California Case Summaries

6th District Court of Appeal

6th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Jimenez — Racial Justice Act Charging Claim Fails Without a Like-for-Like Comparison of Similarly Situated Murder Defendants

automatic / November 3, 2026

The Sixth District held in a partially published opinion that Racial Justice Act statistics comparing Latinx overrepresentation among life-without-parole prisoners with the general population, rather than with similarly situated murder defendants, did not make a prima facie showing of disparate special-circumstance charging.

6th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Election Law, Tax (non-estate)

Holtz et al. v. Matt Moreles, as Registrar of Voters, etc., et al. — Sixth District modifies opinion to pinpoint emergency findings, denies rehearing, and leaves judgment unchanged

automatic / October 16, 2026

In its October 16, 2026 order, the Sixth District modified its published opinion to identify the resolution recitals and section 1 ordinance findings as the basis for Santa Clara County's emergency declaration, denied the rehearing petition, and expressly left the judgment affirming denial of the writ petition unchanged.

6th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Scott — Three Strikes Prisoner Gets Full Resentencing After Prop 47 Win, But Must Still Clear Prop 36’s Public Safety Bar

automatic / June 11, 2026

A Three Strikes prisoner who successfully petitioned under Proposition 47 to redesignate a grand theft conviction as a misdemeanor is entitled to a full resentencing on all counts — but must still satisfy Proposition 36's public safety standard before the court can reduce his indeterminate Three Strikes sentence.

6th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law, Litigation

People v. Landrine — Defendant Cannot “Satisfactorily Perform” Mental Health Diversion Without Substantially Complying with Diversion Requirements

automatic / April 21, 2026

Sixth District reverses dismissal of multiple criminal cases under Penal Code section 1001.36 mental health diversion, holding that a defendant who commits several dozen new crimes during diversion has not substantially performed the diversion requirements regardless of progress made afterward.

6th District Court of Appeal, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Paknad v. Superior Court — Employer’s Avoidable Consequences Defense Waives Work Product Protection for Investigator’s Factual Findings

automatic / April 17, 2026

Sixth District grants second writ of mandate, holding that an employer that raised the avoidable consequences defense waived work product protection over the investigator's factual findings, and that allowing redactions of all factual findings exceeded the scope of any remaining work product protection.

6th District Court of Appeal, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Harcourt v. Tesla — Consumer Expectations Test Cannot Be Used to Prove Defect in Complex Vehicle Safety System

automatic / April 1, 2026

Sixth District affirms nonsuit for Tesla in case where toddler started Model X and ran over his pregnant mother, holding that the consumer expectations test does not apply to complex modern vehicle safety systems and the plaintiff failed to identify any specific design feature that violated ordinary consumer expectations.

6th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

Armstrong v. Superior Court — Probation department, not court, decides eligibility for young adult deferred entry of judgment under Penal Code section 1000.7

automatic / March 27, 2026

Sixth District holds that the probation department, not the trial court, decides eligibility for Penal Code section 1000.7's young adult deferred entry of judgment pilot program and rejects separation of powers and abuse of discretion challenges to a denial based on out-of-county residence.

Scroll to Top