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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A young man who grew up in Lake County and was facing the potential for deportation received some good news on Monday.
Carlos Solorzano, 27, attended a deportation hearing in Anchorage, Alaska, on Monday, and was formally readmitted to the United States and given back his green card.
“They decided to drop the case and not pursue it,” Solorzano said.
Solorzano, a Marine Corps veteran and Lower Lake High School graduate, had been flagged for potential deportation in December after returning from a vacation in Mexico, as Lake County News reported in an article on his case last Saturday.
A permanent U.S. resident, Solorzano came to the attention of border agents for a six-year-old misdemeanor assault and battery conviction in Virginia, where he said he had defended himself in a bar fight.
While Solorzano's conviction was a misdemeanor, such convictions are interpreted as “aggravated felonies” under the United States' complex immigration laws, according to Solorzano's attorney, Margaret Stock.
Early Monday, hours before Solorzano's hearing, Stock was contacted by an attorney for the US government, who she said agreed with her that the misdemeanor should not be a deportable conviction.
Then, Solorzano reported to a 10 a.m. hearing at the Anchorage airport. Stock was not allowed to enter the hearing with him, so instead she provided a packet with a legal memo and other information to support Solorzano's case.
She said the person conducting the hearing was an immigration agent, not an attorney. “They frequently don’t understand the law,” nor do they read applicable cases, said Stock.
The hearing was very short, about 10 minutes. Solorzano said the officers didn't seem happy, and still warned that his conviction was a deportable offense, but nonetheless agreed to allow him to be readmitted.
He said his military service, and the fact that he was honorably discharged, seemed to help his case.
“I am extremely relieved,” he said.
In a Monday phone interview, Stock also told Lake County News that media coverage of Solorzano's case made an impact, noting that “the government pays attention” when stories about these issues end up in the press.
Now, Solorzano and Stock are working on his application for citizenship.
Stock said the application has been filed. Such applications usually are expedited for veterans, with Stock estimating that the process should take one to two months.
There is still a concern, she said, that the conviction for which Solorzano was flagged for deportation could create an issue in the citizenship application process.
Stock said few people understand how powerful border and customs agents are in such cases.
“They're just looking for people to deport,” she said.
Stock and her fellow immigration lawyers are “feeling just a tremendous amount of pressure right now,” adding, “they’re trying to go after everybody.”
Many people facing deportation don't have attorneys, and had Solorzano not had one, the result could have been very different, Stock said.
Stock, herself, a veteran, said it's very painful to her to see veterans who served honorably facing these kinds of actions.
The group Banished Veterans reported that there are thousands of such cases, with veterans of all eras who lived in the country for decades being deported due to run ins with the law that involve misdemeanor and other lower-level offenses.
There also have been cases where US citizens have been deported by accident, Stock said.
Congressman Mike Thompson said last week that he's planning on reintroducing a piece of legislation that will help expedite immigration cases involving veterans. Thompson had authored similar legislation in the last session of Congress, but it died in committee.
Stock said such legislation, had it already been in place, also could have helped Solorzano's case.
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SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, chaired by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, will hold an informational hearing on end-of-life issues on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., in Capitol Room 126. The public is invited.
The hearing will facilitate a conversation on a topic that may be uncomfortable for many people.
“Death and dying remains a taboo subject,” Assemblymember Yamada said. “All of us will eventually have to make difficult decisions as we reach the end of our lives. Only a few of us have had a discussion about it in advance and, as a result, many families are compelled to make a range of critical decisions at times when stress and emotions are at their highest.”
The hearing, entitled “A Matter of Life & Death, What Are the Choices?,” will include expert panels providing testimony on the legal, emotional, medical and financial decisions faced by those approaching the end of life, including presentations from the California Healthcare Foundation; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, San Francisco VA Medical Center; and University of California San Francisco Medical Center.
Yamada represents California’s Fourth Assembly District, which includes all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
For more information on the hearing, please contact Robert MacLaughlin at 916-319-3990 or
A Federal Trade Commission study of the U.S. credit reporting industry found that 5 percent of consumers had errors on one of their three major credit reports that could lead to them paying more for products such as auto loans and insurance.
Overall, the congressionally mandated study on credit report accuracy found that one in five consumers had an error on at least one of their three credit reports.
“These are eye-opening numbers for American consumers,” said Howard Shelanski, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Economics. “The results of this first-of-its-kind study make it clear that consumers should check their credit reports regularly. If they don’t, they are potentially putting their pocketbooks at risk.”
The study, in which participants were encouraged to use the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) process to resolve any potential credit report errors, also found that:
- One in four consumers identified errors on their credit reports that might affect their credit scores;
- One in five consumers had an error that was corrected by a credit reporting agency (CRA) after it was disputed, on at least one of their three credit reports;
- Four out of five consumers who filed disputes experienced some modification to their credit report;
- Slightly more than one in 10 consumers saw a change in their credit score after the CRAs modified errors on their credit report; and
- Approximately one in 20 consumers had a maximum score change of more than 25 points and only one in 250 consumers had a maximum score change of more than 100 points.
Other study results can be found in the executive summary of the report.
“Your credit report has information about your finances and your bill-paying history, so it’s important to make sure it’s accurate,” said Charles Harwood, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The good news for consumers is that credit reports are free through www.annualcreditreport.com , and if you find an error, you can work with the credit reporting company to fix it.”
The FTC report is the first major study that looks at all the primary groups that participate in the credit reporting and scoring process: consumers; lenders/data furnishers (which include creditors, lenders, debt collection agencies, and the court system); the Fair Isaac Corporation, which develops FICO credit scores; and the national credit reporting agencies (CRAs).
It is based on work with 1,001 participants who reviewed 2,968 credit reports with a study associate who helped them identify and correct possible errors on their credit reports.
Consumers in the study were selected to match the demographic and credit score information of the general public, and participants were encouraged to dispute errors that could affect their credit standing. Credit reports with potential errors identified by study participants were sent to Fair Isaac (FICO) for rescoring.
After completing the FCRA dispute process, study participants were provided with new credit reports and credit scores. The original reports were then compared with the new reports. If any modifications were made as a result of the disputes, the impact of errors on the consumer’s credit score was determined.
Congress directed the FTC to conduct a study of credit report accuracy and provide interim reports every two years, starting in 2004 and continuing through 2012, with a final report in 2014. The reports are being produced under Section 319 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACT Act.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop and avoid them.
To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Visit the agency at www.ftc.gov .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Over the weekend Lake County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies made three arrests and seized methamphetamine and marijuana during a traffic stop.
Lt. Steve Brooks said sheriff's deputies arrested Carrissa Marie Stump, 28, of Desert Hot Springs; Rafael Garza, 22, of Santa Clara; and 59-year-old Darryl Partida of Lakeport for drug-related charges following the enforcement stop, which occurred last Saturday.
Just before 10:30 a.m. Saturday a patrol deputy pulled over a white Toyota sedan for vehicle code violations, Brooks said.
Stump, the vehicle's driver, was unable to provide the deputy with a valid driver’s license, Brooks said. While speaking to Stump, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
Brooks said deputies contacted Garza and Partida, who were passengers in the vehicle. Deputies noticed what appeared to be a marijuana pipe at Garza’s feet and asked him to step out of the vehicle.
As Garza was getting out of the vehicle, the deputies also noticed a clear plastic bag sticking out of his jacket pocket that appeared to contain a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine, according to Brooks.
Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle and located approximately 3 pounds of processed marijuana, packaging material and a digital scale. Brooks said the white crystalline substance weighed approximately 3.4 ounces and tested presumptive positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
Brooks said Stump was arrested for transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of methamphetamine. Garza was arrested for possession of methamphetamine for sale and transportation of methamphetamine. Partida was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
All three were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.
Jail records indicated all three later posted bail and were released.
COBB, Calif. – A 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield early Monday morning.
In a preliminary report, the US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 12:27 a.m.
The quake was recorded at a depth of a mile and a half, with its epicenter one mile north northwest of The Geysers, five miles west southwest of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported.
Shake reports can be submitted at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc71935215#dyfi_form .
A 3.1-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers last Friday, as Lake County News has reported.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Five adult cats are awaiting adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
All of the cats, ranging in age from 2 to 7 years, have been altered and vaccinated.
One of them even knows a cool trick. Find out more below.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Siamese mix
This female Siamese mix is 5 years old, and is in need of a new home due to the death of her owner.
She has a long luxurious coat, is large in size and has been spayed. In addition, she has beautiful, jewel-blue eyes.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 100, ID No. 35293.
Siamese mix
This male Siamese mix is 3 years old.
He weighs 10 pounds, has lynx point coloring and a short coat, and has been altered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 48, ID No. 35372.
Dilute tortie
This female calico is 2 years old.
She has dilute tortie coloring, weighs 7 pounds, has a short coat and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 45a, ID No. 35362.
Brown male tabby
This brown male tabby is 7 years old.
He has a short brown striped coat, and he’s been neutered.
In addition, he knows tricks – he can sit up and beg. Check out the video here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=491873924187242&;set=o.294634277218465&type=2&theater .
Shelter staff said he is begging for a new home after the death of his owner.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 35, ID No. 35292.
Gray tabby
This male gray tabby is 4 years old.
He has a short striped coat and green eyes, weighs 11 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 10, ID No. 35371.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at