California Case Commentaries

Expansion of Attempted Murder Under the Slight-Acts Rule: People v. Decker

Date: May 22, 2007

Expansion of Attempted Murder Under the Slight-Acts Rule: People v. Decker Introduction People v. Decker is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California that addresses the boundaries of...

Statute of Limitations as Affirmative Defense in Arbitration: Arbitrators, Not Courts, Decide – Wagner v. Pacific Mechanical Corp.

Date: May 22, 2007

Statute of Limitations as Affirmative Defense in Arbitration: Arbitrators, Not Courts, Decide – Wagner v. Pacific Mechanical Corp. Introduction Wagner Construction Company v. Pacific Mechanical...

People v. Joseph Lloyd Cook: Upholding Juror Challenge Protocols and Admissibility of Electrophoretic Evidence in California's Death Penalty Proceedings

Date: May 18, 2007

People v. Joseph Lloyd Cook: Upholding Juror Challenge Protocols and Admissibility of Electrophoretic Evidence in California's Death Penalty Proceedings Introduction In the landmark case of People v....

Competency Determination and Procedural Compliance in THE PEOPLE v. ERIC ROYCE LEONARD

Date: May 18, 2007

Competency Determination and Procedural Compliance in THE PEOPLE v. ERIC ROYCE LEONARD Introduction THE PEOPLE v. ERIC ROYCE LEONARD is a landmark case adjudicated by the Supreme Court of California...

Supreme Court Upholds Fuentes Apportionment Formula in Workers' Compensation

Date: May 4, 2007

Supreme Court Upholds Fuentes Apportionment Formula in Workers' Compensation Introduction The landmark case Stan Brodie v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (2007) addressed a pivotal question in...

Affirmation of Death Sentence: Upholding Expert Linkage Evidence and Procedural Standards Amidst Extensive Pretrial Publicity in People v. Prince

Date: May 1, 2007

Affirmation of Death Sentence: Upholding Expert Linkage Evidence and Procedural Standards Amidst Extensive Pretrial Publicity in People v. Prince Introduction In the landmark case People v. Cleophus...

Balboa Island Village Inn v. Anne Lemen: Defining the Boundaries of Defamation Injunctions

Date: Apr 27, 2007

Balboa Island Village Inn v. Anne Lemen: Defining the Boundaries of Defamation Injunctions Introduction In the case of Balboa Island Village Inn, Inc. v. Anne Lemen (40 Cal.4th 1141), the Supreme...

Protecting Against One-Way Intervention in Class Actions: Insights from FIRESIDE BANK v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Date: Apr 17, 2007

Protecting Against One-Way Intervention in Class Actions: Insights from FIRESIDE BANK v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County Introduction FIRESIDE BANK, Petitioner, v. THE SUPERIOR COURT OF SANTA...

Section 226.7 Payments Classified as Wages: Implications from Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions

Date: Apr 17, 2007

Section 226.7 Payments Classified as Wages: Implications from Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions Introduction The landmark case, John Paul Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., adjudicated by the...

California Supreme Court Affirms Implied Repeal of Private Contracting Statutes Under Proposition 35

Date: Apr 13, 2007

California Supreme Court Affirms Implied Repeal of Private Contracting Statutes Under Proposition 35 Introduction The case of Professional Engineers in California Government et al. v. Will Kempton et...

Defining Testimonial Hearsay under the Confrontation Clause: Analysis of People v. Cage

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Defining Testimonial Hearsay under the Confrontation Clause: Analysis of People v. Cage Introduction People v. Lisa Marie Cage (40 Cal.4th 965), adjudicated by the Supreme Court of California on...

Expansion of Litigation Privilege under Civil Code Section 47(b): Jacob B. v. County of Shasta

Date: Apr 6, 2007

Expansion of Litigation Privilege under Civil Code Section 47(b): Jacob B. v. County of Shasta Introduction The case of Jacob B. v. County of Shasta et al. (40 Cal.4th 948) marks a significant...

Affirmation of Death Sentence Upholding Fair Trial Procedures and Jury Impartiality in California Supreme Court

Date: Mar 23, 2007

Affirmation of Death Sentence Upholding Fair Trial Procedures and Jury Impartiality in California Supreme Court Introduction The case of The People v. John Michael Beames (40 Cal.4th 907) adjudicated...

Supreme Court of California Refines Notice of Entry Requirements for Timely Appeals

Date: Mar 16, 2007

Supreme Court of California Refines Notice of Entry Requirements for Timely Appeals Introduction In the case of Keith Alan v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (2007), the Supreme Court of California...

Clarifying the Forfeiture Rule: Applicability to Constitutional Challenges in Probation Conditions

Date: Mar 16, 2007

Clarifying the Forfeiture Rule: Applicability to Constitutional Challenges in Probation Conditions Introduction In the case of In re SHEENA K., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law (The...

Price Certainty in Statute of Frauds: California Supreme Court Reaffirms Necessity for Clear Terms in Real Estate Memoranda

Date: Mar 2, 2007

Price Certainty in Statute of Frauds: California Supreme Court Reaffirms Necessity for Clear Terms in Real Estate Memoranda Introduction The case of Rochelle Sterling et al. v. Lawrence N. Taylor et...

Affirmed: Trial Courts May Weigh Evidence in Assessing Vexatious Litigant Claims

Date: Mar 2, 2007

Affirmed: Trial Courts May Weigh Evidence in Assessing Vexatious Litigant Claims Introduction In the landmark case of Gene Moran v. Murtaugh Miller Meyer Nelson, LLP, et al., adjudicated by the...

Supreme Court of California Establishes New Precedence on Anti-SLAPP Protections in Privacy Invasion Cases

Date: Feb 27, 2007

Supreme Court of California Establishes New Precedence on Anti-SLAPP Protections in Privacy Invasion Cases Introduction In the landmark case of Nicole Taus v. Elizabeth Loftus et al. (40 Cal.4th 683,...

Appellate Court Limitation: Single Lesser Included Offense Modification

Date: Feb 27, 2007

Appellate Court Limitation: Single Lesser Included Offense Modification Introduction In the landmark case of The People v. Horacio Navarro (40 Cal.4th 668, 2007), the Supreme Court of California...

Clarifying Prima Facie Juror Discrimination Standards in People v. Bell

Date: Feb 16, 2007

Clarifying Prima Facie Juror Discrimination Standards in People v. Bell Introduction People v. Steven M. Bell (40 Cal.4th 582) is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California, issued on...