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Fraud Alert: Scam Text Messages Claiming DMV Penalties -

We have been made aware of fraudulent text messages being sent to individuals claiming to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or the court system. These messages often state that the recipient owes penalties or fees related to traffic violations or DMV infractions and may include a link or phone number to resolve the matter. 

Take these steps to reduce the chances of falling victim to a text message scam:

  • Never respond to unsolicited or suspicious texts — If you receive a message asking for personal or financial information, do not reply.
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  • Call the DMV if you have concerns — The DMV customer service team is available to help you at 800-777-0133.

Please see DMV warning about fraudulent texts: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/dmv-warns-of-fraudulent-te…

Jury Scam alert -

The Santa Barbara Superior Court has received complaints about individuals trying to scam members of the public by pretending to be court officers or officials. The Jury Services office of the Santa Barbara Superior Court does not call citizens to request payments for failing to appear for jury duty. California law does not permit citizens to pay a fine in lieu of jury duty. If you receive such a call simply hang up and, if the scammer persists, call your local law enforcement agency. Learn more about the recent scam warning.

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Matter of Melissa Ann Wire

Case Number

24PR00446

Case Type

Establish Fact of Death

Hearing Date / Time

Mon, 08/12/2024 - 08:30

Nature of Proceedings

Petition to Establish Fact, Time, and Place of Death

Tentative Ruling

Probate Notes:

Appearances required.  The following is noted for the Court:

It is unclear why the Petitioner believes this procedure is necessary to establish the Fact, Time, and Place of Death.  Petitioner is the County Coroner, which is the exact agency responsible for establishing the Fact, Time, and Place of Death for all deaths in the County of Santa Barbara.  There are no allegations in the petition that reveal why the County Coroner cannot establish the Fact, Time, and Place of Death, and to the contrary, there are facts in the Petition and accompanying declaration that show the coroner has enough evidence to establish such facts without Court intervention.

Further problematic is whether the County Coroner has standing to even bring this petition, because the statute that grants this Court authority to hear and rule on this petition only creates standing for the Coroner in cases of “Mass Fatalities,” of which this death does not qualify according to the definition in the statute:

For purposes of this chapter, “mass fatalities incident” means a situation in which any of the following conditions exist:

(1)  There are more dead bodies than can be handled using local resources.

(2)  Numerous persons are known to have died, but no bodies were recovered from the site of the incident.

(3)  Numerous persons are known to have died, but the recovery and identification of the bodies of those persons is impracticable or impossible.

(Hlth. & Saf. Code, §103451(a).)

There is no caselaw on this issue, but a reading of the plain language of the statute reveals two issues.  First, Coroner appears to only have standing to bring such a petition when there is a mass fatality incident (for which this event does not qualify).  And second, there is no showing by the Coroner why the death of either of the deceased persons “is not registered or for which a certified copy is not obtainable.” (Hlth. & Saf. Code, §103450(a).)

In fact, the Coroner basically admits they are the reason why the Death Certificate is not available (i.e. because they won’t issue one!).

Thus, it is recommended the Petition be denied.

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