California Case Commentaries

Double Jeopardy Implications in PEOPLE v. WILSON: A Comprehensive Analysis

Date: Jun 9, 2023

Double Jeopardy Implications in PEOPLE v. WILSON: A Comprehensive Analysis Introduction PEOPLE v. WILSON (14 Cal.5th 839) is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of California that addresses...

Pretrial Mental Health Diversion Must Be Requested Before Trial or Plea

Date: Jun 6, 2023

Pretrial Mental Health Diversion Must Be Requested Before Trial or Plea Introduction In the landmark case People v. Cory Juan Braden, Jr. (14 Cal.5th 791, 2023), the Supreme Court of California...

Refining Gang Enhancement Criteria: Cooper v. People and the Retroactive Application of Assembly Bill 333

Date: May 26, 2023

Refining Gang Enhancement Criteria: Cooper v. People and the Retroactive Application of Assembly Bill 333 Introduction Cooper v. The People (14 Cal.5th 735), adjudicated by the Supreme Court of...

Expanded Whistleblower Protections: Internal Disclosures Affirmed Under California Labor Code section 1102.5(b)

Date: May 23, 2023

Expanded Whistleblower Protections: Internal Disclosures Affirmed Under California Labor Code section 1102.5(b) Introduction In the landmark case of THE PEOPLE ex rel. LILIA GARCIA-BROWER, as Labor...

Reinforcing Mandatory Express Declarations under Welfare and Institutions Code §702 for Juvenile Wobbler Offenses

Date: May 5, 2023

Reinforcing Mandatory Express Declarations under Welfare and Institutions Code §702 for Juvenile Wobbler Offenses Introduction The Supreme Court of California's decision in In re F.M., 14 Cal.5th 701...

Lease-Leaseback Arrangements Excluded from "Contracts" under Government Code §53511

Date: Apr 28, 2023

Lease-Leaseback Arrangements Excluded from "Contracts" under Government Code §53511 Introduction In the landmark case of Stephen K. Davis v. Fresno Unified School District (14 Cal.5th 671, 2023), the...

Design Immunity Does Not Bar Failure to Warn Claims: Supreme Court of California Upholds Tansavatdi v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes

Date: Apr 28, 2023

Design Immunity Does Not Bar Failure to Warn Claims: Supreme Court of California Upholds Tansavatdi v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes 1. Introduction In the landmark decision of Tansavatdi v. City of...

Invalid Felony-Murder Theory Overturned: In re Tyree Ferrell

Date: Apr 7, 2023

Invalid Felony-Murder Theory Overturned: In re Tyree Ferrell Introduction The case of In re Tyree Ferrell addresses the critical issue of jury instructions in second-degree murder convictions,...

Limitations on Extending Reunification Services Under California's Dependency Law: Michael G. v. Superior Court

Date: Apr 7, 2023

Limitations on Extending Reunification Services Under California's Dependency Law: Michael G. v. Superior Court Introduction In the landmark case Michael G. et al. v. The Superior Court of Orange...

Reaffirming the Standard of Harmless Error for Alternative-Theory Errors in Aiding and Abetting First Degree Murder: In re RICO Ricardo Lopez

Date: Apr 4, 2023

Reaffirming the Standard of Harmless Error for Alternative-Theory Errors in Aiding and Abetting First Degree Murder: In re RICO Ricardo Lopez Introduction The case of In re RICO Ricardo Lopez (14...

California Supreme Court Limits Attenuation on Evidence Found in Parole Search After Unlawful Detention

Date: Feb 24, 2023

California Supreme Court Limits Attenuation on Evidence Found in Parole Search After Unlawful Detention Introduction The case of The People v. Duvanh Anthony McWilliams ([14 Cal.5th 429](#)) marks a...

Affirmation of Death Sentence in People v. Thomas: Legal Implications

Date: Jan 27, 2023

Affirmation of Death Sentence in People v. Thomas: Legal Implications Introduction In the case of The People, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Justin Heath Thomas, Defendant and Appellant (14 Cal.5th...

Espinoza v. The People: Establishing Precedent for Immigration Consequences in Conviction Vacating

Date: Jan 27, 2023

Espinoza v. The People: Establishing Precedent for Immigration Consequences in Conviction Vacating Introduction In the landmark decision of The People v. Juventino Espinoza (2023) 14 Cal.5th 311, the...

Reaffirming Appellate Discretion in Moot Dependency Appeals: In re D.P. Sets New Precedent

Date: Jan 20, 2023

Reaffirming Appellate Discretion in Moot Dependency Appeals: In re D.P. Sets New Precedent Introduction In the landmark case of In re D.P., the Supreme Court of California addressed the intricate...

Detention Standards in Police Encounters: Insights from People v. Tacardon

Date: Dec 30, 2022

Detention Standards in Police Encounters: Insights from People v. Tacardon Introduction In People v. Leon William Tacardon (14 Cal.5th 235), decided by the Supreme Court of California on December 29,...

Delgadillo v. The People: Establishing Procedures for Postconviction Appeals under section 1172.6

Date: Dec 20, 2022

Delgadillo v. The People: Establishing Procedures for Postconviction Appeals under section 1172.6 Introduction In the case of The People v. Jose De Jesus Delgadillo (14 Cal.5th 216, 2022), the...

Voluntary Absence Standards in Criminal Trials: Insights from People v. Ramirez

Date: Dec 6, 2022

Voluntary Absence Standards in Criminal Trials: Insights from People v. Ramirez Introduction People v. Ramirez (14 Cal.5th 176, 2022) is a pivotal decision by the Supreme Court of California that...

Establishing Specific Intent in Gang-Related Conspiracy: Analysis of The People v. Hoskins

Date: Dec 2, 2022

Establishing Specific Intent in Gang-Related Conspiracy: Analysis of The People v. Hoskins Introduction The People v. Victor Ware et al. (14 Cal.5th 151), decided by the Supreme Court of California...

Adrian Camacho v. The People: Establishing Precedent on Mental State Defenses in First-Degree Murder Cases

Date: Nov 29, 2022

Adrian Camacho v. The People: Establishing Precedent on Mental State Defenses in First-Degree Murder Cases Introduction In the landmark case of THE PEOPLE v. ADRIAN GEORGE CAMACHO (14 Cal.5th 77),...

Supreme Court of California Establishes CGL Coverage for Right of Seclusion Violations

Date: Nov 18, 2022

Supreme Court of California Establishes CGL Coverage for Right of Seclusion Violations Introduction The case of Yahoo Inc. v. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA (2022) marks a...