Callie Buck has a new case filed in 2026 for petty theft from Fortuna Liquors

 

I have covered former local attorney Callie Buck since 2024. Initially she was respectful, as her own behavior resulted in a downward spiral, a conviction, multiple arrests; as is the case with many in Humboldt; Buck was abusive and engaged in other behaviors towards me instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility.

Buck is ineligible to practice law in California.

On 4/17, due to the power outage arraignment in her 2026 case was continued to 4/30 and 5/1. Same dates in her 2025 and 2024 violation of probation cases.

The charge in the 2026 case is for petty theft from Fortuna Liquors.

I have included screenshots of all my prior posts on Buck with this post for new readers. In the future, you will access all posts via the search feature on the blog.

FBI and DOJ 11 count indictment against Southern Poverty Law Center

 

I have included just four pages of the indictment.

SPLC is denying the allegations.

Ken Bareilles out; Dustin Owens takes over another case for Ray Christie; I reported what happened in March about Bareilles being a no show in court

 

In my 3/20/26 update on Prince Trucking vs Ray Christie which I added to my April 2025 post, I reported, "Mr. Bareilles was listed as a no show because the case was called twice. While Mr. Bareilles was another courtroom, the case was called twice and he was aware of this hearing and could have told the bailiff or asked the judge to be excused briefly. Other attorneys face the same situation every day with many more cases than the handful Mr. Bareilles has and they manage to make their appearances. Trial setting + OSC for failure to appear by Mr. Bareilles scheduled for 4/20."

I also reported what was happening in other posts before Mr. Bareilles April response since I was covering the Tselin Lincoln and William Warren case in March and besides my observations, checked with the clerk and bailiff.

On 4/14, Mr. Bareilles filed a response taking respinsibility and said he would accept any sanctions. On 4/20/26, Mr. Bareilles requested a continuance to file a substitution of attorney form and Mr. Dustin Owens will be representing Christie. A CMC is scheduled for 6/8/26.

You can read the court minutes from yesterday and Mr. Bareilles response yourself.

Brandey Wheeler lawsuit against City of Eureka dismissed

 

On 3/3/26, a dismissal was granted with prejudice in the 2025 lawsuit Brandey Wheeler wrongful termination filed against the City of Eureka. 

When I did my last update on the case in January, there was a settlement; then the parties wanted a trial and then there was this dismissal. 

I took a quick look at the case and if you read me regularly, you know how busy it has been. The same goes for the clerks and documents being entered. I did not see anything entered about a settlement. I will follow up and update but cannot say when, given the current insanity and schedule of Humboldt Superior Court.

Former City of Eureka Deputy attorney Curtis Davis who is now in private practice represented Wheeler. Leibert Cassidy and Whitmore.

The 4/17/26 case management hearing was moot.

Janssen Malloy 2, County of Humboldt 0 in Redwood Oil suit

 

First, a temporary restraining order was granted by Humboldt Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Timothy Canning. Yesterday, the County of Humboldt lost again. The preliminary injunction requested by Janssen Malloy, the local law firm representing Redwood Oil was granted.

I spoke with  Janssen Malloy's Mr. Frank Martin after the hearing yesterday and he said the order will not be filed until later this week.

I have included court minutes and you can see for yourself the amount of money to be held in a constructive trust by the County of Humboldt.

Most readers follow me daily and regularly. For others, the three previous posts provide court documents, details and context on the lawsuitwhich is about the Humboldt County Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinance.

Steve Lee arrested for domestic violence and rape charges involving a minor

51 year old Steve Alan Lee was arrested by Fortuna Police Department yesterday for PC 273.5(a) domestic violence, PC 261(a)(2) rape of a minor by force or fear of bodily injury, PC 289(a)(1)(a) forcible sexual peneyration with a foreign object, and PC 261.5(c) statutory rape.

Convicted felon James Spaulding arrested on Ramey warrant on firearm and vandalism charges

A Ramey warrant was issued on 4/14/26 for convicted felon James Alexander Spaulding. Yesterday, on 4/20, Spaulding was arrested on that warrant and booked for PC 247(b) shooting at an unoccupied vehicle or dwelling, PC 29800(a)(1) felon in possession of a firearm and four felony violations of PC 594 (b)(1) vandalism.

26 search results come up for Spaulding in Humboldt Superior Court. He has three open family law cases.

I know information about Spaulding, including his family law cases. I will wait and see if charges are filed and who the alleged victim is in this case. Let's see if the one person constantly excusing and enabling Spaulding helps retains Mr. Ken Bareilles and that person helped Spaulding post bond. 

I have my opinion of Spaulding based on information and interactions with people who know him. Some of them I no longer communicate with because they enable him and they repeatedly made a choice about Spaulding despite my warning them. One of them called me about the warrant and I did not return the call. These so called Catholic church members behave one way on Sunday and in church;  then associate with criminals like Spaulding and dismiss his behavior and record. Spaulding  does not go to any local Catholic church.

Pro per defendant and local attorney loses trial prosecuted by Deputy DA Rees and is remanded into court after verdict

 

Yesterday at 2:45 p.m. bailiff said there was a verdict in Courtroom 5 in a trial where the defendant represented herself. After waiting for Maryanne Elizabeth DeAngelo to arrive, finally at 3:21, with all jurors in the courtroom;  DeAngelo was found guilty on all charges. Sentencing is on 4/29.

She was remanded in court. DeAngelo's bail bond posted by Bill Davidson Bonds was exonerated and she is on a no bail status.

The jail log lists PC 243(d) battery with serious bodily injury, PC245(a)(4) assault likely to produce great bodily injury, PC245(a)(1) assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and PC 12022.7(a) great bodily injury enhancement. The information was amended on 4/16/26. 

Humboldt Superior Court Judge Lawrence Killoran presided over the jury trial. Senior Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor.

Courtroom 5 is right next to the room where the public access computers are. I got to observe the jurors everyday and the defendant.

(CA State Bar)

DeAngelo is a local attorney with an office in Mckinleyville. Two of DeAngelo's civil cases, including one against local attorney Heidi Wells was dismissed. DeAngelo didn't show up in the case for Ms. Wells.

I have covered several criminal and civil cases involving local attorneys and can think of 5 criminal cases which resulted in convictions.

DeAngelo went through four attorneys.

CA AG Bonta sues City of Poway alleging CEQA violations involving discovery of ancestral remains and tribal cultural resources

 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against the City of Poway and Poway City Council alleging CEQA violations involving discovery of ancestral remains and tribal cultural resources.

Orick Elementary makes CA headlines for 9 students with a cost of $118,000 per child

 

(Orick School instagram)

You didn't see this CAL Matters column reprinted in the local liberal media. Nobig deal. It will get more views from the California Post  who regurgitated the CAL Matters article with their spin. If you pay attention; very few media have original content. Those with big bucks are lazy.

"School closures are an incendiary issue in nearly every corner of California, as enrollment declines and expenses climb. The topic has sparked parent revolts, teacher strikes and school boards’ desperate attempts to keep districts financially afloat.

And then there’s Orick.The picturesque town in northern Humboldt County has a historic school with five classrooms, a gym, a vegetable garden and an expansive play field. Its current enrollment: nine. Its expenses: $118,000 per student per year, more than five times the state average." --CAL Matters

Fighting back tears, the Hoopa community reads victim impact statements regarding Preston Ruiz disposition

While other local media went to the Richard Toledo arraignment as predicted; I made a choice to cover the Preston Ruiz case today which has concluded.

I chose to see if the courtroom would be open for Preston Ruiz' juvenile case. It was this afternoon. There are no court minutes or access to this case so live coverage and being in the courtroom is the only way to get information.

The courtroom was packed to capacity. In addition to the regular courtroom 7 bailiff HCSO Deputy Leslie Borges; HCSO Sgt. Tony Gomes was present.

Humboldt Superior Court Presiding Judge Kelly Neel allowed people to sit in the front row where usually attorneys or law enforcement sit.

It has been a hectic day . Senior Humboldt Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees who is prosecuting William Warren and Tselin Lincoln was in Courtroom 7 this afternoon until there was a verdict in the trial he has been busy with in Courtroom 5. It is my understanding that he is the lead prosecutor and presented evidence for a previous hearing against Ruiz.

Deputy DA Alison Herson is assisting with this case and today she appeared in court making arguments and reading additional victim impact statements.

Gregory Kreis is Ruiz' attorney.  Ruiz was in court in a green t shirt and black pants. A juvenile hall officer was seated in front of me holding cuffs and a belt. Probation, CWS and other juvenile attorneys were in court. 

I have the charge, the disposition and details that were mentioned today in court.I am not going to rush this post because those who appreciate and support me will wait. The rest of you have taken live coverage, the amoint of daily content and my hard work for granted. Pay for a subscription because the free ride of 12 years is over.

I made a choice to cover 2 hours of this case while several other cases were going on and still trying to check on cases from Friday continued to Monday. The power outage Friday added to existing delays.

I am sure there be social media posts from the Moon family members and those related to four other survivors who were in that car. If you want what was stated in court, then come back later for more details from Judge Neel and attorney remarks.

There was some misinformation addressed on record in court today.

Ruiz pleaded guilty and admitted to being a member of a criminal organization. He turned himself in, he helped with the investigation. He did not shoot and was not aware that William Warren and Tselin Lincoln had guns. He spoke today. Today, Judge Neel declared Ruiz was a ward of the state, he is going to the New Horizons program , he is leaving Humboldt County, going through mental health and alcohol treatment. He will be confined aka "house arrest" for 1 year 8 months and 19 days.

The DA requested 6 months instead of 4 months as agreed in the disposition at New Horizons and a ban on social media. That was not granted. Judge Neel followed the recommendations by Probation.

There are stay away orders and juvenile restraining orders the Humboldt County DA requested and there was no objection by defense.

Dylan Moon's father, Grandma "Robin", several aunts of the juvenile survivors made victim impact statements.

Fear of retaliation, the word broken was used by many and the impact on the community. The defendants and survivors and families know each other. Some requested anonymity. Others stated their names on record and I recognize those names from my Facebook news page and people who have messaged me. 

I want to remind all those affected by this tragedy that I took time to be there today. The other local media made a choice to cover two arraignments. I already reported on the charges in the Richard Toledo and Ashley Pearce-Pifferini case previously so attorney and dates were all I needed to add. Toledo is a misdemeanor case. 

The other local media picked a white woman and a white man and to cover arraignment hearings which are no big deal. The other media picked Toledo and his supporters' theatrics over covering the pain of the local Native American community. I chose to cover this hearing despite the rude and abusive behavior towards me by some people involved and who wrote victim impact statements. 

Of course, I was there because I pay attention to all cases on calendar and know when it might be possible to cover a juvenile case. Some community members walked out in reaction to the disposition today and some left at the same time I did when the hearing had concluded.

I am no longer providing links to prior coverage for every post. For free, you can use the search feature or subscribe for convenience and benefits.

Cal Poly protestor Richard Toledo dressed in black suit here with supporters carrying cardboard signs

Cal Poly Humboldt protestor Richard Toledo is here dressed in a black suit with supporters carrying "Free Ricky, drop the charges" cardboard signs. Let's see how that works with Retired Humboldt Superior Court Judge Joyce Hinrichs. 

I was going to add an update to the previous post since I already reported on charges but decided to do a new post based on the theatrics on the second floor. 

Trial confirmation on 7/8; jury trial on 7/13. 

The screenshots are of previous coverage on Toledo. Mr. Matthew Kellegrew from the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Oregon has been retained by Toledo. Mr. Kellegrew has also been admitted to the California State Bar.

Defense files motion to continue William Warren and Tselin Lincoln preliminary hearing

There is a motion to continue the preliminary  hearing for William Warren filed by Ms. Rebecca Linkous which is scheduled for a hearing on 4/22. Ms. Linkous had already indicated this at previous court hearings.

Tselin Lincoln's case does not have a motion to continue. His attorney is Ms. Andrea Sullivan.

Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is currently in trial.

The preliminary hearing scheduled for 4/28 will most likely be continued.

Previous coverage on this case can be accessed for free via the search feature or on the blog or sign up for a subscription for individual updates and other benefits. I am no longer providing links to all previous coverage for every post.

Jorden Sterling filed for a name change before he was arrested for child abduction

 

This Saturday, I did a post on Jorden Sterling's arrest. 

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2026/04/jorden-sterling-arrested-again-this.html?m=1

This afternoon, there is arraignment scheduled for both Jorden and Melissa Sterling. 

Michael Nilsson arrested by Cal Poly Humboldt police for false imprisonment, attempted kidnapping and being drunk

53 year old Michael Kjell Nilsson was arrested by Cal Poly Humboldt Police yesterday for PC 236 false imprisonment, PC664/207(a) attempted kidnapping and PC 647 (f) public intoxication.

Not the first arrest for Nilsson being drunk in public. A Facebook profile for Michael Nilsson with no recent photos to compare viewable in a public profile but lists he studied at Cal Poly Humboldt.

I reached out to Cal Poly Humboldt Police Chief Greg Allen. He responded," Good morning John, our Marketing and Communications Department is working on a press release as we speak."

I have exclusive information posted here first that the alleged victim is a current student.

Michael Kjell Nilsson already has one open 2026 case for an Arcata Police Department arrest for petty theft from CVS, public intoxication and resisting an officer. On 3/5/26, instead of arraignment it was referred to the DA for affadavit. A conviction in a 2022 CHP traffic case with a plea, a conviction in a 2021 HCSO case, a conviction in a 2022 CHP DUI case and a conviction in a 2020 CHP DI case. He has other cases and if you want more details subscribe or look it up yourself.

The CPH press release was added to the post. It confirms what I already posted this morning with a few more details about the alleged interaction.

20 years in federal prison if convicted of this charge is the real crime

 

Photos and information this morning from Bill Essayli who is First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.

"Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.

If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Mafi is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016.

She is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown L.A. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court."

Nathan Leithner arrested for indecent exposure by State Parks and Recreation

 

Nathan David Leithner was arrested by State Parks and Recreation yesterday for PC 314 (1) indecent exposure. He was released from jail on O.R. 

It is a misdemeanor charge which means it could be months before charges are filed and even if they are, he will get a slap on the wrist in Humboldt County and be one of the thousands of arrests that forgotten in the cogs of the criminal justice system.

"The biggest challenge from public perpective is that this is important work but not sexy work."

 

(Photo: John Chiv)

I have been wanting to interview Humboldt County Auditor Mychal Evenson for a while. Due to our schedules, the interview kept getting postponed.

 Today, before leaving for a conference, Mychal was kind enough to meet me for coffee. I also decided to take the time out from my weekend.

I wanted to feature Mychal because just like Humboldt County County Clerk, Recorder and Registrar of Voters Juan Cervantes, he is part of Humboldt County leadership from a younger generation and just like Juan, I have received positive feedback from County and community members about their professionalism and kudos from people from a range of political views. 

The adage, no news is good news, certainly applies to the Humboldt County Auditor-Controller since Mychal has been in charge and that is a positive development.

Most local people who read and keep informed know that the external auditors' 2024 report was better than previous years. 

"We are getting things caught up and improving more incrementally," said Mychal. 

"This is what I see myself doing for the rest of the career;  serving the people of Humboldt County."

Mychal grew up in Eureka and except for one year in Portland, home for Mychal has always been Humboldt County.

He has the financial skills, so why public service? "There are times I have been in private sector that I was put in a position where my personal ethics went against profit motive." Mychal said he was not going to name or call out any of his former employers. 

"Public service is ethics first. I protect 600 million dollars in taxpayer money. I am the last line of defense to make sure taxpayer money is used appropriately."

"The biggest challenge from public perpective is that this is important work but not sexy work."

While we have a secure office, people can come in the lobby. People don't have reason to come see the auditor controller, especially when we are doing our job well."

"I would have liked someone to run against me for democracy, but running unopposed is great."

This response was to my observation that Juan, Mychal, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo and Treasurer Tax Collector Amy Christensen are all incumbents running unopposed. This was a similar response I got from Juan. It is refreshing to see elected officials believe in the democratic process and not be entitled about their position.

The Auditor Controller's Office "interacts with every County Department but spend more time with DHHS and HCSO because they are larger departments. We train every department on how things work."

"My role, which I jokingly call an elected bureaucrat, is that leadership shields people from individual exposure. I have a phenomenal team. They are great."

Another similarity between Mychal and Juan is that Juan also praises his team. We need more bosses like Mychal and Juan. This is also the perfect opportunity to commend Open Door's Tony Starr and Kathleen Moxon for top down leadership which is reflected in their employees and customer service.