California Case Commentaries

Supreme Court of California Affirms Death Sentence in People v. Stanley Williams, Reinforcing Standards for Effective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Punishment

Date: Apr 12, 1988

Supreme Court of California Affirms Death Sentence in People v. Stanley Williams, Reinforcing Standards for Effective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Punishment Introduction In the landmark case of...

Reaffirming the Statute of Limitations in DES Litigation: Insights from Jolly v. Eli Lilly & Co.

Date: Apr 8, 1988

Reaffirming the Statute of Limitations in DES Litigation: Insights from Jolly v. Eli Lilly & Co. Introduction Jolly v. Eli Lilly and Company et al. is a landmark case adjudicated by the Supreme Court...

California Supreme Court Establishes Limits on Market Share Liability for Prescription Drugs

Date: Apr 1, 1988

California Supreme Court Establishes Limits on Market Share Liability for Prescription Drugs Introduction The case of Jan Brown et al. v. The Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco et...

Lucero v. People: Affirming Conviction and Reversing Death Sentence Due to Mitigating Evidence Exclusion

Date: Mar 29, 1988

Lucero v. People: Affirming Conviction and Reversing Death Sentence Due to Mitigating Evidence Exclusion Introduction The case of The People v. Phillip Louis Lucero, decided by the Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Multiple-Murder Special Circumstances in Capital Sentencing

Date: Mar 25, 1988

Affirmation of Multiple-Murder Special Circumstances in Capital Sentencing Introduction In the landmark case of The People v. Keith Daniel Williams, decided on March 24, 1988, by the Supreme Court of...

Limits on Habeas Corpus in Adoption Proceedings: California Supreme Court Sets New Precedent

Date: Mar 18, 1988

Limits on Habeas Corpus in Adoption Proceedings: California Supreme Court Sets New Precedent Introduction The case of Adoption of Alexander S., a Minor. Mark H. et al. v. Tudor G. et al. (44 Cal.3d...

CIGA's Statutory Immunity in Claims Handling: Comprehensive Commentary on Isaacson v. California Insurance Guarantee Association

Date: Mar 8, 1988

CIGA's Statutory Immunity in Claims Handling: Comprehensive Commentary on Isaacson v. California Insurance Guarantee Association 1. Introduction In Isaacson et al. v. California Insurance Guarantee...

Affirmation of Death Penalty Despite Overlapping Special Circumstances: Clarification on Aggravating Factors in Capital Sentencing

Date: Mar 4, 1988

Affirmation of Death Penalty Despite Overlapping Special Circumstances: Clarification on Aggravating Factors in Capital Sentencing Introduction The case of The People v. James Andrew Melton...

Cross-Admissibility of Prior Murders in Multiple Homicide Cases: People v. Ruiz

Date: Mar 1, 1988

Cross-Admissibility of Prior Murders in Multiple Homicide Cases: People v. Ruiz Introduction People v. Alejandro Gilbert Ruiz is a landmark 1988 decision by the Supreme Court of California that...

Affirmation of Death Penalty Sentencing under California Penal Code § 190.3: PEOPLE v. HENDRICKS (1988)

Date: Mar 1, 1988

Affirmation of Death Penalty Sentencing under California Penal Code § 190.3: PEOPLE v. HENDRICKS (44 Cal.3d 635) Introduction PEOPLE v. HENDRICKS is a seminal decision by the Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Death Penalty: Analysis of People v. Kimble and its Implications for Felony-Murder Special Circumstances in California

Date: Feb 26, 1988

Affirmation of Death Penalty: Analysis of People v. Kimble and its Implications for Felony-Murder Special Circumstances in California Introduction In the landmark decision of People v. Eric B....

People v. Hovey: Affirming Death Penalty and Admissibility of Cellmate Testimony

Date: Feb 26, 1988

People v. Hovey: Affirming Death Penalty and Admissibility of Cellmate Testimony Introduction In the landmark case The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Richard Adams Hovey, Defendant and...

Reaffirming Judicial Discretion in Setting Aside Default Judgments: Shambilin v. Brattain

Date: Feb 23, 1988

Reaffirming Judicial Discretion in Setting Aside Default Judgments: Shamblin v. Brattain (44 Cal.3d 474) Introduction The case of William B. Shamblin et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. Edwin E....

People v. Howard: Affirmation of Death Penalty Under Special Circumstances of Murder for Financial Gain

Date: Feb 17, 1988

People v. Howard: Affirmation of Death Penalty Under Special Circumstances of Murder for Financial Gain Introduction People v. Gary Lee Howard, Sr. is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of...

Overruling PEOPLE v. ALFARO: Expanding the Scope of Prior Conviction Records in Habitual Criminal Enhancements

Date: Feb 12, 1988

Overruling PEOPLE v. ALFARO: Expanding the Scope of Prior Conviction Records in Habitual Criminal Enhancements Introduction The People v. Raymond Ramirez Guerrero, 44 Cal.3d 343 (1988), adjudicated...

Proposition 8 Abrogates Disbrow: Implications for the Use of Miranda-Violative Statements in Impeachment

Date: Feb 2, 1988

Proposition 8 Abrogates Disbrow: Implications for the Use of Miranda-Violative Statements in Impeachment Introduction In the landmark case The People v. Michael Dennis May (44 Cal.3d 309, 1988), the...

Secure Detention of Contemptuous Status Offenders: Insights from In re Michael G.

Date: Jan 26, 1988

Secure Detention of Contemptuous Status Offenders: Insights from In re Michael G. Introduction In re Michael G., a Minor, on Habeas Corpus (44 Cal.3d 283, 1988) is a pivotal judgment from the Supreme...

Preemptory Challenge Misuse in Jury Selection: People v. Snow (1987)

Date: Dec 25, 1987

Preemptory Challenge Misuse in Jury Selection: People v. Snow (1987) Introduction People v. Prentice Juan Snow, 44 Cal.3d 216 (1987), is a landmark Supreme Court of California decision addressing the...

Establishing the Limits of Dual Representation: People v. Miranda

Date: Nov 13, 1987

Establishing the Limits of Dual Representation: People v. Miranda Introduction Case: The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Adam Miranda, Defendant and Appellant Court: Supreme Court of California...

Martín v. People: Enhancing Protections Against Prosecutorial Misconduct in Habeas Corpus Proceedings

Date: Nov 10, 1987

Martín v. People: Enhancing Protections Against Prosecutorial Misconduct in Habeas Corpus Proceedings Introduction In re Herman G. Martin on Habeas Corpus (44 Cal.3d 1, 1987) represents a pivotal...