Author: automatic

2nd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Election Law, Tax (non-estate)

Osborne v. Logan — School Bond Ballots Must State Tax Rates Per $100,000 of Assessed Value

automatic / July 24, 2026

A California Court of Appeal held that school bond ballot questions must express property-tax rates per $100,000 of assessed value, matching the format required in voter information materials.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Healthcare Law, Labor & Employment Law

Weiss v. Permanente Medical Group, Inc. — Religious-Objection Notice Was Sufficient at the Pleading Stage

automatic / July 24, 2026

The Ninth Circuit revived a medical employee's religious-accommodation claims, holding that her allegations plausibly gave the employer notice of a conflict between her faith and its COVID-19 vaccination policy.

1st District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Litigation

Toy v. City and County of San Francisco — Water-Rate Challenges Must Follow California’s Validation Procedure

automatic / July 24, 2026

A challenge to San Francisco water rates failed because California's mandatory reverse-validation procedure could not be waived by the city or replaced with refund and declaratory-relief claims.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Litigation

Law Firm of Fox & Fox v. Arteaga — A Retainer Cannot Override the Bar on Fees for Self-Represented Lawyers

automatic / July 23, 2026

A law firm that represented itself in a fee dispute could not recover contractual attorney fees by inserting a purported waiver of California's Trope rule into its retainer agreement.

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

Conservatorship of E.A. — A Nearly Year-Long Delay in an LPS Trial Violated Due Process

automatic / July 23, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that an almost year-long delay in an LPS conservatorship trial violated due process, though the error was harmless on this record.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Criminal Law, Immigration

Diaz-Boyzo v. Blanche — Assaulting a Spouse in Front of Children Is a Removable Child-Abuse Offense

automatic / July 23, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that Oregon felony assault committed in front of a household child categorically qualifies as a removable child-abuse offense.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Pereda — GPS and On-Scene Facts Supported Parole Searches of a Trailer and Truck

automatic / July 23, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that GPS history and on-scene facts gave officers probable cause to search a supervisee’s trailer and pickup under his warrantless-search condition.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Collections & Creditor Rights, Litigation, Real Estate Law

8451 Melrose Property, LLC v. Akhtarzad — Undisclosed Partners Added to an Eight-Figure Lease Judgment

automatic / July 23, 2026

A Court of Appeal upheld adding members of an undisclosed family partnership and its leasing corporation to a commercial landlord's eight-figure judgment under Code of Civil Procedure section 187.

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

Aud v. RRT Enterprises, LP — MICRA Cap Does Not Cover Nursing-Home Custodial Neglect

automatic / July 23, 2026

A nursing-home resident's neglect claims arose from custodial care rather than professional medical services, so MICRA's noneconomic-damages cap did not reduce the jury's award.

1st District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Insurance Law, Litigation

Kumar v. Mid-Century Insurance Co. — Closed insurance claim started the one-year suit deadline

automatic / July 22, 2026

Closed insurance claim started the one-year suit deadline.

4th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law, Litigation

In re McCowen — False-evidence murder claim requires an evidentiary hearing

automatic / July 22, 2026

False-evidence murder claim requires an evidentiary hearing.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Immigration

Torres-Casas v. Blanche — Child who turns 21 during BIA appeal stops qualifying for cancellation hardship

automatic / July 22, 2026

Child who turns 21 during BIA appeal stops qualifying for cancellation hardship.

6th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Lopez — Murder resentencing hearing must apply current law and youthfulness evidence

automatic / July 21, 2026

Murder resentencing hearing must apply current law and youthfulness evidence.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Criminal Law

Pipitone v. DMV — Drugs carried in a car supported mandatory license revocation

automatic / July 21, 2026

Drugs carried in a car supported mandatory license revocation.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Real Estate Law

Eagle Colton 55 v. City of Colton — Anti-SLAPP motion defeats claims barred by Government Claims Act

automatic / July 21, 2026

Anti-SLAPP motion defeats claims barred by Government Claims Act.

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

United States v. Colar — Failure to Investigate an Alternate Juror’s Express Bias Requires a New Trial

automatic / July 21, 2026

The Ninth Circuit ordered a new trial because the district court delayed and inadequately investigated an alternate juror who had expressly prejudged the defense.

1st District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Real Estate Law

Quinn v. Coulton — Lateral-support strict liability requires excavation, and joint settlement offers need unified interests

automatic / July 20, 2026

Strict liability for loss of lateral support requires excavation, and a joint section 998 offer cannot shift expert fees without a proven unity of interest.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Immigration

Garcia Demetrio v. Blanche — Age-based asylum social groups are legally immutable

automatic / July 20, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that age-based asylum groups are immutable as a matter of law and ordered the BIA to reconsider the applicant's claims.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Family Law

Marriage of G.E. & I.D. — Family courts cannot dismiss DVRO petitions merely to manage crowded calendars

automatic / July 20, 2026

A family court abused its discretion by dismissing a DVRO petition for calendar-management reasons and ending temporary protection without notice.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Litigation

Mata v. Digital Recognition Network — License-plate privacy suits require actual harm

automatic / July 20, 2026

California's ALPR statute requires a plaintiff to show actual harm caused by a violation; a technical violation and subjective privacy concern are not enough.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Probate, Real Estate Law

Grimberg v. Pour — Lis Pendens Orders in Probate Proceedings Are Not Appealable

automatic / July 17, 2026

California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal holds that orders authorizing lis pendens recordings in probate proceedings are not appealable—the exclusive remedy is a petition for writ of mandate filed within 20 days of the order.

5th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Prak — Preliminary Hearing Hearsay Is Fair Game at the Section 1172.6 Prima Facie Stage

automatic / July 17, 2026

The Fifth District Court of Appeal holds that courts may rely on all content in a preliminary hearing transcript—including officer-relayed hearsay under Proposition 115—when screening Penal Code § 1172.6 resentencing petitions at the prima facie stage.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Holcomb — Officers Must Halt a Computer Search When Probable Cause Dissolves Mid-Execution

automatic / July 17, 2026

A divided Ninth Circuit holds that police executing a computer search warrant must stop searching when evidence they discover negates the probable cause underlying the warrant—and that the good-faith exception does not save evidence found after probable cause dissolves.

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

Ison v. Lara — Marital Status Auto Insurance Rating Factor Survives Civil Rights Challenge

automatic / July 16, 2026

The First District Court of Appeal held that California's Insurance Commissioner regulation permitting auto insurers to use marital status as an optional rating factor remains valid despite the 2005 amendment to the Unruh Civil Rights Act adding marital status as a protected characteristic.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law

Sua v. Superior Court — Prosecution Cannot Compel Mental Exam for Defendants Seeking Mental Health Diversion

automatic / July 16, 2026

The Fourth District Court of Appeal held that California's criminal discovery statute (Penal Code § 1054.3(b)(1)) does not authorize a trial court to compel a defendant seeking pretrial mental health diversion to undergo a prosecution mental examination, because the diversion hearing is not a trial at which the defendant has placed mental state in issue through expert testimony.