California Supreme Court

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.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Labor & Employment Law

Mayor v. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board — WCAB cannot toll its own 60-day reconsideration deadline

automatic / August 24, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that the WCAB cannot equitably toll its own statutory 60-day deadline to act on a reconsideration petition.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Litigation, Real Estate Law

Town of Apple Valley v. Apple Valley Ranchos Water — courts independently review utility takeovers

automatic / August 24, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that courts independently weigh challenges to public acquisitions of privately owned utility property.

California Supreme Court, Criminal Law, Litigation

People v. Esquivias — Limited Habeas Relief Does Not Automatically Reopen the Entire Sentence

automatic / August 17, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that striking firearm enhancements on habeas review did not automatically require full resentencing under all later ameliorative laws.

California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Lightsey — A Competency Hearing Could Not Reliably Reconstruct a Trial From 19 Years Earlier

automatic / August 17, 2026

The California Supreme Court reversed a reinstated capital judgment because a hearing held 19 years later could not reliably determine the defendant's competency at trial.

California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Pearson — California Supreme Court Affirms Death Judgment After Penalty Retrial

automatic / August 17, 2026

The California Supreme Court affirmed Kevin Pearson's death judgment and held that any Senate Bill 1437 error was harmless given the jury's valid findings and his conduct.

California Supreme Court, Criminal Law, Immigration

People v. Hernandez — Court Orders Plea Vacated for Faulty Immigration Advice

automatic / August 13, 2026

The California Supreme Court reversed and directed the trial court to grant the motion, vacate the convictions, and conduct further proceedings. Counsel’s generalized and inaccurate advice did not give Hernandez the concrete understanding needed to make an informed plea decision.

California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Shove — Supreme Court Affirms Capital Convictions and Death Judgment

automatic / August 13, 2026

The California Supreme Court affirmed the judgment in full. The majority concluded that the trial court did not commit reversible error in jury selection or the conduct of either phase and that the evidence supported the convictions, special circumstances, and penalty determination.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Litigation, Tax (non-estate)

Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. v. City of Carson — State claims law preempts extra local tax-refund procedures

automatic / August 10, 2026

California cities may not require taxpayers to complete local refund procedures in addition to the Government Claims Act before suing for a refund.

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

Family Violence Appellate Project v. Superior Court — Indigent litigants must receive a verbatim record in every case

automatic / August 10, 2026

When no court reporter is available, California trial courts must electronically record proceedings so indigent litigants can obtain an official verbatim record in every type of case.

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.

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Gorobets v. Jaguar Land Rover — Section 998 offer may give the offeree two alternative settlement choices

automatic / August 6, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that a section 998 offer may contain two alternative settlement choices when they are clearly presented and at least one is independently certain.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law

L.A. County Employees Retirement Association v. County of Los Angeles — Pension Boards Cannot Unilaterally Set Staff Classifications and Pay

automatic / August 3, 2026

California pension boards control system administration but cannot unilaterally dictate county staff classifications or salaries.

California Supreme Court, Healthcare Law, Personal Injury & Tort

Gilead Tenofovir Cases — Drug Makers Owe No Negligence Duty to Launch a Safer Alternative Sooner

automatic / August 3, 2026

The California Supreme Court rejected negligence liability based solely on delaying a safer alternative to a nondefective drug.

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.

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.

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, 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.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Litigation

In re Spielbauer — California Supreme Court Orders Attorney Restitution to Non-Client Fraud Victim

automatic / July 16, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that a restitution order is appropriate in attorney discipline cases where an attorney's intentional, fraudulent misconduct caused direct financial harm to a non-client, correcting a State Bar Court misreading of prior precedent that had treated tort-based damages to non-clients as categorically excluded from restitution.

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Litigation

Maniago v. Desert Cardiology Consultants — Voluntary Dismissal Forfeits Right to Appeal Adverse Pretrial Rulings

automatic / July 16, 2026

The California Supreme Court held that when plaintiffs voluntarily dismiss their action before any of their claims have been finally resolved by the trial court, the dismissal terminates the action and forfeits the right to appeal — it does not create an appealable judgment even if the stated purpose was to expedite review of adverse pretrial rulings.

California Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Doe v. Marysville Joint Unified School District — Federal Two-Dismissal Rule Does Not Bar Subsequent State Court Action

automatic / July 2, 2026

The California Supreme Court unanimously holds that the federal two-dismissal rule (FRCP 41(a)(1)(B)) bars re-filing only in federal court and does not preclude a subsequent action in California state court, reversing dismissal of school sexual abuse claims.

California Supreme Court, Criminal Law

People v. Espino — Prior Prison Term Enhancement Is ‘Imposed’ Even When Punishment Was Stricken, Triggering Resentencing Rights

automatic / July 2, 2026

The California Supreme Court holds that a prior prison term enhancement (Pen. Code § 667.5(b)) is 'imposed' and thus invalidated under § 1172.75 even when the sentencing court struck the punishment for the enhancement, entitling the defendant to a full resentencing hearing.

California Supreme Court, Criminal Law, Litigation

People v. Cofer — California Supreme Court Rules Custody Credits Are Case-Specific, Not Portable Across Multiple Prosecutions

automatic / June 25, 2026

The California Supreme Court holds that Penal Code section 2900.5 awards custody credits on a case-by-case basis — consolidating multiple prosecutions at a single sentencing hearing does not entitle a defendant to credit the same period of custody against all cases.

California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Environmental Law

Sunflower Alliance v. Department of Conservation — California Supreme Court Clarifies CEQA Class 1 Exemption Turns on Change in Use, Not Environmental Risk

automatic / June 25, 2026

The California Supreme Court holds that CEQA's class 1 categorical exemption — covering 'negligible or no expansion of existing or former use' — asks whether the change in use is negligible, not whether the project poses negligible environmental risk.

California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Bankston — Death Sentence Reversed Under California Racial Justice Act; Gang-Murder Convictions Affirmed

automatic / June 1, 2026

The California Supreme Court affirms a double gang-murder defendant's convictions but reverses his 1994 death sentence under the retroactive California Racial Justice Act of 2020, requiring a new penalty-phase trial in a case that has been on automatic appeal for over three decades.