California Case Summaries

Author: automatic

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Litigation

Lindsay Hecox v. Madison Kenyon — Ninth Circuit Vacates Preliminary Injunction and Remands for Dismissal as Moot After Supreme Court Reversal

automatic / November 5, 2026

The Ninth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction against Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act and remanded to the district court to dismiss the case as moot because the plaintiff was no longer enrolled at Boise State and offered only a conclusory statement of intent to re-enroll without concrete steps to effectuate re-enrollment.

1st District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Civil Procedure, Litigation

Bogguess v. Uber Technologies, Inc. — Court affirms denial of arbitration because deceptive-pricing injunction is public relief and ambiguous severance language is construed against Uber

automatic / November 4, 2026

The Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of Uber's motion to compel arbitration, holding that the requested injunction against allegedly deceptive pricing is public injunctive relief and that ambiguous severance language must be construed against Uber under California contract law without FAA preemption.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Banking & Finance, Collections & Creditor Rights, Litigation

Srinivasan v. Milestone Financial, LLC — Chapter 13 debtors had an absolute right to voluntary dismissal under § 1307(b), but the one-year refiling bar imposed under § 105(a) and authorized by § 349(a) was affirmed

automatic / November 4, 2026

The Ninth Circuit reversed a bankruptcy court's dismissal of Chapter 13 cases for failure to comply with an order because the debtors had an absolute statutory right to voluntary dismissal under § 1307(b), but affirmed the one-year refiling bars that the bankruptcy court imposed for cause under § 105(a) as authorized by § 349(a).

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Immigration

National TPS Alliance v. Mullin — Ninth Circuit denies Government’s bid to stay preliminary injunction pending appeal

automatic / November 3, 2026

After the Supreme Court vacated its earlier decision and remanded in light of Mullin v. Doe, the Ninth Circuit denied the Government's motion to stay the preliminary injunction pending appeal, denied its alternative request for an administrative stay of at least 21 days, and said it would set expedited merits briefing by separate order.

6th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Jimenez — Racial Justice Act Charging Claim Fails Without a Like-for-Like Comparison of Similarly Situated Murder Defendants

automatic / November 3, 2026

The Sixth District held in a partially published opinion that Racial Justice Act statistics comparing Latinx overrepresentation among life-without-parole prisoners with the general population, rather than with similarly situated murder defendants, did not make a prima facie showing of disparate special-circumstance charging.

1st District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Savoy — Gun-enhancement racial impact must meet the Racial Justice Act’s two-part disparity test to earn great weight at resentencing

automatic / November 3, 2026

The Court of Appeal affirmed a 77-years-to-life resentence, holding that the mitigating circumstance in Penal Code section 1385(c)(2)(A) requires the same showing needed to prove a disparate-sentencing violation under the Racial Justice Act, and that statewide statistics without individual comparators did not meet it.

4th District Court of Appeal, Family Law, Litigation

Timothy S. v. Sarah H. — Grandparent visitation petition is not a Uniform Parentage Act proceeding, so no fee award under Family Code section 7605

automatic / November 3, 2026

The Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of a mother's request for attorney's fees against a grandfather seeking visitation, holding that Family Code section 7605 applies only to Uniform Parentage Act proceedings and that juvenile dependency exit orders are not UPA judgments.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Election Law

Service Employees International Union v. Department of Justice — Ninth Circuit Reinstates Stay of Order Barring Federal Ballot-Sequestration Demands and Prosecution Threats

automatic / November 3, 2026

On Election Day 2026, a majority of the Ninth Circuit en banc court reinstated a panel order staying a district court's temporary restraining order that had barred federal officials from demanding ballot sequestration and threatening election officials with prosecution.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Election Law

Service Employees International Union v. DOJ — Ninth Circuit Stays Order Barring Federal Ballot-Sequestration Requests and Prosecution Warnings

automatic / November 2, 2026

A divided Ninth Circuit panel granted the Government's motion for a stay pending appeal of a temporary restraining order that barred federal ballot-sequestration requests and prosecution warnings to election officials, concluding that the Government is likely to prevail on the Voting Rights Act and Elections Clause claims.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Insurance Law, Personal Injury & Tort

O’Brien v. Midway Rent-A-Car, Inc. — Federal Law Bars Owner Liability and Rental Company Had No Duty to Verify Insurance

automatic / October 29, 2026

The Second District affirmed. California Vehicle Code sections 17150 and 17151 ordinarily impose limited vicarious liability on an owner who permits another person to operate a vehicle. But the Graves Amendment expressly prevents states from imposing liability on a rental or leas

2nd District Court of Appeal, Banking & Finance, Estate Planning, Probate and Tax Law, Personal Injury & Tort

DeVone v. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC — Elder-Abuse and Broader Fiduciary-Duty Theories Must Go to a Jury

automatic / October 29, 2026

The Second District reversed most of the judgment. Once a claim is timely under California’s delayed-discovery rule, the limitations period ordinarily determines whether the action may proceed; it does not automatically erase damages from earlier conduct that forms part of the ti

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