• This Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Washington Boulevard and Stanford Avenue, Venice.
• This Saturday from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. – Reseda Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard, Encino.
• This Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Harbor Boulevard and 1st Street, San Pedro.
• This Monday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Venice and Abbot Kinney Boulevards, Venice.

Well, there you are. Last year during the Labor Day weekend, CHP officers throughout the state made 1,417 arrests for people who were caught driving under the influence. 

Don’t be part of that statistic this year. Stay sober, stay alert, get a sober driver and have a fun holiday weekend!

At least 200 inmates threw rocks and other items at Sheriff deputies, forcing them to retreat. They also vandalized the barracks at the facility. According to L.A. County spokesman Steve Whitmore, what sparked the fracas is still unclear.

To break things up, non-lethal stinger rounds were shot into the crow to dispurse the crowd of nearly 150 inmates who were throwing rocks at the deputies. The crowd began to vandalize barracks, guard stations and attempted to smash windows.

The disturbance was stopped around 4 p.m. Some inmates were transferred to other jails because of damage to the buildings. The investigation is expected to result in criminal charges being brought against those who were involved in Sunday’s Castaic jail melee.

Harrison was brought to the Santa Rita jail on Aug. 13th on a warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol. While in custody in the jails minimum security area, Harrison was found hiding behind a mattress claiming someone was trying to shoot him. Harrison had allegedly tossed his food tray and flooded his own cell.

A deputy calmed him down and Harrison was handcuffed while the jail cell was cleaned up. Allegedly, Harrison broke free and charged at the officer. That’s when the deputy used a Taser to stop him. Other deputies rushed out and came to assist. Harrison was shocked again when he charged the deputy a second time.

He was seen by the nursing staff and taken to the jail’s medical clinic for evaluation. It was there he became unresponsive. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

The two deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy, Peter Paul Felix, was arrested in October on the charges of attempting to smuggle the drugs into the jail where he worked. Tuesday, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison. As Felix was escorted in handcuffs from the Los Angeles courtroom, he mouthed the words, “I love you guys” to his girlfriend and sisters.

Felix’s attorney, Spencer R. Vodnoy said, “This has been devastating for him and his family… Sometimes good people make really bad decisions.”

An inmate who allegedly helped to arrange the drug exchange with Felix was also sentenced on Tuesday. He was given two years in prison.

As for Felix, he’ll have 4 years in a jail cell to think about his lack of judgement. Perhaps by then, he’ll realize what side of the fence he should have been playing on.

But this past Tuesday, another arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Nguyen, and it doesn’t have anything to do with Dog. This time, it was for failure to file proof of completion for a public service program regarding his driving on a suspended license.

Seems this is about the 12th time Mr. Nguyen has been arrested for a range of charges such as theft, multiple traffic violations, felonies, misdemeanors and obstructing an officer.

I’m sure the general consensus would be that Mr. Nguyen pretty much deserves to be in the “Dog House.”

When officers from the LAPD Foothill Station & Jail dispersed party goers early Sunday, the whole thing was caught on tape. It’s allegedly shown that some of the officers were dressed in riot gear. As more officers arrived to scene, party goers reportedly began throwing bottles, cans, rocks and other items at them. It was then, that an air support unit made a call out for more assistance.

According to reports, officers formed skirmish lines to disperse the crowd of between 60 to 70 people. Nine People were arrested for charges including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, delaying or obstructing and officer and resisting arrest.

The department stated, “It has come to the attention of the department that an Internet video shows at least a portion of the encounter between LAPD offers and those attending the party. In the video, officers are shown in the skirmish line formation.”

After the party smoke cleared, complaints of  the officers using ‘excessive force’ were reported to the Foothill Division, according to officials.

The hit Stephanie Plum book series by Evanovitch have created quite a stir. Her latest, Sizzling Sixteen, is already a New York Times best seller. Working for her cousin Vinnie at “Vincent Plum Bail Bonds”, Plum is less than realistic young bounty hunter, but is more than lovable in spunky, heroic way to Evanovitch’s following.

Katherine Heigl has pushed to see the character come to life on the big screen and she’s gotten her wish. Originally, Reese Witherspoon was slated to take on the role, but the production was on the back burner so long (since 1994) that the casting just didn’t happen.

Heigl, known for her role in Grey’s Anatomy will star as a bounty hunter in the making, and on the look-out for Joseph Morelli, a wanted cop. He also happens to be her “very first”.

Green-lit by Columbia Pictures and Lakeshore Entertainment, the movie is sure to bring Stephanie Plum fans to the box office. Question is, will Katherine Heigl live up to the expectations of Stephanie Plum fans? We’ll have to wait and see.

Specifically, according to Princeton University’s WordNet, Bail (as a noun) is: ”the legal system that allows an accused person to be temporarily released from custody (usually on condition that a sum of money guarantees their appearance at trial).”

And, Bail (as a verb) is: “secure the release of (someone) by providing security.”

Both “Bail” and “Bail Bonds” accomplish Bail as a verb – they get the defendant out of jail while they await court. Let’s see if we can clarify…

Bail

Without a bondsman, a individual can take cash or a cashier’s check to the jail clerk, pay the full bail amount and the defendant will be released. This is often called a ”cash bail” and a bondsman is not needed in this case.  But be advised, if the bail is very high, let’s say $100,000 for example, the court may want verification of the source funds prior to the release of the defendant.

It’s also important to remember, that if the individual fails to appear in court as ordered; or they violate the conditions of their release, the cash bail can be forfeited. Unfortunately, the person who put up the money can lose the entire amount of cash bail posted if this situation does occur.

When the defendant does fulfill all court obligations, and does not violate any condition of their release at the conclusion of the case, the funds will be returned (less any fees or fines ordered by the court).

Pros of Cash Bail: Once the defendant completes all requirements of their case and the bond is exonerated, the bail money is returned.

Cons: Coming up with the full amount of the bail can be difficult, especially during this tough financial climate. Bail amounts can reach an excess of $100,000. Even at smaller bail amounts, say $25,000 (the average in Southern California) many people have that kind of money sitting around in their bank accounts.

Bail Bond

A bail bond is otherwise known in the insurance industry as a “Surety Bond.” It is, in general terms, a paper ’power of attorney’ which a licensed bail bondsman uses to have the defendant released from jail. The bond writing process is a contractual undertaking, which is also guaranteed by the bail bond companies’ insurance company.

Essentially, the bail bond company, along with the Indemnitor (the person signing the contract with the bondsman), guarantee the court they will ‘make good’ on the bond in case of a forfeiture; (which means, the defendant failed to appear for their mandatory court appearances and cannot be located within 6 months). If that happens, the Indemnitor would be responsible for any fees incurred in the recovery of the defendant. And, if the defendant cannot be located, the indemnitor would be responsible for the full amount of the bail.

Pros of Bail Bonds:  The bail bond costs only %10 of the total bail amount. If the bail is set at $10,000, the Indemnitor would only pay the bail bondsman a $1,000 premium to have the defendant bailed out. This makes it financially achievable for many families and individuals, where large cash bail amounts are not readily available.

Bail Bonds are often also quicker. Let’s take the $10,000 bail. Most people don’t have that kind of money at 2 AM on a Sunday or 2 PM on a Tuesday, for that matter. A bondsman will be available 24 hours a day. An experience bondsman can often get a bond processed in less than an hour.

Cons: The premium amount is non-refundable. The premium is earned by the bail company at the moment the defendant has been released from jail. Even if the case is dismissed, or the charges were dropped, the money paid for their release is not returned.

In summary, there are several options when it comes to having someone released from jail. It’s always best to consult with an expert in the bail industry to find what option would work best in your individual circumstance.

The need for such a large project stems from the overcrowded conditions at the current, Maguire Correctional and Maple Street Jail Facilities.  These two facilities are currently housing 1,092 male and female inmates.

According to San Mateo County Sheriff, Greg Munks, the County currently spends approximately $56 million each year to run the older facilities. The new facility would add an additional $74.8 million to that cost.

To relieve the congestion now, there would have to be an additional 472 beds installed at these jails.  The new facility would help to alleviate the problem by adding 296 extra beds, along with the 472 bed quota. The new facility would also house transitional inmates and offer programs and vocational training such as culinary classes; all which help to reduce recidivism.

Further, the older Maple street jail would be decommissioned and the staff would be transferred to the new facility. They would also hire an additional 70 staffers.

With all of these discussions in the arena, the subject of where the new facility will be built still stands. Redwood City is opposing placing the site on county-owned land, suggesting it will hurt any revitalization efforts of the downtown area. Further, the Board of Supervisors won’t budge until the site has been established, before it accepts construction and cost plans.

Munks, along with the city will report whether or not they have located a possible new site within 60 days.