New Criminal Case Law

September 19, 2026

Voluntary Intoxication and Attempted Murder Premeditation

People v. Ammons (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 16, 2026, No. 2D CRIM. B343669) 2026 WL 2730198

Issue and Holding: The Instructions Adequately Allowed Consideration of Intoxication

Charles Nelson Ammons appealed only his attempted murder conviction arising from a traffic stop that escalated into a struggle over a firearm with City of Pismo Beach police officer Christopher Siglin. Ammons argued the trial court’s voluntary-intoxication instruction was incomplete because it told jurors they could consider intoxication when deciding whether he intended to kill Siglin and knew Siglin was a peace officer, but did not expressly say they could also consider intoxication when deciding whether the attempted murder was willful, deliberate, and premeditated. He also claimed trial counsel was ineffective for failing to request a clarified instruction.

September 13, 2026

Court has broad power to impose probation conditions that serve justice and support the probationer’s reform and rehabilitation

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People v. Putallez (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 11, 2026, No. A174094) 2026 WL 2674363, at *1–3

Defendant Joseph Kent Putallez pleaded no contest to theft of an elder or dependent adult by a caregiver. Under the plea agreement, the trial court placed him on formal probation for two years. On appeal, he challenges one probation condition, arguing that it gives too much judicial authority to the probation officer. We conclude the court set the condition’s basic policy and left only practical details to probation. We therefore affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

September 6, 2026

Eligibility for Resentencing Under Penal Code Section 1172.6

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People v. Campbell (Cal. Ct. App., Aug. 3, 2026, No. B334456) 2026 WL 2577310

Summary: In People v. Campbell, the California Court of Appeal reconsidered whether Sidney Campbell was entitled to resentencing relief under Penal Code section 1172.6 following significant developments in California law governing murder liability and resentencing petitions. The case arose after the California Supreme Court transferred the matter back to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration in light of People v. Lopez (2025) 19 Cal.5th 639. Although Lopez expanded the circumstances under which petitioners may seek relief, the Court of Appeal ultimately concluded that Campbell remained ineligible for resentencing as a matter of law because the jury instructions in his case required a finding that he personally acted with malice.

The Crime and Conviction

August 30, 2026

DUI Injury Convictions Need Not Be Dismissed After Gross Vehicular Manslaughter Plea

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People v. Lossing (Cal. Ct. App., Aug. 24, 2026, No. 2D CRIM. B347919) 2026 WL 2474216, at *1–6

Summary: In People v. Lossing, the Court of Appeal held that DUI causing injury under Vehicle Code section 23153 is not a lesser included offense of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code section 191.5, affirming the defendant’s convictions and related credit consequences.

The issue is whether convictions for driving under the influence causing injury under Vehicle Code section 23153 must be dismissed as lesser included offenses of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code section 191.5. Section 954 permits multiple convictions arising from the same act, but a judicially created exception requires dismissal when a defendant is convicted of both a greater offense and a lesser included offense.

August 23, 2026

Partial Habeas Relief Does Not Require Full Resentencing Review

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People v. Esquivias (Cal., Aug. 17, 2026, No. S286371) 2026 WL 2386584, at *1–10

Summary: A habeas corpus court has broad equitable authority to craft relief “as the justice of the case may require.” (In re Palmer (2021) 10 Cal.5th 959, 976; Pen. Code, § 1484.) Petitioner Miguel Alberto Esquivias sought habeas relief based solely on Senate Bill No. 620, which gave trial courts discretion to strike previously mandatory firearm enhancements. The superior court granted that targeted relief by striking those enhancements, but declined to reopen the entire sentence. The Court of Appeal affirmed, holding that habeas relief is not an “all-or-nothing” remedy. The California Supreme Court agreed thatbecause Esquivias’s original sentence was valid and neither the Constitution nor any statute required full resentencing, the habeas court could limit relief to the firearm enhancements.

Factual and Procedural History

August 9, 2026

California Supreme Court’s first decision Code of Civil Procedure section 231.7, presumptively invalid reasons for peremptory strikes of potential jurors

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Citation: People v. SanMiguel (Cal., July 30, 2026, No. S287786) 2026 WL 2195752.

Summary: The Court clarified that when a party strikes a potential juror for BEHAVIOR-BASED REASONS under section 231.7(g)–historically connected to racial stereotypes and implicit bias, the trial court must first CONFIRM the observed behavior and then require the striking party to EXPLAIN its relevance to the case (race-neutral reason) in order to overcome the presumption of invalidity for behavior-based reasons.The trial court here failed to get an explanation from the DA. Attempted murder conviction and life sentence reversed and remanded.

Facts

August 2, 2026

Failure to give jury instructions on speeding and failure to stop do not automatically require reversal

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People v. Kazarian (Cal. Ct. App., July 30, 2026, No. E085048) 2026 WL 2198572

Summary: Kazarian, challenged his conviction for felony evading a police officer on the ground that the trial court failed to properly instruct the jury regarding the legal definitions of several Vehicle Code violations that were used to establish the felony offense. The Court of Appeal concluded that any instructional deficiencies were either nonexistent or harmless beyond a reasonable doubt and affirmed the judgment.

Background: In January 2023, Deputy Sheriff Gabriel Dominguez responded to a medical aid call involving an unresponsive driver seated in a pickup truck with its engine running. Emergency personnel were already present and attempting to contact the driver, Kazarian. As Deputy Dominguez approached the vehicle, he observed the defendant suddenly placed the vehicle in drive and nearly collided with a fire truck parked in front of him. He exited the gas station and drove away.

July 19, 2026

Defendant seeking mental health diversion cannot be compelled to submit to a mental health examination

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Sua v. Superior Court of San Diego County (Cal. Ct. App., July 16, 2026, No. D087742) 2026 WL 2056609.

Facts and Procedural Posture

Miguel Sua and Alexander Guthrie, defendants in separate felony cases, sought pretrial mental health diversion under Penal Code section 1001.36. The prosecution moved under Penal Code section 1054.3(b)(1) to compel each defendant to submit to a mental examination by a prosecution expert. The superior court granted the motions, and the defendants petitioned for writ relief.

July 12, 2026

DUI Causing Injury is not a lesser included offense of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated

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THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. SANTANA DOMINIQUE YANEZ, Defendant and Appellant. (Cal. Ct. App., July 10, 2026, No. F090098) 2026 WL 1998663, at *1–3

Summary: Yanez argued that his convictions for driving under the influence causing injury should be reversed because that crime is a lesser included offense of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The Court of Appeal concluded otherwise.

Yanez was charged with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (counts 1 & 2, Pen. Code, § 191.5, subd. (a)), driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury (count 3, Veh. Code,1 § 23153, subd. (a)), driving with a 0.08 blood alcohol content causing injury (count 4, § 23153, subd. (b)), driving under the influence of alcohol in combination with any drug causing injury (count 5, § 23153, subd. (g)), driving without a license (count 6, § 12500, subd. (a)), driving without evidence of financial responsibility (count 7, § 16028, subd. (a)), speeding (count 8, § 22350), speeding over 100 miles per hour (count 9, § 22348, subd. (b)), and failing to yield the right of way (count 10, § 21800, subd. (a)). The information also alleged great bodily injury enhancements (Pen. Code, § 12022.7, subd. (a)) as to each victim on counts 3 through 5, and alleged as to counts 1 through 5 that defendant had caused bodily injury or death to more than one victim (Veh. Code, § 23558).

July 4, 2026

Blood Draw of Unconscious DUI Suspect at Hospital does not Automatically Excuse Warrant Requirement

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People v. Castro (Cal. Ct. App., July 1, 2026, No. D085983) 2026 WL 1894067, at *1–3

Summary: The United States Supreme Court Mitchell v. Wisconsin (2019) 588 U.S. 840 (Mitchell), held that where a police officer at the scene of an automobile accident discovers that one of the drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) is unconscious,“the officers’ many responsibilities may be incompatible with the procedures that would be required to obtain a warrant.” Mitchell articulated a “general rule” that exigent circumstances will “almost always” permit a blood test without a warrant.

In People v. Alvarez (2023) 98 Cal.App.5th 531 (Alvarez), the police officer encountered the suspect-driver at the hospital sometime after the accident. Alvarez held that the record failed to support a finding of exigency sufficient to excuse the officer’s failure to obtain a blood draw warrant. Here, an unconscious suspect-driver was first contacted by police at the hospital several hours after the accident, and the Court held there was not exigent circumstances excusing a failure to obtain a warrant.