Brickbat: Without Warning

City officials in Bakersfield, California, agreed to a record $22 million settlement after a police officer caused a deadly crash in 2023. Ricardo Robles, an officer at the time, drove at least 80 miles per hour through a stop sign without turning on his sirens and crashed into another car, killing driver Mario Lares and seriously injuring passenger Ana Hernandez. Lares’ family and Hernandez sued the city, arguing that the officer ignored safety rules while on duty. In 2024, Robles pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter, but the court sentenced him to just one day in jail and two years of probation, along with community service and restitution.