TranslatePress Release Index
<p>Triple Murderer Denied Parole</p><p></p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced that Johnny Lee Sommerhalder, 78</span><i style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </i><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">years old of Santa Rosa, has been denied parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings.</span> Read full story
<p>Man Convicted of Sexually Abusing Two Young Females</p><p></p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Jesus Paniagua-Rojas, 51 years old of Santa Rosa, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a Sonoma County jury of committing 18 felony sex offenses against two children from 2014 to 2018.</span> Read full story
<p>Man sentenced to prison for the physical and sexual assault of his two young children</p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Albert Meredith, 27 years old of Cazadero, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 14 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest in May to charges of physically abusing his newborn daughter, and sexually molesting the baby’s 4-year-old half-sister.</span> Read full story
<p>Sex Offender Denied Elder Parole after Hearing </p>
California state prison Inmate Kelly Mclaughlin-Cross (60 years old, formerly of Sonoma County) was denied “Elder Parole” by the State Board of Parole Commissioners during a Tuesday afternoon hearing. Commissioners Ground and Lam ruled that McLaughlin-Cross would not be eligible to reapply for parole for an additional 5 years. Read full story
<p>District Attorney Jill Ravitch announces greenwashing settlements with Chewy, Petco, Petsmart, and Target </p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Today Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced that her office, with 22 other District Attorney’s Offices in California, resolved “greenwashing” cases with Chewy, Inc., PetSmart LLC, Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., and Target Corporation. </span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span> Read full story
<p>Windsor man found guilty of misdemeanor sexual battery and annoying or molesting a child </p>
Defendant William Boyle, 52-years-old of Windsor, was found “guilty” by the Honorable Paul Lozada of all charged offenses on Thursday following an almost month-long court trial at the Sonoma County Courthouse. Read full story
<p>Off-Duty California Highway Patrol Officer sentenced following felony convictions for firearm and vandalism offenses</p>
Jeremy Finnerty, 49 years old of Santa Rosa, appeared today for sentencing before the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court following his May 28, 2021, convictions by a jury for felony brandishing a firearm at a motor vehicle, felony vandalism, and misdemeanor resisting a police officer. Read full story
<p>Criminal street gang member denied parole for crime of attempted murder </p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that on August 3, 2021, the California Board of Prison Terms denied parole to Mario Gaburel, 51-years-old of Santa Rosa, who was convicted of the attempted murder of four young persons in 1997.</span> Read full story
<p>District Attorney’sOffice collects $1.2 million in civil judgments in FY 2020/2021 fromunscrupulous businesses that violated environmental or consumer protection laws.</p>
<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced that in FY 2020/2021, her Environmental and Consumer Law Division (“ECLD”) collected over $1.2 million for the County of Sonoma in civil judgments against businesses that violated state and local environmental and consumer protection laws. The civil judgments, all approved by the Superior Court, included monies collected for civil penalties and reimbursement of costs of investigation and prosecution.</span> Read full story
Sonoma County DistrictAttorney’s Office Awarded Innovative Prosecution Grant to Target Opioid RelatedCrimes
The Sonoma County DistrictAttorney’s Office has recently been awarded a federal grant in the amount of$340,000 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a subdivision of the USDepartment of Justice, to assist with the investigation and prosecution ofopioid-related crimes committed in Sonoma County. Read full story