Justia California Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Defendant, a 15-year-old, was tried as an adult and convicted of the murder of a 72-year-old and of five first degree burglaries relating to the residences of the victim and two other women. At issue was whether defendant made a postwaiver invocation of his Miranda rights by asking several times to speak to his mother or by making certain other statements while being questioned. The court held that juveniles claiming a postwaiver invocation of their Miranda rights were properly subject to the Davis v. United States standard. Applying that standard, the court concluded that the trial court did not err in finding that defendant's requests to speak to his mother and other statements were not sufficiently clear to require cessation of the interrogation. Accordingly, defendant's confessional statements were properly admitted at trial, and the contrary judgment of the Court of Appeal must be reversed. View "People v. Nelson" on Justia Law

The juvenile court committed a juvenile ward to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities (DJF) based on his commission of a sex offense listed in Penal Code section 290.008(c). At issue was whether a court could commit to the DJF a juvenile who had not committed an offense described in Welf. & Inst. Code, 707(b). The court concluded that a juvenile court lacked authority to commit a ward to the DJF under Welf. & Inst. Code, 731(a)(4) if that ward had never been adjudged to have committed an offense described in section 707(b), even if his or her most recent offense alleged in a petition and admitted or found true by the juvenile court was a sex offense set forth in section 290.008(c) as referenced in Welf. & Inst. Code, 733(c). Accordingly, the court reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeal. View "In re C.H." on Justia Law

Defendants, minors, committed arson by setting off a firecracker on a brush-covered hillside in Pasadena, causing a fire that burned five acres of forest land. At issue was whether there was sufficient evidence to establish the requisite mental state of malice, as defined in the arson statutes, because defendants lit and threw the firecracker without intent to cause a fire or any other harm. The court held that, under the circumstances of the case, defendants' acts of intentionally igniting and throwing a firecracker amidst dry brush on a hillside, although done without intent to cause a fire or other harm, were sufficient to establish the requisite malice for arson. View "In re V.V.; In re J.H" on Justia Law