California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One affirmed Richard Cowan’s judgment, finding sufficient evidence of intent to kill in two attempted murders and no error in admitting firearm comparison testimony or answering the jury’s question.
The Third District reversed the denial of Fernando Valdez’s resentencing petition because the jury instructions permitted a theory imputing malice based solely on his participation, and the trial court improperly relied on appellate factual findings and weighed evidence at the prima facie stag
The Court of Appeal reversed a gang-allegation true finding, affirmed the judgment in all other respects, vacated the sentence, and remanded for full resentencing because the trial court failed to investigate a deliberating juror’s report of bias and then discharged that juror without establis
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed Gary Louis Blank’s federal habeas petition as untimely, finding he filed it in 2024, well after the January 2, 2020 deadline, and was not entitled to statutory or equitable tolling.
A federal district court adopted a magistrate judge’s recommendation and dismissed a federal prisoner’s § 2241 petition for lack of jurisdiction, holding that a claim framed as a challenge to the Sentencing Commission’s statutory authority was in substance a collateral attack on th
A federal court dismissed a state prisoner’s habeas petition without prejudice because he failed to pay the $5 filing fee or seek in forma pauperis status and admitted that one of his four claims remained unexhausted in state court, while setting a December 21, 2026 deadline to cure both defec
A federal court denied a state prisoner’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis without prejudice and dismissed his First Amended habeas petition without prejudice because he failed to pay or properly seek waiver of the filing fee, failed to allege exhaustion of state court remedies, and pleaded
The Court of Appeal held that amended section 730.6 limits apportionment among adjudicated juvenile co-offenders but requires consideration of a reduced award for compelling and extraordinary reasons, and its October 26, 2026 order modified the opinion and denied rehearing without changing the judgm
On September 29, 2026, I submitted findings and recommendations that the first amended petition be dismissed without leave to amend as untimely. With those recommendations pending, petitioner filed a motion to appoint counsel and a motion to stay. I will deny the motion to appoint counsel because th
The Court of Appeal independently reviewed subpoenaed law enforcement records and found no error in withholding them, affirmed the judgment, and ordered a limited remand for further corrections to Baugh’s probation report.
The Court of Appeal affirmed a first degree robbery conviction, holding that a magistrate’s legal conclusion about evidence sufficiency at a preliminary hearing did not preclude the prosecution from recharging the offense, and that elevating the robbery count from second to first degree during
The Sixth District Court of Appeal reversed the defendants’ convictions after finding that the prosecutor’s voir dire pit bull analogy and predator-prey arguments violated the Racial Justice Act’s ban on language that implicitly appeals to racial bias by comparing defendants to ani
The Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Ciceu’s Romero motion to strike his 2003 prior strike and that rule 4.420 did not prohibit the dual consideration of aggravating factors.
California’s Second District Court of Appeal, Division Five, affirmed Ricardo Martinez’s second-degree murder conviction, finding substantial evidence of malice and no instructional error, but remanded to delete a $300 restitution fine and a $300 parole revocation fine from the abstract
The Court of Appeal reversed an uncharged five-year serious felony enhancement, vacated Joshua Aleman’s sentence, and ordered a full resentencing because the late notice deprived him of a fair opportunity to make plea and trial decisions.
California’s Third District Court of Appeal affirmed Juan Alejandro Ramirez’s convictions and 180-year sentence, holding that CSAAS expert testimony was properly admitted, CALCRIM No. 1193 correctly instructed the jury, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion by imposing upper-t
The Court of Appeal held that Welfare and Institutions Code section 875 does not authorize multiple concurrent baseline terms and remanded for imposition of a single baseline term and recalculation of D.G.’s precommitment credits, while otherwise affirming the judgment.
The Court of Appeal held that prosecutors forfeited their objection to a renewed Romero motion and upheld dismissal of a prior strike.
The Second District held that a juvenile’s assault offense was not expressly within the statutory list barring dismissal and record sealing after probation.
People v. U.S. Fire Insurance: Surety Remains Liable After Failure to Arrange Required GPS.
United States v. So: Foreign-Evidence Tolling Covered Bribery Conspiracy Charge.
The Ninth Circuit held that officers did not violate clearly established law by pointing firearms during a felony arrest and granted qualified immunity.
The Northern District denied habeas relief from California murder and carjacking convictions, finding the evidence sufficient and the ineffective-assistance claim inadequately pleaded.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a methamphetamine and ammunition conviction, approving cash-to-drug conversion and a drug-premises sentencing enhancement.