State Supreme Court Overturns Assailant's Sentence:  On Monday, the California Supreme Court struck down the five-year prison sentence of a Sacramento man who beat his children's mother because a trial judge failed to advise the defendant that admitting to a prior conviction could result in a harsher penalty.  Denny Walsh of the Sacramento Bee reports on the high court's decision in People v. Joshua Cross that overturned defendant Cross' sentence.  A week before the court's determination, Cross, released after serving the previous sentence, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to three years of informal probation.

Legal Immigrants Take Back Seat To Illegals:  As the numbers of illegal immigrants seeking legal status under Obama's executive actions increase significantly, the waiting list to enter the U.S. legally is growing longer by the day, with illegal aliens prioritized over immigrants that entered the country legally.  William La Jeunesse of Fox News reports that the waiting list for individuals trying to enter the U.S. legally has reached 4.4 million, exceeding last year's numbers by 100,000.  Some, such as American born Jimmy Gugliotta, who lives in Chile with his Argentinean wife and their children, has been waiting almost two years for his family's visas while illegal immigrants continue to cut in line.

Baltimore Surges with Murders, Shootings:  Following the riots last month, Baltimore has experienced a "dramatic increase in violence," leaving many residents concerned that police officers are hesitant to aggressively respond to the spike in crime.  Christie Ileto of CBS Baltimore reports that 96 homicides have occurred in the city this year, up almost one-third from last year.  A Baltimore police officer said the Freddie Gray case "impacted policing," adding that he could understand why some officers may not want to be proactive during these rocky times.