Supreme Court of California Decisions

The California Supreme Court consists of seven justices, including a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The Court has the authority to review decisions in the California Courts of Appeal, decisions by the Public Utilities Commission, and any cases that result in a death sentence. In general, the California Supreme Court will review cases that involve issues that have statewide significance. It may review a matter in part or in its entirety.

The Court also oversees matters related to misconduct within the legal profession. It reviews recommendations by the Commission on Judicial Performance and the California State Bar on disciplining a judge or attorney. It has issued a California Code of Judicial Conduct, which consists of six canons, to guide judges in the state.

To serve as a justice, a candidate must have been admitted to practice law in California for the last 10 years, or must have served as a judge in a California state court for the same time. The Governor of California appoints justices to the Court, but the Commission on Judicial Appointments must confirm each appointment. Also, a newly appointed justice must face a retention referendum when the state next votes to elect a governor. The term of each justice lasts for 12 years, after which a retention election will determine whether they serve another term. The process is the same for the Chief Justice as for the Associate Justices.

A justice on the California Supreme Court may be removed if the state assembly votes to impeach them, and then two-thirds of the state senate votes to convict them. Removal also may follow an investigation of misconduct by the justice that results in a recommendation of removal by the California Commission on Judicial Performance. Alternatively, the Commission may suspend or censure a justice.

Browse Opinions From the Supreme Court of California
Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of California
Harrod v. Country Oaks Partners, LLC  
Date: March 28, 2024
 Docket Number: S276545

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of California considered whether a health care agent, who had signed two contracts with a skilled nursing facility on behalf of a principal, had the authority to sign an optional, separate arbitration…

Huerta v. CSI Electrical Contractors  
Date: March 25, 2024
 Docket Number: S275431

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a wage dispute between an employee and his employer. The employee, George Huerta, filed a class action against his employer, CSI Electrical Contractors, seeking payment for unpaid hours worked. The…

Niedermeier v. FCA US LLC  
Date: March 4, 2024
 Docket Number: S266034

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of California, in a case involving a dispute over California's lemon law, ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Lisa Niedermeier. Niedermeier had purchased a new Jeep Wrangler from FCA US LLC, which was…

P. v. Hardin  
Date: March 4, 2024
 Docket Number: S277487

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, the People v. Hardin case involves the defendant, Tony Hardin, who is serving a life sentence without parole for a special circumstance murder he committed at age 25. Hardin challenged the…

TriCoast Builders, Inc. v. Fonnegra  
Date: February 26, 2024
 Docket Number: S273368

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of California held that a trial court has discretion to grant or deny relief from a jury trial waiver under section 631(g) of the Code of Civil Procedure. The court is not required to…

P. v. Clark  
Date: February 22, 2024
 Docket Number: S275746

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of California was asked to interpret the "collective engagement" requirement under the California Penal Code section 186.22(f) and its application to the proof of predicate offenses. This…

Haggerty v. Thornton  
Date: February 8, 2024
 Docket Number: S271483

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case before the Supreme Court of California, the court interprets the provisions regarding the modification of a revocable trust under California Probate Code sections 15401 and 15402. The dispute revolves around…

In re Vaquera  
Date: February 5, 2024
 Docket Number: S258376

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2019, the California Supreme Court ruled that the defendant, Oscar Manuel Vaquera, did not receive fair notice of the sentence that the prosecution was seeking in his case, which violated his right to due process.…

Romero v. Shih  
Date: February 1, 2024
 Docket Number: S275023

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of California, the dispute revolved around a residential driveway in Sierra Madre and raised a significant question about the law of easements. The plaintiffs, Tatana Spicakova Romero…

People v. Helzer  
Date: January 22, 2024
 Docket Number: S132256

Justia Opinion Summary: Glen Taylor Helzer pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and multiple other charges, including robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy. After a penalty trial, he was sentenced to death for the five counts of murder. An…

Estrada v. Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc.  
Date: January 18, 2024
 Docket Number: S274340

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of California, the case revolved around the question of whether trial courts have the inherent authority to dismiss a claim under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) on the…

P. v. Rojas  
Date: December 18, 2023
 Docket Number: S275835

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case of The People v. Fernando Rojas, the Supreme Court of California addressed the issue of whether the application of Assembly Bill 333 to the gang-murder special circumstance in section 190.2(a)(22) of the…

Rodriguez v. Super. Ct.  
Date: December 14, 2023
 Docket Number: S272129

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case, a defendant, Mario Rodriguez, was charged with several felonies, each carrying a maximum sentence exceeding two years. In 2018, Rodriguez was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and committed to a…

In re N.R.  
Date: December 14, 2023
 Docket Number: S274943

Justia Opinion Summary: A person identified as O.R. appealed the decision of the Los Angeles County Superior Court to place his child, N.R., under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (the…

People v. Curiel  
Date: November 27, 2023
 Docket Number: S272238

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the judgment of the trial court denying Petitioner's petition for relief and resentencing under the new procedure set forth in Senate Bill No.…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

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