Author: automatic

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law

People v. Hyatt — Prison speedy-trial demand is premature until actual delivery to state custody

automatic / August 6, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that Penal Code section 1381’s 90-day clock cannot be invoked until the sentenced defendant is actually delivered into state-prison custody.

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Gorobets v. Jaguar Land Rover — Section 998 offer may give the offeree two alternative settlement choices

automatic / August 6, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that a section 998 offer may contain two alternative settlement choices when they are clearly presented and at least one is independently certain.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Koi Design v. Marron Lawyers — Professional-conduct breaches can support malpractice and fiduciary-duty claims

automatic / August 6, 2026

The Ninth Circuit revived Koi Design’s malpractice claims, holding that professional-conduct violations and evidence of failed disclosure and supervision could support breach and causation.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Leviss v. Madix — anti-SLAPP does not protect alleged copying and sharing of intimate videos

automatic / August 5, 2026

A public controversy did not make the alleged copying and sharing of private sexual videos protected activity under California’s anti-SLAPP statute.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law

CHP v. State Personnel Board — one-year suspension upheld despite overtime misconduct

automatic / August 5, 2026

The State Personnel Board acted within its discretion by reducing a CHP officer’s dismissal to a one-year suspension in light of mitigating circumstances.

6th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Cruz — vacated firearm enhancement cannot follow a redesignated offense

automatic / August 5, 2026

A firearm enhancement tied to a vacated attempted-murder conviction could not be imposed on the target offense redesignated at section 1172.6 resentencing.

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

Inland Empire Waterkeeper v. Corona Clay — Sackett requires another Clean Water Act trial

automatic / August 5, 2026

The Ninth Circuit ordered a new trial on whether Temescal Creek remains covered by the Clean Water Act after Sackett narrowed federal water jurisdiction.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Environmental Law

Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA — feasibility cannot dilute Clean Air Act contingency measures

automatic / August 5, 2026

EPA could not read a feasibility exception into the Clean Air Act’s mandatory contingency-measure requirement for the San Joaquin Valley.

1st District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Environmental Law

Russian Riverkeeper v. County of Sonoma — Well-permit ordinance survives public-trust review but requires CEQA compliance

automatic / August 4, 2026

Sonoma County adequately considered public-trust impacts when revising its groundwater-well ordinance, but lacked substantial evidence for exempting the revision from CEQA.

4th District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Business Transactions, Environmental Law

Applied Medical Resources Corp. v. PUC — Commission may reject private microgrid tariff proposal

automatic / August 4, 2026

The PUC acted within its broad authority when it adopted utility microgrid tariffs while rejecting a manufacturer's competing proposal.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation

A Company Hungary KFT v. Bespalov — Unsupported accusations of judicial bias bring contempt sanction

automatic / August 4, 2026

The court held appellate counsel in contempt and imposed a $1,000 fine for repeatedly accusing the trial judge of bias without record support.

4th District Court of Appeal, Insurance Law, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Farmers Insurance Exchange v. Superior Court — Timely acceptance formed binding policy-limits settlement

automatic / August 4, 2026

A claimant's policy-limits demand became a binding settlement when Farmers timely accepted and supplied the requested declarations page.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Intellectual Property, Litigation

VIP Products v. Jack Daniel’s — Dog-toy parody does not tarnish famous whiskey marks

automatic / August 4, 2026

The Ninth Circuit vacated Jack Daniel's injunction because its evidence did not show that the Bad Spaniels parody was likely to harm the reputation of its famous marks.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Business Transactions, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Amazon v. Perplexity AI — User-directed shopping agent likely does not “access” Amazon under hacking laws

automatic / August 4, 2026

The Ninth Circuit vacated an injunction against Perplexity's shopping assistant because users, not the AI company, likely accessed Amazon's computers.

1st District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Healthcare Law

Conservatorship of C.O. — Counsel may communicate conservatee’s jury-trial waiver

automatic / August 3, 2026

An LPS conservatee may knowingly waive a jury trial through counsel, although the trial court should personally advise the conservatee of that right.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law

L.A. County Employees Retirement Association v. County of Los Angeles — Pension Boards Cannot Unilaterally Set Staff Classifications and Pay

automatic / August 3, 2026

California pension boards control system administration but cannot unilaterally dictate county staff classifications or salaries.

California Supreme Court, Healthcare Law, Personal Injury & Tort

Gilead Tenofovir Cases — Drug Makers Owe No Negligence Duty to Launch a Safer Alternative Sooner

automatic / August 3, 2026

The California Supreme Court rejected negligence liability based solely on delaying a safer alternative to a nondefective drug.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Family Law

In re Miguel J. — Domestic Violence Can Support Dependency Jurisdiction Even When the Child Is Struck Accidentally

automatic / August 3, 2026

Intentional domestic violence in a child’s presence can support dependency jurisdiction even if contact with the child was accidental.

1st District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Keene — Section 654 Bars Multiple Punishment for the Same Drug-and-Firearm Possession

automatic / August 3, 2026

The Court of Appeal required stays for overlapping drug and firearm possession terms but upheld the upper term as harmless error.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Ridley-Thomas — Ninth Circuit affirms Los Angeles bribery convictions

automatic / August 3, 2026

The Ninth Circuit upheld Mark Ridley-Thomas’s bribery and honest-services convictions based on an indirect $100,000 benefit for his son.

4th District Court of Appeal, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Morales v. Superior Court — Narrow Employment Arbitration Clause Does Not Reach Statutory Wrongful-Termination Claims

automatic / August 3, 2026

A clause limited to disputes about an employment agreement did not cover independent FEHA, CFRA, and public-policy claims.

4th District Court of Appeal, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Cluck v. GEO Secure Services — Related Onboarding Agreements Made Employment Arbitration Impermissibly One-Sided

automatic / August 3, 2026

The court refused arbitration because related onboarding documents sent employee claims to arbitration while preserving GEO’s preferred claims for court.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law

Przybocki v. USDA — Consumers and Food Sellers Can Pursue First Amendment Challenges to FODMAP Label Restrictions

automatic / August 3, 2026

The Ninth Circuit found standing for consumers and food sellers challenging federal restrictions on FODMAP label information.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Criminal Law

United States v. Ridley-Thomas — Ninth Circuit Upholds Los Angeles Public-Corruption Convictions

automatic / August 3, 2026

The Ninth Circuit upheld Mark Ridley-Thomas’s bribery and honest-services fraud convictions based on a $100,000 funneling arrangement.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Business Transactions, Civil Procedure

Shenzhen Zehuijin Investment Center v. Yingkui — Physical Presence Supports Personal Jurisdiction Without In-Person Service

automatic / August 3, 2026

Physical presence supports personal jurisdiction even without in-person service, and a separate service objection can be waived.