More on the Harran Case Hearing

The LA Daily News carries a story about the hearing concerning the fatal lab fire in 2008 for which the local DA is holding Professor Patrick Harran criminally responsible.  A possible four-year prison sentence is involved.  As we have noted in past blog postings, the Regents were at one time charged along with Prof. Harran but have been dropped from the case.  UCLA legal counsel believes that this matter is being overcharged by the DA for whatever reasons and is providing his defense.  We have also noted that the DA has charged another UCLA professor in a totally-unrelated case, possibly hoping to pressure some kind of settlement in the Harran case.

The story can be found at:
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_22029733/08-ucla-lab-fire-may-spark-charges

It might be noted that a new DA was recently elected.  Perhaps when she takes office, this case might get a re-examination.  Profile:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-adv-jackie-lacey-20121118,0,5157805.story

Update: There do seem to be some reshuffles going in the DA's office adverse to those identified with the old regime there.  Whether that means anything for this case, I have no idea:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/11/sharon_matsumoto_das_office.php

There are all kinds of waves to examine...

 

...but the exam below at Anderson today was more wavy than usual:

 

Traffic Problems in Going There

The Westwood-Century City Patch lists road closings and obstructions in the UCLA area today related to the 405 project: 
=== 

• Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction near Constitution.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced near Constitution.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced near Cashmere St (east of Sepulveda Bl).
• Sepulveda Bl reduced from Bronwood to Church, 6 am to 2:30 pm.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced from Moraga to Church and near Ovada.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction from Montana to Church.
• Homedale fully closed from Sepulveda Bl to Thurston, 6 am to 2:30 pm.
• Ovada fully closed from Sepulveda Bl to Acanto.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction from Getty Center Dr to Moraga Dr.
• Sepulveda Bl reduced to one lane each direction from south of Skirball Center Dr to Mission Dump.

In addition, there were demonstrations this past weekend which may well continue on and off at the Federal Building on Wilshire and Sepulveda related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Full article at http://centurycity.patch.com/announcements/metro-monday-morning-afternoon-closures-26bd8a4e

Gov. Brown on UC online education & budget

Last Wednesday, we posted the audio of the UC Regents meeting of that day which Governor Brown attended as an ex officio Regent.  We noted in that posting that he pushed for UC to move into online education.  And he indicated that without such a shift in the "paradigm," UC could not receive enough funding from the state to prevent continued increases in tuition.  For the convenience of blog readers, below is an excerpt from that meeting in which these views are expressed by Governor Brown:

Why Prop 30 Will Not Be a Windfall for UC

The chart above from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggests that the state's "social welfare" functions will take a growing share of the budget. [Click on the chart to enlarge and make clearer.] Those functions were very limited at the time of the Master Plan's adoption.  Since that time, they have tended to crowd out UC's share of the state budget.  Ultimately, that is why the governor cautioned UC about its wishlist budget at the most recent Regents meeting.

You can find the report from which the chart above was taken at:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3860

Hearing on UCLA Chemistry Fire Case

Apparently, the trial of UCLA Prof. Patrick Harran is under way although it is receiving limited media coverage.  Readers of this blog will know that the case stemmed from a lab accident in which a student assistant, Sheharbano "Sheri" Sangji, was killed.  At one time the Regents were also charged but they were dropped form the case by the DA.  We have suggested that in this case and another involving a faculty member, the DA is overreaching in what should be a civil case.  UCLA agrees and is providing legal defense for Prof. Harran,  Coverage can be found in the Westwood-Century City Patch at:

http://centurycity.patch.com/articles/hearing-begins-for-ucla-prof-charged-in-lab-death-case

...Harran was charged last December along with the Regents of the University of California. On July 27, criminal charges against the UC regents were dismissed as the result of an "enforcement agreement" that called for corrective measures. Sangji—who was not wearing a lab coat—suffered second- and third-degree burns as she was transferring a highly flammable chemical agent, tert- Butyllithium, when it spilled from a syringe and onto her hands, arms and body and ignited, according to the agreement between the District Attorney's Office and the UC regents. Harran's attorney told reporters earlier this year that Sangji's death was an "unspeakable tragedy."

"... What happened in that laboratory was an accident, not a crime," O'Brien said in July. "While we all wish this terrible tragedy had not occurred, there is no reasonable explanation for this prosecution and it's been flawed from the start." Harran faces four and a half years in prison if convicted of the charges, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Thanks to the Beverly Hills Courier for Covering Our Coverage of the Japanese Garden Issue

Beverly Hills Courier, Nov. 16, 2012, pp. 5, 13.  Click on images above to enlarge.  Full edition of the Courier is at:

http://issuu.com/bhcourier/docs/111612fissue