California Case Commentaries

Reaffirming Timeliness Standards for Faretta Motions in Capital Murder Cases: People v. Franklin Lynch

Date: Aug 13, 2010

Reaffirming Timeliness Standards for Faretta Motions in Capital Murder Cases: People v. Franklin Lynch Introduction People v. Franklin Lynch (50 Cal.4th 693, 2010) is a landmark decision by the...

PEOPLE v. JENNINGS: Affirmation of First-Degree Murder Conviction and the Application of Adoptive Admissions

Date: Aug 13, 2010

PEOPLE v. JENNINGS: Affirmation of First-Degree Murder Conviction and the Application of Adoptive Admissions Introduction In the landmark case of People v. Martin Carl Jennings, the Supreme Court of...

Affirmation of Death Penalty in the Murder of a Police Officer: Insights from People v. Roger Hoan Brady

Date: Aug 10, 2010

Affirmation of Death Penalty in the Murder of a Police Officer: Insights from People v. Roger Hoan Brady Introduction People v. Roger Hoan Brady (50 Cal.4th 547, 2010) is a landmark decision by the...

Section 351 Does Not Confer a Private Right of Action: Analysis of Louie Hung Kwei Lu v. Hawaiian Gardens Casino

Date: Aug 10, 2010

Section 351 Does Not Confer a Private Right of Action: Analysis of Louie Hung Kwei Lu v. Hawaiian Gardens Casino Introduction In the landmark case of Louie Hung Kwei Lu v. Hawaiian Gardens Casino,...

Affirmation of California's Death Penalty Statute Under Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments

Date: Aug 6, 2010

Affirmation of California's Death Penalty Statute Under Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments Introduction In the landmark case of The People v. Robert Wesley Cowan (50 Cal.4th 401), adjudicated by the...

Reaffirming the Totality of Evidence Approach in Discrimination Summary Judgments

Date: Aug 6, 2010

Reaffirming the Totality of Evidence Approach in Discrimination Summary Judgments Introduction The case of Brian Reid v. Google, Inc. represents a pivotal moment in employment discrimination law,...

Establishing Personal Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Law Firms in Legal Malpractice Cases

Date: Aug 3, 2010

Establishing Personal Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Law Firms in Legal Malpractice Cases Introduction The case of Club Vista Financial Services, LLC et al. v. Maslon, Edelman, Borman Brand, LLP...

California Supreme Court Upholds Section 31: Prohibition of Race and Gender Preferences in Public Contracting

Date: Aug 3, 2010

California Supreme Court Upholds Section 31: Prohibition of Race and Gender Preferences in Public Contracting Introduction In the landmark case of Coral Construction, Inc. v. City and County of San...

Single Shot, Single Conviction: Supreme Court of California Limits Multiple Attempted Murder Charges in People v. Rodrigo Perez (2010)

Date: Jul 30, 2010

Single Shot, Single Conviction: Supreme Court of California Limits Multiple Attempted Murder Charges in People v. Rodrigo Perez (2010) Introduction The case of People v. Rodrigo Perez (50 Cal.4th...

California Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of Judicial Review in Parole Habeas Corpus Cases

Date: Jul 30, 2010

California Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of Judicial Review in Parole Habeas Corpus Cases Introduction The Supreme Court of California, in its 2010 decision In re Michael B. Prather on Habeas Corpus...

Harmeless Error Doctrine Applied to Unconstitutional Traffic Stops in Letner v. State

Date: Jul 30, 2010

Harmless Error Doctrine Applied to Unconstitutional Traffic Stops in Letner v. State Introduction The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Richard Lacy Letner and Christopher Allan Tobin, Defendants...

Civil Code Section 846 Does Not Immunize Landowners from Vehicular Negligence Claims: Supreme Court of California Ruling

Date: Jul 27, 2010

Civil Code Section 846 Does Not Immunize Landowners from Vehicular Negligence Claims: Supreme Court of California Ruling Introduction In the landmark case of ALAN RICHARD KLEIN et al. v. UNITED...

Restitution Orders Under Penal Code Section 1203.1: Expanding Discretion Beyond Direct Victims

Date: Jul 23, 2010

Restitution Orders Under Penal Code Section 1203.1: Expanding Discretion Beyond Direct Victims Introduction The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Eli Jordan Anderson, Defendant and Appellant, (235...

Refining Death-Qualified Jury Standards: Insights from People v. Solomon

Date: Jul 16, 2010

Refining Death-Qualified Jury Standards: Insights from People v. Solomon Introduction People v. Solomon, Jr. is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California rendered on July 15, 2010. The...

Affirmation of Death Sentence and Due Process in People v. Andre Stephen Alexander

Date: Jul 16, 2010

Affirmation of Death Sentence and Due Process in People v. Andre Stephen Alexander Introduction People v. Andre Stephen Alexander (49 Cal.4th 846, 2010) is a pivotal decision by the Supreme Court of...

Limitation of Pass-On Defense in California's Cartwright Act: Insights from Clayworth v. Pfizer

Date: Jul 13, 2010

Limitation of Pass-On Defense in California's Cartwright Act: Insights from Clayworth v. Pfizer Introduction The case of James Clayworth et al. v. Pfizer, Inc., et al., decided by the Supreme Court...

Defining the Scope of Death-Qualified Voir Dire: Limits on Case-Specific Inquiries

Date: Jul 9, 2010

Defining the Scope of Death-Qualified Voir Dire: Limits on Case-Specific Inquiries Introduction The People v. Gregory O. Tate, 49 Cal.4th 635 (2010), adjudicated by the Supreme Court of California,...

Enhancing Due Diligence in Witness Unavailability: Insights from People v. Herrera

Date: Jul 2, 2010

Enhancing Due Diligence in Witness Unavailability: Insights from People v. Herrera Introduction People v. Herrera (49 Cal.4th 613) is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California that...

People v. Lomax: Affirming Speedy Trial Protections, Electronic Restraints, and Jury Selection Standards

Date: Jul 2, 2010

People v. Lomax: Affirming Speedy Trial Protections, Electronic Restraints, and Jury Selection Standards Introduction People v. Darrel Lee Lomax (49 Cal.4th 530, 2010) is a significant decision by...

Affirmation of Death Sentence in People v. Hartsch: Implications for Jury Selection and Evidence Admissibility

Date: Jun 29, 2010

Affirmation of Death Sentence in People v. Hartsch: Implications for Jury Selection and Evidence Admissibility Introduction People v. Cisco James Hartsch is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court...