These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Aug. 4-11.
1. San Diego DA’s Prosecution of Pot Attorney Has Sent Chills Through the Legal Community
Lawyers in San Diego and beyond worry the prosecution of a lawyer who represents a marijuana business could force a central tenet of practicing law – attorney-client privilege – to go up in smoke. (Jonah Valdez)
2. Body Cam Footage Shows SDPD Officer Gave False Testimony in Homeless Case
Body camera footage discovered by the city attorney’s office after a homeless man was convicted of an infraction shows a San Diego Police officer gave false testimony multiple times under oath. The city attorney’s office didn’t notify SDPD about the officer until contacted by Voice of San Diego. (Sara Libby)
3. Pot Entrepreneurs Want the Babies of Lemon Grove and La Mesa to Pack Their Bags
As pot entrepreneurs rush to scoop up real estate in cities with clear regulations allowing dispensaries, they’re running up against rules about how far away they must be from places like day cares and schools. Some are approaching day cares with offers of cash and other deals if they agree to move or shut down. (Kinsee Morlan)
4. Ex-Poway Superintendent Is Facing Five Felony Charges
John Collins is facing five felony charges for allegedly misusing public money while superintendent of the Poway Unified School District, according to a complaint filed by the San Diego County district attorney’s office. If convicted on all charges, Collins could spend up to seven years in prison. (Ashly McGlone)
5. School Officials Wanted Everyone But Disabled Students to Move Into Gleaming New Campus
The stark differences in facilities proposed for Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach felt like blatant discrimination to some parents of students in an adult transition program on campus. Many of them say the problems extend beyond just buildings. (Maya Srikrishnan)
6. New Granny Flat Laws Are a Step, But Not a Leap in the Right Direction
We asked a handful of San Diego architects and housing advocates to weigh in on the city’s new laws meant to encourage building granny flats. Most said that while the changes are a good first step, city leaders should go even further in helping make granny flats an easy and affordable option in order to ease the housing crisis. (Kinsee Morlan)
7. Culture Report: Big Problems at The Glashaus Art Space in Barrio Logan
A popular art space in Barrio Logan is kicking out its resident artists at the end of the month. (Kinsee Morlan)
8. As Barrier Talks Begin, Coronado Bridge’s Suicide Toll Is Skyrocketing
The average annual number of suicides has more than doubled, and 2012’s death toll of 19 lives was the highest in the bridge’s nearly 50-year history. This year is on pace to reach or pass that number. Coronado’s mayor is pushing for a barrier. (Randy Dotinga)
9. Ex-Poway Supe Can No Longer Teach or Manage Schools
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing revoked ex-Poway superintendent John Collins’ teaching and administrator credentials effective July 23 due to “misconduct.” (Ashly McGlone)
Despite a Sheriff’s Department policy that prohibits deputies from stopping, detaining or questioning people for reasons related to immigration, deputies contacted U.S. Border Patrol during a traffic stop and held the couple until agents arrived on scene to detain them. (Mario Koran)