Author: automatic

2nd District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Environmental Law, Litigation

Consumer Protection Group v. Signal Brands — Proposition 65 Settlement Bars Duplicative Public-Enforcement Suit

automatic / July 31, 2026

A published California decision holds that a court-approved Proposition 65 settlement can bar a later private-enforcement suit over products covered by the consent judgment.

1st District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Litigation

Salamon v. Orchid Global — Delaware Forum Clause Cannot Reduce California Shareholder Inspection Rights

automatic / July 31, 2026

A published California decision refuses to enforce a Delaware forum clause because the corporation failed to show that Delaware litigation would preserve nonwaivable California shareholder inspection rights.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Glick v. City of Los Angeles — Court reinstates jury’s $13 million emotional-distress awards

automatic / July 30, 2026

A trial court could not impose an arbitrary ceiling on emotional-distress damages or disregard admissible employee testimony about future losses.

4th District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Family Law

In re Violet S. — Eligible nonminor dependent keeps extended foster-care jurisdiction

automatic / July 30, 2026

A juvenile court could not terminate jurisdiction over an eligible nonminor dependent merely because another agency also provided lifelong services.

3rd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Litigation

AquAlliance v. Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency — Agency review may precede a court’s sustainability analysis

automatic / July 30, 2026

A trial court properly deferred to the Department of Water Resources and dismissed a duplicative challenge to a groundwater plan’s sustainability evaluation.

1st District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

Thompson v. Superior Court — Mental-health diversion may include rehabilitative search conditions

automatic / July 30, 2026

Trial courts may impose reasonable, rehabilitation-focused conditions when granting pretrial mental-health diversion.

3rd District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. McAllister — One case permits one restitution fine despite multiple counts

automatic / July 30, 2026

A trial court must impose a single restitution fine for one criminal case rather than separate fines for individual counts.

4th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Kazarian — Omitted traffic-law definitions were harmless in felony-evasion trial

automatic / July 30, 2026

Any failure to define the traffic violations supporting felony evasion was harmless where the undisputed driving conduct clearly violated those laws.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Banking & Finance, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Pover v. Capital Group — ERISA plan-wide claims cannot be stripped by arbitration waiver

automatic / July 30, 2026

The Ninth Circuit refused to enforce an arbitration provision that prevented a retirement-plan participant from seeking plan-wide ERISA relief.

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

Multiple Energy Technologies v. Casden — Corporate officer keeps interference immunity despite self-interest

automatic / July 30, 2026

A corporate officer does not lose California agent immunity merely because actions benefiting the company also advance the officer’s own financial interests.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Immigration, Litigation

Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock — Interior Immigration Arrests Do Not Trigger Mandatory Detention

automatic / July 30, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that noncitizens arrested in the interior after entering without inspection are not automatically subject to mandatory detention and may seek bond consideration.

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Sanmiguel — Courts must scrutinize demeanor-based reasons for juror strikes

automatic / July 30, 2026

California’s high court clarified how judges must evaluate demeanor-based explanations for peremptory juror strikes under section 231.7.

1st District Court of Appeal, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Saberin v. Alation, Inc. — California arrest-record protections did not cover a Utah remote worker

automatic / July 30, 2026

California employment laws restricting use of arrest records did not apply to a Utah employee whose arrest and termination decision occurred outside California.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Real Estate Law

New Commune DTLA v. Redondo Beach — Builder’s remedy did not override a certified coastal plan

automatic / July 30, 2026

A proposed housing project in Redondo Beach’s coastal zone could be denied because it conflicted with the city’s Coastal Commission-certified local coastal program.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Constitutional Law, Litigation

Arterberry v. Peet’s Coffee — Yelp Law Penalties Require Enforcement or Retaliation

automatic / July 29, 2026

California consumers cannot recover Yelp-law penalties merely because unlawful non-disparagement language appears in website terms; they must allege enforcement, a threat, or retaliation.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Business Transactions, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Serenity Investments v. Sun Hung Kai — Conversion Defendants May Seek Equitable Indemnity

automatic / July 29, 2026

The Ninth Circuit predicts that California treats conversion as strict liability, allowing a conversion defendant to seek equitable indemnity from negligent joint tortfeasors.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Criminal Law, Litigation

United States v. Yates — Prosecutors Retain Broad Control Over Third Acceptance Point

automatic / July 29, 2026

Prosecutors may withhold the third acceptance-of-responsibility point after a stipulated trial, and federal judges must exercise discretion when classifying uncharged California wobbler conduct.

3rd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law

Ehrenreich v. Weber — California’s presidential write-in elector requirements are facially constitutional

automatic / July 28, 2026

California may require presidential write-in candidates to file a complete slate of elector declarations before votes cast for them will be counted.

4th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Litigation

People v. Carrillo — gang expert’s race-related testimony did not violate the Racial Justice Act

automatic / July 28, 2026

Race-related gang testimony tied to the evidence did not itself violate the Racial Justice Act, though counsel must timely preserve an RJA claim.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Criminal Law, Family Law

United States v. Lopez — California domestic-violence convictions are not categorical crimes of violence

automatic / July 28, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that Penal Code section 273.5 does not categorically require the mental state needed for a federal crime-of-violence enhancement.

California Supreme Court, Insurance Law, Litigation

Fox Paine & Company, LLC v. Twin City Fire Insurance Company — Excess Insureds May Sue Before Underlying Coverage Is Exhausted

automatic / July 27, 2026

California's high court held that insureds may pursue declaratory relief, and in limited circumstances bad-faith claims, against excess insurers before underlying coverage is fully exhausted.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law

Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association v. Criminal Justice Attorneys Association — PEPRA Caps Leave Cash-Outs Used in Pension Calculations

automatic / July 27, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that crossing calendar years does not allow public employees to count more than one annual leave cash-out limit in a 12-month pension calculation period.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Family Law

In re X.A. — Extensive ICWA Follow-Up Supported Termination of Parental Rights

automatic / July 27, 2026

A documented, extensive inquiry of maternal relatives satisfied California's ICWA duties despite inconsistent ancestry claims and limited family cooperation.

4th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Vasquez — Sealed Informant Affidavit and Pre-Search Detention Did Not Require Suppression

automatic / July 27, 2026

The Court of Appeal upheld a firearm search because sealed review supported the warrant and the evidence derived independently from any disputed pre-search detention.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Anten — Federal Threat Statute Requires Objective Threat and Subjective Fault

automatic / July 27, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that the federal interstate-threat statute requires both an objectively threatening communication and a culpable subjective mental state.