LaFever Arraigned on Misdemeanor Charge

Journalist and high school teacher Matthew LaFever was arraigned Thursday, April 9, on a misdemeanor charge of allegedly annoying or molesting a minor.

LaFever, 37, of Hopland, is accused of engaging in inappropriate communications with a 17-year-old, including allegedly soliciting images from the teen and sending photos of himself, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.

The charge stems from a 2025 investigation that led to his arrest in November of that year.

The arraignment took place in Mendocino County Superior Court, where LaFever was formally advised of the charge. The proceeding lasted just a few minutes. LaFever’s next hearing is scheduled for April 27.

Corrections and clarifications:

Typo fixed in headline: LaFever Arraigned on Misdemeanor Charge (April 13, 2026, 11:43 a.m.)

Read Mendo Local’s previous coverage:

An Inaccessible Docket in Case Involving Journalist is Made Public After Editor Files a Motion to Intervene (Feb. 11, 2026)

Search Warrants, Shield Laws, and a Working Journalist (Feb. 11, 2026)

Judge Exonerates Bond for Ukiah Journalist, But Documents Remain Sealed (January 5, 2026)

Ukiah Journalist Arrest Highlights Tensions Between Criminal Investigations and Press Protections (January 3, 2025)

LaFever Invokes Shield Law (January 2, 2025)

Ukiah Journalism Student Accuses Teacher of Sending Inappropriate Snapchat Messages (November 14, 2025)

Ukiah High School Teacher and Journalist in the Midst of Police Misconduct Investigation in Fort Bragg is Arrested on Charges of Annoying a Minor (November 3, 2025)