Orange County District Attorney

Vons Grocery Co., which has long advertised itself as "the more store," paid a $200,000 fine to Orange County this week for allowing more fat in its lean hamburger meat than stated on the label. The fine was part of a negotiated settlement with the county district attorney's consumer protection unit.

After two months of speculation, Michael R. Capizzi, second-in-command in the prosecutor's office, will make it official today that he is running for Orange County district attorney. Capizzi, 47, said Tuesday that he would announce his candidacy at a 10:30 a.m. news conference in the county Hall of Administration in Santa Ana. A veteran prosecutor who directed a series of successful political corruption investigations, Capizzi has been preparing for a campaign since Dist. Atty.

About a dozen Rancho Santiago College faculty members stormed out of a meeting of the college's board of trustees on Monday to protest the board's decision to strip two trustees of their membership on county committees. The board voted Monday to remove trustees Charles W. (Pete) Maddox and Brian E.

The Orange County district attorney's office filed suit Tuesday against Exxon Corp., alleging that the oil company has failed to comply with a major pollution law enacted to prevent fuel leaks. Prosecutors allege in the suit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, that Exxon has violated a state law that requires companies to obtain permits and monitor underground fuel tanks for leaks. Eight Exxon stations in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Garden Grove are involved, the suit says.

Misdemeanor charges have been filed by the Orange County district attorney's office against two Cal State Fullerton basketball players who were arrested two weeks ago. After an investigation by campus police, freshman guard Greg Vernon was charged with auto theft and freshman forward Michael Bloodworth was charged with auto theft and possession of stolen property.

Former Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo asked a judge Thursday to recuse himself from the former lawman's corruption case because of the judge's marriage to a senior prosecutor in the Orange County district attorney's office. Jaramillo argued that the relationship between Superior Court Judge William R. Froeberg and Assistant Dist. Atty. Roseanne Froeberg could create a perception of unfairness. Roseanne Froeberg heads the district attorney's sex crimes unit.

A court date has been set to consider a defamation of character lawsuit filed by Santa Ana Councilman Ted R. Moreno against a former political opponent. After the two sides failed to resolve the issue during a mandatory settlement conference, Superior Court Judge Thomas N. Thrasher Sr. on Friday set April 8 as the court date.

Lawyers in the Orange County district attorney's office filed suit Friday to stop a martial arts company from allegedly selling switch-blade knives and dangerous martial arts weapons that are outlawed.

Armed with newly released church documents, advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse asked the Orange County district attorney Friday to open an investigation into whether Roman Catholic officials acted criminally by covering for molesting priests and failing to report their crimes to authorities. "We ask you to protect kids by setting an example for those who would protect child molesters," wrote three officials of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in a letter to Dist. Atty.