Criminal Law

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.

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.

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, 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, 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.

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, 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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

Knife Rights, Inc. v. Bonta — Ninth Circuit Denies En Banc Review, Upholding California Switchblade Regulations

automatic / July 16, 2026

The Ninth Circuit denied panel rehearing and rehearing en banc in a Second Amendment challenge to California's switchblade knife regulations, leaving intact a panel ruling that California's ban on the concealed carry of switchblade knives survives a facial constitutional challenge under the Bruen framework.

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

Muradyan v. Bonta — Lifetime Sex Offender Registration for Child Luring Offense Survives Equal Protection Challenge

automatic / July 15, 2026

California's Second District Court of Appeal affirmed that placing child-luring offenders in the lifetime sex offender registration tier does not violate equal protection, because the Legislature could rationally find that the predatory, premeditated nature of luring crimes signals a higher risk of recidivism than other sex offenses.