Justia California Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeal affirming the judgment of the juvenile court finding true that Minor had committed one count of violating Cal. Penal Code 288.5 and order probation, thus rejecting Minor's claims that a community service provision of the disposition violated separation of powers principles and infringed his due process rights, holding that there was no error.In affirming, the appellate court acknowledged that a juvenile court may not delegate to a probation officer the authority to determine that a minor is in violation of probation but held that, in this case, the juvenile court's order permitting the probation officer to offer Minor the option of community service for an alleged violation did not permit the probation department to decide if and when a violation of probation had occurred. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the juvenile court order authorizing the probation officer to offer Minor on probation the option of performing community service, in an amount chosen by the probation officer up to a maximum set by the court, in the event Minor was alleged to have violated a term of probation, did not violate due process or separation of powers principles. View "In re D.N." on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeal upholding the trial court's finding that trial may continue in Defendant's absence under Cal. Penal Code 1043(b)(2) because the absence was voluntary, holding that the trial court did not violate Defendant's constitutional rights by finding him to be voluntarily absent without conducting an evidentiary hearing regarding the circumstances of his absence.On appeal, the court of appeal concluded that substantial evidence supported the trial court's finding that Defendant voluntarily absented himself from trial and that the court's decision to proceed with trial rather than grant defense counsel's motion for a one-day continuance constituted harmless error. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that substantial evidence supported the trial court's finding of voluntary absence under the circumstances of this case. View "People v. Ramirez" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's conviction for conspiracy to commit murder, holding that there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction.After a jury trial, Defendant and his codefendants were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and other offenses. As to all three defendants, the jury found that the conspiracy was for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Defendant appealed, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence. The court of appeal affirmed. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that, after considering the record in its entirety, the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to show that Defendant had the requisite intent to enter into an agreement to commit murder. View "People v. Ware" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the superior convicting Defendant, following a jury trial, of first degree murder and sentencing him to death, holding that Defendant failed to demonstrate that alleged errors occurring at the guilt phase of trial cumulated in his not having received a "fair trial on the issue of his mental state at the time of the shooting."Specifically, the Supreme Court held (1) the trial court committed error under state law by ordering that Defendant submit to an examination by the prosecution expert and allowing the jury to learn of Defendant's refusal to be examined, but these errors were not prejudicial; (2) the prosecutor's comments regarding the ethics of forensic psychiatry did not infect the trial with unfairness that rose to the level of prejudicial error; (3) the trial court erred in admitting a law enforcement officer's statement under People v. Sanchez, 63 Cal.4th 665 (2016), but the error did not contribute to the jury's verdict; (4) the guilt phase errors were not cumulatively prejudicial; (5) the trial court did not err in excusing a prospective juror for cause because of her views on the death penalty; and (6) no other prejudicial error occurred during the penalty phase of the trial. View "People v. Camacho" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeal ruling that Proposition 36, the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2012, stripped sentencing courts of the discretion to impose concurrent terms for felonies that were committed on the same occasion or arose from the same set of operative facts, even if the felonies qualified as serious or violent, holding that the lower court erred.At issue was whether the Act abrogated the rule set forth in People v. Hendrix, 16 Cal. 4th 508 (1997), that a trial court retains discretion to impose concurrent terms for felonies that were "committed on the same occasion" or did not "aris[e] from the same set of operative facts" while requiring consecutive sentences for multiple current felonies that were not "committed on the same occasion" or did not "aris[e] from the same set of operative facts." The Court of Appeal concluded that, after passage of the Act, a trial court lacks discretion to impose concurrent terms on multiple serious or violent felonies. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that, following Proposition 36, a trial court retains its Hendrix concurrent sentencing discretion and that the total sentence imposed for multiple current counts of serious or violent felonies must be ordered to run consecutively to the term imposed for offenses that do not qualify as serious or violent felonies. View "People v. Henderson" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court held that the language in the insurance policy at issue in this case provided liability coverage for right-of-seclusion violations litigated under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. 227, assuming such coverage is consistent with the insured's reasonable expectations.Privacy injuries involving the right of seclusion are sometimes actionable under the TCPA provided that the violation involves the use of telephonic equipment. The insurance policy in this case provided liability coverage for injuries "arising out of...[o]ral or written publication...of material that violates a person's right of privacy." At issue before the Supreme Court was whether this language provided liability coverage for right-of-seclusion violations brought under the TCPA. The Court held that a commercial general liability insurance policy that provides coverage for "personal injury" defined in part as injury arising out of oral or written publication of material that violates a person's right of privacy can cover liability for violations of the right of seclusion if that coverage is consistent with the insured's reasonable expectations. View "Yahoo Inc. v. National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, PA" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction for kidnapping to commit rape, murder, attempted carjacking, assault with intent to commit rape, and receiving stolen property, and Defendant's sentence of death, holding that Defendant was not entitled to reversal of his convictions or sentences.Specifically, the Supreme Court held (1) as to the guilt phase issues raised by Defendant on appeal, the only potential errors, including the possibility that the prosecutor strayed beyond appropriate commentary into personal commentary on defense counsel, were not so egregious that they made the trial unfair; and (2) there was no error in the penalty phase. View "People v. Miranda-Guerrero" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeal reversing the judgment of the trial court ruling that the exception to landowners' negation of their statutory duty of care to keep their property safe for others who may enter or use it for recreational purposes does not apply when the landowners' live-at-home child invites someone onto the property without the owners' knowledge or permission, holding that the court of appeals erred.The trial court ruled that the exception did not apply in this case because the landowners had not issued the invitation. The court of appeals reversed, holding that the exception to the landowners' statutory negation of duty when a landowner expressly invites someone onto the property applied unless the child had been prohibited to make the invitation. The Supreme Court reversed, holding (1) a plaintiff may rely on the exception and impose liability if there is a showing that a landowner extended an express invitation to come onto the property; and (2) the plaintiff in this case did not meet her burden. View "Hoffmann v. Young" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeal holding that a sidewalk picket purporting to protest a real estate company's business practices after the company evicted two long-term residents from their home did not constitute speech in connection with a public issue under the anti-SLAPP statute's catchall provision, holding that the sidewalk protest constituted protected activity within the meaning of Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 425.16(e)(4).The court of appeal held that the sidewalk picket at issue was beyond the scope of anti-SLAPP protection because the picket did not implicate a public issue. Rather, the court of appeal concluded that the picket concerned only a private dispute between the real estate company and the two residents. The Supreme Court reversed after applying both steps of the analysis set forth in FilmOn.com Inc v. DoubleVerify Inc., 7 Cal.5th 133 (2019), holding that the sidewalk protest furthered public discussion of the public issues it implicated. View "Geiser v. Kuhns" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of death but struck the enhancement that Defendant committed the murder for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal street gang, holding that there was no basis for reversing Defendant's convictions or sentence.After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder. The jury found true the gang enhancement and the special circumstances of robbery murder and torture murder. The jury returned a verdict of death, and the trial court denied Defendant's motions for a new trial, for reduced punishment, and to modify the verdict. The Supreme Court struck the gang enhancement and otherwise affirmed, holding (1) there was assumed or either found error regarding certain jury instructions, the failure to bifurcate, and the admission of hearsay and certain evidence, but each assumed or found error was harmless; (2) Defendant's gang enhancement was incorrectly imposed, but this error did not require reversal of the guilty verdicts or death judgment; and (3) there was no other basis for reversing Defendant's convictions or sentence. View "People v. Tran" on Justia Law