California Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law

People v. Deen — Death Sentence Reversed Because Trial Court Failed to Probe Juror’s Possible Bias from Knowing the Murdered Police Chief

automatic / April 6, 2026

The California Supreme Court reverses Omar Deen's capital conviction and death sentence because the trial court failed to adequately examine whether a juror who had a personal connection to the murdered police chief harbored actual bias.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Family Law, Litigation

In re Marriage of Bowman — Family Court May Apply Family Code Fee Factors Even When MSA Has Prevailing Party Clause

automatic / April 3, 2026

Second District holds that the family law court retains discretion under Family Code sections 2030 and 2032 to consider parties' relative financial circumstances when fixing attorney's fees, even where a marital settlement agreement contains a contractual prevailing party fee clause.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation

Albarghouti v. LA Gateway Partners — California False Claims Act Seal Lifts Automatically After 60 Days Absent Extension

automatic / April 2, 2026

Second District holds that the seal on a California False Claims Act qui tam complaint lifts automatically after the statutory 60-day period absent a government request for extension, and that any seal violations are not grounds for sustaining a demurrer.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law, Litigation

In re Melson — Murder Conviction Vacated for Napue Error and Ineffective Assistance Where Prosecutor Failed to Correct False Eyewitness Testimony

automatic / April 2, 2026

Second District grants habeas petition vacating murder conviction where prosecutor failed to correct false eyewitness testimony about prior police identifications and defense counsel failed to impeach with the witnesses' actual statements, applying the Supreme Court's recent Glossip v. Oklahoma decision.

4th District Court of Appeal, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

The Merchant of Tennis v. Superior Court — Class Action Curative Notice Must Warn of Potential Repayment of Rescinded Settlement Funds

automatic / April 2, 2026

Fourth District holds that a curative notice in a wage and hour class action must warn employees who rescind individual settlement agreements that they may be required to repay the settlement consideration if the employer prevails, applying California Civil Code rescission statutes rather than federal class action precedents.

1st District Court of Appeal, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Pagan v. City of San Rafael — Open and Obvious Roadway Conditions Defeat Dangerous Condition Claim

automatic / April 1, 2026

First District affirms summary judgment for City of San Rafael in dangerous condition case where teenage driver hydroplaned on wet curve, holding the conditions were open and obvious as a matter of law and that plaintiff could not defeat summary judgment by raising new pavement-defect theories outside the pleadings.

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.

1st District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Newt — ‘Receiving’ large-capacity magazine under Penal Code section 32310(a) requires more than mere possession; felony conviction reversed

automatic / March 30, 2026

First District holds that the term 'receives' in Penal Code section 32310(a) requires more than mere possession of a large-capacity magazine, and reverses a felony conviction supported only by evidence that the defendant possessed the magazine in his car.

1st District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Nielsen — Defense forfeited section 1170(b)(6) low term presumption claim by failing to raise childhood trauma argument at sentencing; dissent disagrees

automatic / March 30, 2026

First District holds, with one justice dissenting, that a defendant forfeited his Penal Code section 1170(b)(6) low term presumption claim by failing to raise it at sentencing despite submitting evidence of childhood trauma.

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.

1st District Court of Appeal, Healthcare Law, Personal Injury & Tort

Sobalvarro v. Vibra Health Care — Hospital can be negligent for not offering paralyzed patient choice of female nursing assistant; expert testimony not required for causation

automatic / March 27, 2026

First District reverses JNOV and reinstates a $1 million negligence verdict against Kentfield Hospital for failing to offer a paralyzed stroke patient the choice of a female nursing assistant for intimate care.

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

In re J.H. — Juvenile court may consider victim impact statement at six-month baseline review hearing if limited to rehabilitation-relevant material

automatic / March 27, 2026

First District holds that a juvenile court may consider a victim impact statement at a six-month baseline review hearing if it limits its consideration to material relevant to the juvenile's rehabilitation.

4th District Court of Appeal, Estate Planning, Probate and Tax Law, Probate

Moramarco v. Nowakoski — Inability to pay is not a defense to Probate Code section 859 civil penalty for double damages against breaching trustee

automatic / March 27, 2026

Fourth District holds that a breaching trustee's inability to pay is not a defense to Probate Code section 859's mandatory double damages penalty and clarifies that postjudgment interest does not accrue on the prejudgment interest portion of the award.

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

Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review v. Sonoma County Sheriff — County sheriff oversight entities have subpoena power for whistleblower investigations under Government Code section 25303.7

automatic / March 26, 2026

First District holds that Sonoma County's IOLERO has subpoena authority under Government Code section 25303.7 to investigate whistleblower complaints against the Sheriff and orders enforcement of subpoenas issued to deputies.

1st District Court of Appeal, Environmental Law, Litigation

Bair v. California Department of Transportation — Discharge of CEQA writ ends Richardson Grove highway dispute under res judicata

automatic / March 26, 2026

First District holds that the discharge of an earlier CEQA writ necessarily decided the adequacy of Caltrans's revised analysis of impacts on Richardson Grove redwoods, barring petitioners from relitigating those impacts in a third writ proceeding.

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

Guinnane Construction v. Chess — Tort of another doctrine does not allow recovery of attorney fees incurred in the tort action itself

automatic / March 26, 2026

First District holds that a plaintiff who recovers attorney fees from a tortfeasor under the tort of another doctrine cannot also recover the fees incurred in prosecuting the tort of another action itself.

3rd District Court of Appeal, Environmental Law, Real Estate Law

Department of Water Resources Cases — DWR may use precondemnation entry statutes to investigate properties without first authorizing or funding the underlying water project

automatic / March 26, 2026

Third District holds that the California Department of Water Resources may use the precondemnation entry statutes to investigate properties for a potential water conveyance project without first satisfying Water Code requirements for project authorization and funding.

4th District Court of Appeal, Family Law

Steven N. v. Priscilla C. — Voluntary declaration of parentage is void where birth mother had attempted marriage to another man at the time of the child’s birth

automatic / March 26, 2026

Fourth District holds that a voluntary declaration of parentage is void where the birth mother had attempted to marry another man in apparent compliance with the law, making him a presumed parent under Family Code section 7611(b).

4th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law, Immigration

People v. Avena — Section 1473.7 motion granted because counsel did not negotiate immigration-safe plea after intervening change in law

automatic / March 26, 2026

Fourth District grants Penal Code section 1473.7 relief where defense counsel failed to recognize and pursue an immigration-safe plea after Sessions v. Dimaya and United States v. Lynch opened the door to one.

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

In re E.J. — Penal Code section 29820 firearm prohibition for juvenile offenders is facially constitutional under Bruen framework

automatic / March 26, 2026

Fourth District holds that Penal Code section 29820's firearm prohibition for certain juvenile wards until age 30 is facially constitutional under both the Second Amendment Bruen framework and the Due Process Clause.

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

In re Bergstrom — Penal Code section 292 validly defines ‘acts of violence’ and ‘great bodily harm’ under California Constitution’s no-bail provision

automatic / March 26, 2026

Fifth District holds that Penal Code section 292's definitions of 'acts of violence' and 'great bodily harm' are constitutional under California Constitution article I, section 12, and that a no-bail order in a serious child sexual abuse case was supported by clear and convincing evidence.

1st District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Litigation

Cleare v. Superior Court (West Contra Costa Unified School District) — School district must exhaust statutory teacher hiring procedures before invoking impossibility defense

automatic / March 25, 2026

First District grants writ requiring West Contra Costa Unified School District to comply with statutory teacher hiring procedures before invoking impossibility to defend its use of rolling and unauthorized substitutes.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Litigation, Real Estate Law

Aerni v. RR San Dimas — Civil Code section 1940.1 ‘residential hotel’ showing does not require individualized proof that each plaintiff used the hotel as primary residence

automatic / March 25, 2026

Second District reverses denial of class certification in a Red Roof Inn 28-day shuffle case, holding that Civil Code section 1940.1 does not require each class member to prove individualized use of the hotel as their primary residence.

5th District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Chang — Mere presence of peace officer is not the ‘objective correlate’ required for imperfect self-defense instruction in delusion case

automatic / March 25, 2026

Fifth District holds that the mere presence of peace officers attempting a routine traffic stop is not the 'objective correlate' required to support an imperfect self-defense instruction for a defendant whose only basis for self-defense was a delusion.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation

O’Leary v. Jones — Dismissal of arbitration confirmation petition for lack of personal jurisdiction did not make defendant the prevailing party on the contract for fees

automatic / March 24, 2026

Fourth District holds that a guarantor's procedural dismissal of an arbitration confirmation petition for lack of personal jurisdiction did not make him the prevailing party on the contract for attorney fees but did entitle him to costs.