California Case Commentaries

Enforcement of Parental Duty under Penal Code Section 272: Comprehensive Analysis of Williams v. Garcetti

Date: Jul 2, 1993

Enforcement of Parental Duty under Penal Code Section 272: Comprehensive Analysis of Williams v. Garcetti Introduction Case: GARY WILLIAMS et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. GILBERT GARCETTI, as...

Affirmation of Death Penalty under Lying-in-Wait Special Circumstances and Strict Miranda Compliance: People v. Mitchell Carlton Sims

Date: Jun 29, 1993

Affirmation of Death Penalty under Lying-in-Wait Special Circumstances and Strict Miranda Compliance: People v. Mitchell Carlton Sims Introduction People v. Mitchell Carlton Sims, 5 Cal.4th 405...

Exemption of the Uninsured Employers Fund from Penalties for Unreasonable Delays in Workers' Compensation Payments

Date: Jun 29, 1993

Exemption of the Uninsured Employers Fund from Penalties for Unreasonable Delays in Workers' Compensation Payments Introduction The landmark case Scott Russell DuBois v. Workers' Compensation Appeals...

Shift from Automatic Reversal to Harmless-Error Analysis in Involuntary Confession Cases: Commentary on The People v. Cahill

Date: Jun 29, 1993

Shift from Automatic Reversal to Harmless-Error Analysis in Involuntary Confession Cases: Commentary on The People v. Cahill Introduction The People v. Mark Steven Cahill, 5 Cal.4th 478 (1993),...

Supreme Court Upholds Attorney-Client Privilege under California Public Records Act

Date: Jun 25, 1993

Supreme Court Upholds Attorney-Client Privilege under California Public Records Act Introduction The case of Charmaine Roberts v. City of Palmdale et al. (5 Cal.4th 363) addressed critical questions...

Limits on Disclosure of Law Enforcement Investigatory Records under the California Public Records Act

Date: Jun 8, 1993

Limits on Disclosure of Law Enforcement Investigatory Records under the California Public Records Act Introduction The landmark case of Dick Williams, as Sheriff, etc., Petitioner, v. The Superior...

Affirmation of Exclusive Permanency Planning Options under Section 366.26: Upholding Due Process

Date: Jun 4, 1993

Affirmation of Exclusive Permanency Planning Options under Section 366.26: Upholding Due Process Introduction In re MARILYN H. et al. is a seminal case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of California...

Reaffirmation of Second Degree Murder Conviction in People v. Delgado: Upholding Judicial Discretion and Evidentiary Standards

Date: Jun 4, 1993

Reaffirmation of Second Degree Murder Conviction in People v. Delgado: Upholding Judicial Discretion and Evidentiary Standards Introduction People v. Delgado, 5 Cal.4th 312 (1993), is a landmark...

Preponderance Standard Validated for Parental Rights Termination in California Dependency Cases

Date: Jun 2, 1993

Preponderance Standard Validated for Parental Rights Termination in California Dependency Cases Introduction The case of Cynthia D. v. The Superior Court of San Diego County addressed a pivotal issue...

PEOPLE v. MAYFIELD: Reaffirmation of Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Sentencing

Date: May 28, 1993

PEOPLE v. MAYFIELD: Reaffirmation of Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Sentencing Introduction Case: The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Demetrie Ladon Mayfield,...

Waiver of Reasonableness Claims in Probation Conditions: People v. Welch

Date: May 28, 1993

Waiver of Reasonableness Claims in Probation Conditions: People v. Welch Introduction In the landmark case of The People v. Kathryn Marie Welch (5 Cal.4th 228), the Supreme Court of California...

Enforceability of Reciprocal Discovery Obligations under Penal Code §1054: Analysis of In re Wilbur F. Littlefield

Date: May 21, 1993

Enforceability of Reciprocal Discovery Obligations under Penal Code §1054: Analysis of In re Wilbur F. Littlefield Introduction The case In re Wilbur F. Littlefield on Habeas Corpus (5 Cal.4th 122)...

Reversal of Culbreth: Supreme Court of California Revises Firearm-Use Enhancement and CYA Eligibility for Juvenile Offenders

Date: May 18, 1993

Reversal of Culbreth: Supreme Court of California Revises Firearm-Use Enhancement and CYA Eligibility for Juvenile Offenders Introduction In the landmark case The People v. Sammy King III (5 Cal.4th...

Discovery of Police Personnel Records in Juvenile Proceedings: San Jose v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Date: May 14, 1993

Discovery of Police Personnel Records in Juvenile Proceedings: San Jose v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County (5 Cal.4th 47) Introduction In the landmark case of San Jose v. Superior Court of Santa...

Reinforcing Comprehensive Jury Instructions: Insights from People v. Cummings and Gay

Date: Apr 30, 1993

Reinforcing Comprehensive Jury Instructions: Insights from People v. Cummings and Gay Introduction People v. Raynard Paul Cummings and Kenneth Earl Gay is a pivotal case adjudicated by the Supreme...

Rubin v. Green: Upholding Judicial Access by Dismissing Retaliatory Attorney Solicitation Claims

Date: Apr 6, 1993

Rubin v. Green: Upholding Judicial Access by Dismissing Retaliatory Attorney Solicitation Claims Introduction Gerald S. Rubin, the plaintiff and appellant, initiated legal action against Norma Green...

Limitation of the General Verdict Rule in Light of Special Interrogatories: Tavaglione v. BillingSetal.

Date: Mar 26, 1993

Limitation of the General Verdict Rule in Light of Special Interrogatories: Tavaglione v. BillingSetal. Introduction The case of Nicholas E. Tavaglione v. Michael C. BillingSetal. (1993) 4 Cal.4th...

Harmonizing the Griffin and Green Rules: A New Precedent in Verdict Sufficiency

Date: Mar 19, 1993

Harmonizing the Griffin and Green Rules: A New Precedent in Verdict Sufficiency Introduction The case of The People v. Ronald Guiton, decided by the Supreme Court of California on March 18, 1993,...

Lying in Wait: Establishing First-Degree Murder Standards in California

Date: Mar 19, 1993

Lying in Wait: Establishing First-Degree Murder Standards in California Introduction The People v. Enrique Chavez Ceja is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California in 1993 that clarifies...

Comprehensive Commentary on JOSE ORNELAS v. CLINTON RANDOLPH (4 Cal.4th 1095)

Date: Mar 16, 1993

Immunity of Private Landowners under Civil Code Section 846: Insights from JOSE ORNELAS v. CLINTON RANDOLPH Introduction Case: JOSE ORNELAS, a Minor, etc., Plaintiff and Appellant, v. CLINTON...