Constitutional Law

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

Irvine v. Irvine — A pending criminal case did not automatically require delaying a domestic-violence restraining-order hearing

automatic / September 18, 2026

A DVRO respondent facing related criminal charges is not automatically entitled to a continuance; courts must balance self-incrimination concerns against safety, delay, and statutory objectives.

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

People v. Adam — Witness travel and unexplained courtroom unavailability did not justify missing the misdemeanor speedy-trial deadline

automatic / September 18, 2026

The court reversed a misdemeanor conviction because witness travel ending before the last day and unexplained courtroom unavailability did not establish good cause to exceed section 1382’s deadline.

5th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Superior Court (Jackson) — Prosecutors cannot compel their own mental-health examination of a defendant seeking pretrial diversion

automatic / September 17, 2026

Prosecutors cannot compel their own mental-health examination of a defendant seeking pretrial diversion.

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

People v. Williams — Broad sentencing statistics did not establish a prima facie Racial Justice Act claim

automatic / September 17, 2026

A broad racial disparity statistic covering multiple kinds of enhancements did not establish a prima facie California Racial Justice Act violation without controlled analysis or comparable cases.

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

In re Haney — Racial Justice Act claim fails under Hazlett’s defendant-focused standard

automatic / September 16, 2026

The First District denied a Racial Justice Act jury-selection claim because the evidence did not meet Hazlett’s requirement of bias directed toward the defendant.

1st District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Real Estate Law, Tax (non-estate)

Debbane v. City and County of San Francisco — Ellis Act Preempts Proposition M Vacancy Tax

automatic / September 11, 2026

The Court of Appeal held San Francisco’s Proposition M vacancy tax preempted because it penalized residential owners for exercising the Ellis Act right to leave the rental business.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Real Estate Law

Powers v. McDonough — Ninth Circuit Declines En Banc Review of West Los Angeles Veterans Housing Ruling

automatic / September 11, 2026

The Ninth Circuit left standing a panel ruling concerning disability claims and supportive housing for homeless veterans at the VA’s West Los Angeles campus, over a lengthy dissent from denial of rehearing en banc.

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

Lewis-Williams v. BART — Ninth Circuit Upholds Religious-Accommodation Verdict for Employees

automatic / September 11, 2026

The Ninth Circuit upheld a jury verdict for former BART employees who showed the agency could have accommodated sincere religious objections to its COVID-19 vaccination requirement without undue hardship.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Litigation

Schneider v. Warner Bros. Discovery — Quiet on Set Documentary Defamation Claim Struck Under Anti-SLAPP Law

automatic / September 10, 2026

The Court of Appeal held that a documentary about children’s television was not reasonably capable of implying that producer Dan Schneider sexually abused child actors and ordered his defamation claim struck.

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

Adom v. CDCR — ADA accommodation duty does not turn solely on medical necessity

automatic / September 8, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that CDCR could not defeat an ADA accommodation claim solely by deeming requested incontinence supplies medically unnecessary.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Gessen — Murder-for-hire can be a continuing offense supporting California venue

automatic / September 8, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that murder-for-hire can be charged as a continuing offense and that an undercover intermediary need not genuinely agree to the killing.

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

In re N.S. — School police needed only reasonable suspicion to search student after gun remark

automatic / September 8, 2026

A school-assigned police officer could search a student on reasonable suspicion after a gun remark, and the student’s ten-minute physical obstruction supported a Penal Code section 148 finding.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Litigation

In re J.C. — Juvenile transfer barred because 15-year-old was apprehended before jurisdiction ended

automatic / September 2, 2026

A person accused of murders committed at 15 could not be transferred to adult court because he was apprehended while juvenile jurisdiction remained available.

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

United States v. Nasri — Foreign forfeiture requires control over the property

automatic / September 2, 2026

Due process requires actual or constructive control over foreign property before a federal court may exercise in rem forfeiture jurisdiction.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Morgovsky — Arms-export statute authorizes conspiracy regulation, defeating ineffective-assistance claim

automatic / August 31, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that federal arms-export authority supports the conspiracy regulation and rejected collateral attacks contradicted by the plea record.

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

In re Pride — Specific racial-bias allegation entitled prisoner to counsel and discovery

automatic / August 28, 2026

A specific allegation that trial attorneys discussed conviction in racial terms cleared the low thresholds for appointed counsel and Racial Justice Act discovery.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Immigration

Jacques v. Blanche — Government’s misdirected immigration notices violated due process

automatic / August 28, 2026

The government violated due process by pursuing immigration appeals through notices mailed to an address it knew was not the detainee's location.

California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Hazlett — California Supreme Court Affirms Death Judgment in 1978 Cold-Case Murder

automatic / August 27, 2026

The California Supreme Court affirmed a death judgment in a reopened 1978 murder, rejecting jury-selection and prior-sexual-offense evidence challenges.

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

Richards v. Newsom — Ninth Circuit Upholds Recording Rules for California Firearms Dealers

automatic / August 27, 2026

The Ninth Circuit upheld dismissal of First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment challenges to California’s audiovisual-recording mandate for firearms dealers.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Business Transactions, Constitutional Law

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars v. Bonta — California Unflavored Tobacco List Survives Injunction Challenge

automatic / August 27, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held California’s tobacco-list requirement is saved from federal preemption and presently imposes only a minimal commercial-speech burden on premium cigar makers.

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

County of King v. Turner — Agencies Could Not Add Sweeping Conditions to Previously Awarded Grants

automatic / August 25, 2026

The Ninth Circuit largely blocked HUD and DOT from imposing sweeping new policy conditions on previously awarded grants because the agencies lacked congressional authorization.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Healthcare Law, Litigation

Doe v. Adventist Health — health-site tracking claims may proceed as classes

automatic / August 24, 2026

A California appellate court revived class-certification efforts over tracking technology on health-risk and patient-portal pages.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

United States v. Aguilera — preserving legal challenges cannot defeat sentencing credit

automatic / August 24, 2026

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a felon-in-possession conviction but vacated the sentence because protected legal challenges were used against acceptance credit.

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

Kinnucan v. NSA — congressional report held by agency remains outside FOIA

automatic / August 24, 2026

A congressional report kept and used internally by the NSA remained outside FOIA because Congress retained control over disclosure.

U.S. Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law

Trump v. California — Supreme Court stays injunction against election order

automatic / August 24, 2026

The Supreme Court stayed an injunction against a federal election executive order while emphasizing that future implementation may still be challenged.