IN BRIEF

six media companies

Court rejects ruling barring attorney fees

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday overturned a federal court decision barring attorney fees for six media corporations.

ABC, The Associated Press, CNN, CBS, Fox News and NBC Universal had filed suit in 2006 against then-Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller over a Nevada law barring them from conducting exit polling in the 2006 general election.

They argued that the law barring anybody from speaking to a voter within 100 feet of a polling place's entrance restricted their free speech rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, according to the 9th Circuit ruling.

U.S. District Judge Philip Pro agreed, granting a temporary, and later a permanent, injunction for the companies.

But the court denied the companies' request for attorney's fees. The companies appealed.

According to the 9th Circuit opinion, fee awards should be the rule rather than the exception, and the judge did not specifically state why the companies shouldn't receive the awards.

In reversing the decision, three 9th Circuit judges determined that special circumstances did not exist to bar the attorney's fees.

LAKE TAHOE AREA

Rules requiring chains, snow tires in effect

A storm is bringing snow and chain controls to the Lake Tahoe area.

Chains are mandatory on Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and U.S. 50 over Echo Summit.

Chains or snow tires are required on Highway 88 over Carson Pass, and other highways around Tahoe.

Alpine Meadows ski resort reported up to 7 inches of new snow, and Squaw Valley USA reported up to 4 inches of new snow.

In Nevada, up to 2 inches of snow was reported in parts of the Reno area, and chains or snow tires were required on U.S. 50 near Fallon and Eureka, as well as on U.S. 93 north of Wells.

The storm was blamed for a rash of traffic accidents Saturday morning in the Reno-Tahoe area.

Numerous accidents also led to intermittent morning closures of I-80 around Mustang just east of Reno.

The National Weather Service is calling for a chance of snow at Tahoe every day through at least Wednesday.

GANG LINKS SUSPECTED

Two men arrested in deputy's shooting

Two men suspected of being gang members were arrested in the fatal shooting of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy as he was getting ready to go to work, officials announced Saturday.

Deputy Juan Escalante, 27, was shot dead outside his parents' home Aug. 2 as he was getting ready to drive to his job at the Men's Central Jail.

Guillermo Hernandez, 20, and Carlos Velasquez, 24, of Los Angeles, were arrested Friday night, the Los Angeles Police Department announced. They were booked on murder charges and were being held without bail.

Paul Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said both men were gang members. A police spokesman would not confirm if the men had gang ties.

It was not immediately known if the men had been appointed attorneys.

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said Escalante was loading a car seat into the family's car when he was shot. He died from a gunshot wound in the head.