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Articles Posted in New Criminal Case Law

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Decision of Court of Appeal is part of the Record of Conviction in a 1170.95 Hearing

People v. Clements (Cal. Ct. App., Feb. 4, 2021, No. E073965) 2021 WL 388834, at *1 Summary: In 1989, Jody Ann Clements solicited her ex-husband and her boyfriend to assault her 16-year-old brother who then two killed the brother by stabbing him and bludgeoning him with a rock.  A jury…

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Trail Court Must Evaluate Prosecution’s Reasons for Exclusion of Black Jurors

People v. Collins (Cal. Ct. App., Feb. 2, 2021, No. F076883) 2021 WL 343935  Summary: Collins was convicted of two counts of murder as a result of driving while impaired On appeal, he claims that  the trial court erred in denying his motion to challenge the prosecutor’s excusal of a…

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Lifers entitled to habeas relief for excessive incarceration must serve parole period

In re Palmer (Cal., Jan. 28, 2021, No. S256149) 2021 WL 279621, at *1   Summary: The California and federal Constitutions bar the infliction of punishment that is grossly disproportionate to the offender’s individual culpability. (U.S. Const., 8th Amend.; Cal. Const., art. I, § 17.) The courts, “as coequal guardian[s]…

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A limited waiver of the 60-day deadline for a preliminary hearing must be enforced

Favor v. Superior Court of San Bernardino County (Cal. Ct. App., Jan. 13, 2021, No. E075340) 2021 WL 118005  Summary: The right to a preliminary hearing within 60 days of arraignment “is absolute absent a defendant’s personal waiver.” (Ramos v. Superior Court (2007) 146 Cal.App.4th 719, 729, 53 Cal.Rptr.3d 189.)…

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California Supreme Court: CDCR must make nonviolent offender parole consideration available to inmates convicted of  registerable sex offenses

In re Gadlin Supreme Court of California. December 28, 2020 — P.3d —- 2020 WL 7690154  Proposition 57- nonviolent felony parole consideration In 2009, a three-judge federal district court panel ordered the CDCR “to reduce the prisoner population to 137.5% of the adult institution’s total design capacity.” (Coleman v. Schwarzenegger…

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Resentencing of veterans under Section 1170.91 Is Unavailable in a Plea Bargain to a Stipulated Term of Years

People v. Brooks (Cal. Ct. App., Dec. 22, 2020, No. A158988) 2020 WL 7586811, at *1 Summary: Jason Brooks appealed  the denial of a petition seeking recall of his sentence pursuant to Penal Code section 1170.91. Brooks agreed to a stipulated term of years in a plea bargain 13 years…

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Supreme Court Hold SB 1437 bars a conviction for second degree murder under the natural and probable consequences doctrine

People v. Gentile, Supreme Court of California, (S256698), December 17, 2020 — P.3d —- 2020 WL 7393491 Aider and abettors and liability under the natural and probable consequences doctrine An accomplice who aids and abets a crime is liable  for both that crime and any other offense committed that is…

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DUI Defendants Ineligible For Pretrial Mental Health Diversion

David Peter Moore, Sr., Petitioner, V. The Superior Court of Riverside County, Respondent; THE PEOPLE, Real Party in Interest. Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division 2, California. December 11, 2020 — Cal.Rptr.3d —- 2020 WL 7296513 Summary: Vehicle Code section 23640 and its predecessor, Vehicle Code former section 23202, have generally…

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Court of Appeal rules that lawful possession of marijuana does not provide probable cause to search a vehicle

People v. Hall (Cal. Ct. App., Nov. 24, 2020, No. A157868) 2020 WL 6882240, at *1–7 Facts:  When Hall was pulled over for a vehicle-equipment violation in 2018, a San Francisco police officer observed in the car “a clear plastic baggie” of what appeared to be marijuana. Police officers the.…

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