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.

5th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Gharraee v. Trader Joe’s — timely e-filing controls despite clerk rejection

automatic / August 24, 2026

A timely electronic submission preserved Trader Joe’s appeal despite a later clerk rejection under an invalid local rule.

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.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Business Transactions, Collections & Creditor Rights, Litigation

Lakeshore Investment v. Now Solutions — tripled settlement default is an unenforceable penalty

automatic / August 24, 2026

A $1.5 million stipulated judgment triggered by default on a $450,000 settlement was an unenforceable penalty without evidence supporting the estimate.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law

People v. Lossing — injury DUI is not a lesser included offense of vehicular manslaughter

automatic / August 24, 2026

The court held that injury DUI is not necessarily included within gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

5th District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Litigation

1 Community Compact v. City of Fresno — Street Renaming Did Not Compel Speech or Exceed City Power

automatic / August 21, 2026

A California Court of Appeal held that Fresno’s street renaming was government speech, did not compel residents to endorse a message, and was a valid exercise of municipal police power.

4th District Court of Appeal, Family Law, Healthcare Law

Marriage of R.M. and P.N. — Parent’s IHSS Caregiver Pay Counts as Support Income

automatic / August 21, 2026

A California Court of Appeal held that IHSS caregiver pay received by a parent counts as gross income when the child’s need established eligibility for the services.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Criminal Law

United States v. Cisneros — Bribed Federal Agent Held a Sensitive Position Under Sentencing Guideline

automatic / August 21, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that a federal law-enforcement agent with trusted database access occupied a sensitive position for purposes of the bribery sentencing enhancement.

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

California v. ATF — State and Gun-Safety Group Lacked Standing to Demand Broader Ghost-Gun Regulation

automatic / August 21, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that California and a gun-safety organization lacked standing to challenge an ATF example excluding some unfinished receiver blanks from regulation.

1st District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation

Mitchell v. Lilac Solutions, Inc. — extensive court litigation waived arbitration rights

automatic / August 20, 2026

The First District held that defendants waived arbitration by extensively litigating an employment case before changing forums after an anti-SLAPP motion.

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

People v. Dumbrava — newly discovered evidence permitted a second large-capacity-magazine prosecution

automatic / August 20, 2026

The Fourth District allowed a second magazine-importation prosecution because a later-discovered purchase receipt supplied essential proof unavailable despite due diligence.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Personal Injury & Tort

Rios v. City of Azusa — factual evidence disputes defeated immediate qualified-immunity appeal

automatic / August 20, 2026

The Ninth Circuit dismissed an immediate qualified-immunity appeal because it sought review of evidence sufficiency and a discovery-sanction ruling rather than a legal question.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment Law

Pacific Maritime Association v. NLRB — en banc court limits work-preservation defense in union jurisdictional disputes

automatic / August 20, 2026

The en banc Ninth Circuit held that a union cannot use a work-preservation defense to evade the NLRB's allocation of work in a genuine inter-union jurisdictional dispute.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Personal Injury & Tort

Rios v. City of Azusa — Evidence Dispute Could Not Support Immediate Qualified-Immunity Appeal

automatic / August 20, 2026

The Ninth Circuit dismissed an immediate qualified-immunity appeal because the officers’ challenge concerned evidentiary sufficiency rather than a reviewable legal issue.

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

Ding v. Structure Therapeutics — Newly Discovered Harassment Claim Can Leave Arbitration

automatic / August 19, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that an employee who discovers a plausible sex-harassment claim during arbitration may invoke federal law and proceed in court.

1st District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

In re Jose S. — Juvenile Court Could Place Former DJJ Ward in Adult Jail

automatic / August 19, 2026

A published First District decision holds that section 875(k) permitted adult-jail placement for a former DJJ ward who had also received a state-prison sentence.

3rd District Court of Appeal, Family Law

In re W.A. — ICWA Inquiry Extends to Adoptive and Biological Relatives

automatic / August 19, 2026

The Third District vacated an ICWA finding because the agency failed to ask available adoptive and biological relatives about possible tribal connections.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Banking & Finance, Business Transactions, Litigation

Verthelyi v. PennyMac — LIBOR Contracts May Use a Fixed Fallback Rate

automatic / August 19, 2026

The Ninth Circuit held that the federal LIBOR Act does not invalidate a contract fallback merely because it produces a fixed rather than floating rate.

4th District Court of Appeal, Healthcare Law, Litigation, Personal Injury & Tort

Nassman v. Superior Court — PREP Act Shields Deliberate COVID-19 Treatment Allocation Decisions

automatic / August 18, 2026

The Fourth District held that PREP Act immunity covers a conscious decision not to administer a COVID-19 countermeasure when the decision reflects purposeful allocation.

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

M.W. v. Superior Court — Amnesia Alone Does Not Establish Juvenile Incompetence

automatic / August 18, 2026

The First District held that a juvenile's amnesia did not establish incompetence where he otherwise understood the proceedings and could assist counsel.

4th District Court of Appeal, Civil Procedure, Family Law

In re P.C. — Juvenile Courts May Reject Pro Se Filings From Represented Parents

automatic / August 18, 2026

The Fourth District held that juvenile courts generally may reject substantive pro se filings from represented parties and upheld denial of a mother's section 388 petition.

2nd District Court of Appeal, Criminal Law

People v. Veliz — Attempted Robbery Does Not Require Actual Force or Fear

automatic / August 18, 2026

The Second District held that attempted robbery requires robbery intent and a direct step, but not proof that the defendant actually used force or caused fear.

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.