California Courts of Appeal Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances and an enhancement for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury or death. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around an oil spill caused by Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (Plains). The spill resulted in the unlawful discharge of over 142,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean and onto a beach. The trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: In April 2013, Brandi Stiles and Abel Gorgita purchased a 2011 Kia Optima, which was manufactured and distributed by Kia Motors America, Inc. At the time of purchase, some of Kia's original warranties were still in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Diana Lovejoy, who was convicted of conspiring with her co-defendant, Weldon McDavid, to murder her ex-husband, Greg Mulvihill. She was also found guilty of attempted murder after McDavid shot and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a lawsuit filed by Masimo Corporation against John Bauche, BoundlessRise, LLC (Boundless), and Skyward Investments, LLC (Skyward), represented by The Vanderpool Law Firm (Vanderpool). The lawsuit…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2019, Miguel Garcia pleaded no contest to second degree robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon, admitting he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm. His 12-year sentence included seven one-year…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Sutter’s Place, Inc., a cardroom operator in San Jose, California, and the California Gambling Control Commission. Sutter’s Place sought to increase the number of gambling tables in its cardroom from 49…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Sacramento Municipal Utility District (District) and David Kwan. The District opened an electrical service account for Kwan, which was later found to be diverting power to support a cannabis grow…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, John Fay, was living unhoused outside a public library when he got into a verbal altercation with Anthony Davis, who was intoxicated. The altercation escalated, and Fay punched Davis multiple times in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the City of San José and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA). The city had a significant unfunded liability in its pension plans for city employees. To address this shortfall, the city…

Justia Opinion Summary: Monica Berlin was charged with felony stalking and six misdemeanors, including two restraining order violations and four protective order violations. In March 2020, the trial court suspended criminal proceedings and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dr. Ryan Kime, an emergency medicine physician, applied for privileges in the emergency department of two hospitals owned by Dignity Health, Inc. (Dignity) while he was under disciplinary proceedings by the Medical Board…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Takeya Lashay Koontzy, pleaded no contest to fleeing the scene of an injury accident and was placed on probation with the condition that she pay victim restitution in an amount to be determined. However,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Dr. R. Michael Williams, a board-certified oncologist, who had privileges at Doctor’s Medical Center of Modesto (DMCM) since 2003. Williams alleged that around 2018, his professional relationship with…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between plaintiffs Michelle Beverage and Joseph Mejia, and defendant Apple, Inc. The plaintiffs filed a class action complaint alleging that Apple's restrictive contractual terms and coercive…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case revolves around an employment dispute where Renee Vines sued his former employer, O’Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC, for violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), alleging causes of action for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Christine Matlock Dougherty, who sued U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, California (USB) for claims related to her son's healthcare. Dougherty's son, Ryan, was enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare HMO health plan,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Robert Wayne Cunningham, was convicted of provocative act murder and other offenses related to a 1995 shootout with the police. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Angel Mondragon, an employee of Sunrun Inc., who was required to sign an arbitration agreement as a condition of his employment. The agreement covered most disputes related to Mondragon’s employment but…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around June LaMarr, an employee at the University of California Davis Medical Center, who was transferred to a different department following performance issues and conflicts with her supervisor. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a bail bond forfeiture involving Florian Basica, who was charged with second-degree robbery. The North River Insurance Company (the surety) and Bad Boys Bail Bonds (the bail agent) posted a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Noe Lezama, was initially charged with murder but later entered a plea to voluntary manslaughter in 2019. In 2022, he filed a petition for resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6, arguing that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between Anthony Sam and Renee Kwan, who formed a limited liability company (LLC) and purchased a parking lot. Sam alleged that Kwan, without his knowledge, sold the lot for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between neighbors in a six-unit condominium building. Robert Dubac, the plaintiff, and Sandra Itkoff and Jonathan Diamond, the defendants, were owners of units in the same building. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Saide Lugo, a former employee of Pixior, LLC, filed a lawsuit against the company and some of its employees for malicious prosecution. Lugo alleged that Pixior falsely reported her to the police, leading to a criminal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Lizbeth Balderas, a former employee of Fresh Start Harvesting, Inc., who filed a complaint for civil penalties under the California Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) on behalf of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, Joseph Semprini filed a lawsuit against his employer, Wedbush Securities, Inc., alleging 11 personal causes of action and seven class claims for alleged wage and hour violations. Semprini and Wedbush agreed that…

Justia Opinion Summary: Nicholas Beaudreaux, serving a 50-year-to-life sentence for the first-degree murder and attempted robbery of Wayne Drummond, twice petitioned unsuccessfully for resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6. In the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Arno Kuigoua, a registered nurse who was employed by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (the Department) at the Knight Veterans Home. Kuigoua was terminated in October 2018 after the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2016, Shawn Vincent Gray was found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI) for one count of stalking and two counts of making criminal threats. He also admitted to a prior strike allegation and six one-year prior…

Justia Opinion Summary: Apex Solutions, Inc., a cannabis business, filed a lawsuit against Falls Lake Insurance Management Company, Inc., after the insurance company refused to pay the full amount of a claim Apex filed following a burglary at…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Taylor C., who was declared a ward of the court at the age of 14. After his wardship ended, Taylor successfully moved to dismiss his wardship petitions under the Welfare and Institutions Code…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the defendant, Adam Daniel Barooshian, who was convicted of murder under a Watson murder theory in his second trial. The Watson murder theory refers to a situation where a person who kills…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between the City of Santa Cruz (City) and the County of Santa Cruz (County) over the interpretation of the City's claim presentation ordinance. The County sued the City for damages…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Manuel Dejesus Flores, who was convicted of four counts of lewd and lascivious acts committed against two victims under 14 years old. The victims, sisters B.C. and Y.G., lived with Flores in their…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between two local water management agencies, Mission Springs Water District (Mission Springs) and Desert Water Agency (Desert Water), over who should be the regional groundwater…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tyshawn Michael Lewis, a prisoner diagnosed with rapidly progressing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), appealed the denial of a petition for his compassionate release under Penal Code section 1172.2. Lewis was serving…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Rafael B.D.R., was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for committing a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 and sending or exhibiting harmful matter to a minor. The victim was his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Hildo Ocampo Estrada, who was convicted of attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter. The charges stemmed from an incident where Estrada and others were involved in a fight with another group,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Vince Fong, a candidate for the California State Assembly District 32 and Congressional District 20, filed nomination papers for both offices for the March 5, 2024, primary election. The Secretary of State…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Francisco Carrillo, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, who was convicted of assault with a firearm in 2002 and sentenced to 301 days in jail. In 2007, Carrillo admitted to a probation…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Clifford Alan Dilbert, who filed petitions for clemency and/or commutation of his prison sentence with the Governor's office in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021. Dilbert claimed that he had not received any…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Israel Marcial Uriostegui, who was convicted of first-degree residential burglary by a jury. Uriostegui appealed the judgment, arguing that the trial court erred in denying his objection under…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a request for calendar entries of the Governor's former senior advisor for energy, Alice Reynolds, under the California Public Records Act (PRA). The request was made by the Energy and Policy Institute…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between a married couple, identified as Br. C. and Be. C., who have three-year-old twins. The dispute centers around a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) that Br. C. obtained against…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Jameal M. Mosley, who was charged with unauthorized possession and transportation of a machine gun, being a felon in possession of a firearm for the benefit of a street gang, and being a felon in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the appeal of the state against a defendant, Shawn Vincent Gray, who had been committed to the Department of Mental Health after being found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI) for one count of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Eric Bean Knudsen, who had his driver's license suspended following an administrative per se (APS) hearing. The hearing officer from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) concluded that Knudsen had…

Justia Opinion Summary: In March 2017, Monique Howard, the plaintiff, stayed at a hotel operated by the defendant, Accor Management US, Inc. During her stay, the handheld shower head in her room fell apart, cutting her and causing her to fall.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves an appeal by SaniSure, Inc., against a trial court's decision not to compel arbitration in a dispute with its former employee, Jasmin Vazquez. Vazquez initially worked for SaniSure from July 2019, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Gregory Terence Brown, who was charged with aggravated mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon. Initially declared incompetent due to a diagnosed mental disorder, Brown was later considered…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Gail Dee Lew-Williams, as the surviving spouse and successor in interest of Wilbur Williams, Jr., M.D., and Wilbur Williams, M.D., Inc. (collectively, the Williams plaintiffs) and Sevana Petrosian and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves tech icon Steve Wozniak and 17 other plaintiffs who sued YouTube and Google over a cryptocurrency scam. The scam involved hijacking popular YouTube channels, impersonating tech celebrities, and hosting…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, a lawsuit was brought against the state by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the City of Redondo Beach. The plaintiffs argued that Senate Bill 10, which allowed local governments to bypass housing density…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff, Joseph Gazal, donated over $1 million to purchase a car and a home for a destitute family. He was inspired to make this donation after hearing a homily delivered by defendant Carlos…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case pertains to a defendant, Nicholas Beaudreaux, who was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted robbery. He is serving a 50-year sentence. Beaudreaux made two unsuccessful attempts to petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a shootout following a high-speed car chase, the defendant, Mario Guadalupe Serrano, was convicted of 13 criminal counts, including two counts of premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer. After the trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves Stewart Johnston who was the defendant, cross-complainant, and appellant, against BTHHM Berkeley, LLC, PNG Berkeley, LLC, Michail Family 2004 Living Trust, Bianca Blesching, Scot Hawkins (collectively,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal of the State of California was asked to determine a dispute over an insurance claim between Apex Solutions, Inc. (Apex), a cannabis business, and Falls Lake National Insurance Company…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the People of the State of California filed a lawsuit against Holiday Liquor (owned by Abdul Jamal Sheriff and operated under Freetown Holdings Company) for public nuisance. The People claimed that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2014, plaintiffs Medallion Film LLC and Pelican Point Capital Partners entered into a consulting fee agreement with Clarius Capital Group, managed by William Sadleir. The agreement stipulated that Medallion Film and…

Justia Opinion Summary: A mother appealed from juvenile court orders denying her petition for modification under Welfare and Institutions Code section 388 and terminating her parental rights under Welfare and Institutions Code section 366.26.…

Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal originates from a dispute between Alameda Health System (AHS) and Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Association (ACERA), concerning the method employed by ACERA to calculate the annual contributions that…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case considered by the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District, Ropati Afatia Seumanu sought a certificate of appealability (COA) for nine claims in his habeas corpus petition. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1994, David D. McClelland pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in a California state prison. In 2019, he filed for resentencing under Penal Code section 1170.951, which provides…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between Dr. R. Michael Williams, a board-certified oncologist, and several defendants, including Doctors Medical Center of Modesto (DMCM) and various associated individuals. After a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the appeal case presented, the defendants, Brian Terrell Hill and Clifford Jenkins, sought resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6 for their convictions of first-degree murder and attempted murder. The defendants…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Elinton Gramajo, was a pizza delivery driver for Joe's Pizza on Sunset, Inc. and other defendants, and sued them for Labor Code violations regarding unpaid minimum and overtime wages. After several years…

Justia Opinion Summary: An online business, Interactive Life Forms, LLC, was sued by a customer, Brinan Weeks, who alleged that the company falsely advertised a product he purchased. In response, the company invoked an arbitration clause found…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case concerns Brooklyn Restaurants, Inc., a company that operates a local diner in California. The company filed a lawsuit against its insurer, Sentinel Insurance Company, Limited, after the insurer declined a claim…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves an appeal from a postjudgment order of the Superior Court of Orange County, with the defendant, Richard Curtis Morris, Jr., appealing from the trial court's denial of his petition for resentencing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the matter before the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division Three, the defendant, W.K., appealed the issuance of a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) protecting his wife,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the court dealt with the suspension and subsequent resignation of a licensed obstetrician and gynecologist, Plaintiff Dr. Vardui Asiryan, from the defendant Glendale Adventist Medical Center and its Medical…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Samantha Wood, sought to legally change her name to Candi Bimbo Doll, an identity she had pursued for over a decade. Despite no opposition to her request, the trial judge of the San Francisco County…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, F.K. (the Mother) filed a petition challenging the juvenile court's decision to terminate her reunification services and set a selection and implementation hearing regarding her daughter, A.R. The Mother…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) found that the Kern County Hospital Authority violated the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), a law that governs labor relations in the public sector. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs in this case, Steve Wozniak and 17 individuals who fell victim to a cryptocurrency scam, sued YouTube and Google. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants knowingly hosted, promoted, and profited from a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2018, Steven Laurent Montgomery Jr. was sentenced to 18 years in prison, including two one-year enhancements for prior prison sentences, after pleading no contest to several violent felonies. Later, under Senate Bill…

Justia Opinion Summary: Samantha Wood, a California resident, petitioned the state's superior court to legally change her name to Candi Bimbo Doll, an identity she had embraced for over a decade. The trial court denied her petition, citing a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Albert Jackson was alone in a parked car when two officers approached him. The officers boxed him in, shined flashlights on him, and questioned him, while observing that he was wearing a bulky jacket on a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Damien T. Davis and Johnetta H. Lane ("the plaintiffs") filed suit against Nissan North America, Inc. and Nissan of San Bernardino ("Nissan") after they allegedly bought a faulty Nissan vehicle with a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves an appeal from an order of the Superior Court of Madera County, California, denying Francisco Carrillo's motion to vacate his conviction and sentence under section 1473.7 of the Penal Code. The motion…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case from the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, the petitioner, Eddie Gomez, Jr., sought to challenge a Superior Court judge's denial of his request to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case centers around Laurie Smith, a former sheriff of Santa Clara County, who was investigated for bribery and other crimes related to the processing of concealed firearms licenses. Although she was not criminally…

Justia Opinion Summary: Samantha Wood, a resident of California, filed a petition to legally change her name to Candi Bimbo Doll, a name she had been using for over a decade. There was no opposition to her petition and no hearing was held.…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case revolves around the appeal of Timothy Marvin Santos, who was originally sentenced in 2007 under California's Three Strikes law and other enhancement provisions. The appeal concerns a resentencing order issued…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the 1992 murder case of Laurie Houts, John Kevin Woodward was charged but not convicted. The case went to trial twice, resulting in deadlocked juries and subsequent mistrials both times. After the second mistrial in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Jason Felix, was arrested in Utah for a traffic violation where a consensual search of his car led to the discovery of a handgun, ammunition, and over five kilograms of methamphetamine. While in Utah,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, considered a habeas corpus request by Ropati Afatia Seumanu, a capital case convict. Seumanu sought a certificate of appealability (COA) after his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Matthew Boermeester, a former University of Southern California (USC) football player, who was expelled from USC for engaging in intimate partner violence. Post-expulsion, Boermeester filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Fourth Appellate District Division One of the California Court of Appeal affirmed, with a minor modification, a lower court's decision that Ashford University, LLC and Zovio, Inc. violated California's unfair…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District Division One State of California, G.F. Galaxy Corporation (Galaxy) sought to enforce a default judgment against Phuoc Lee Johnson. After Johnson failed to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Applied Medical Distribution Corporation (Applied) suing its former employee, Stephen Jarrells, for misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of a contract governing Applied’s proprietary information,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the Temple of 1001 Buddhas and others, who own a property in Fremont, California. They appealed against the City of Fremont's decision to uphold nuisance orders relating to their property based on…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves an appeal by a student, Matthew Boermeester, who was expelled from the University of Southern California (USC) for intimate partner violence. Following his expulsion, Boermeester filed a petition for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved Jason Felix, who was arrested for a traffic violation in Utah where a consensual search of his car led to the discovery of a handgun, ammunition, and over five kilograms of methamphetamine. Felix…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case pertains to Jeremiah Paul, a parolee, who was convicted of possession of a firearm due to his prior violent conviction, after police officers discovered a firearm in his vehicle. The discovery occurred after…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around plaintiff Rynold Dwayne Jackson, who alleged malicious prosecution and unfair business practices after an altercation at a hotel lounge. Jackson was refused service on the basis of intoxication.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a father, J.L., who appealed against orders that declared his children, P.L and L.L, to be dependents of the juvenile court and placed them with their mother, H.T. J.L. also contested the condition of…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the multiple appeals of a juvenile, Miguel R., who was transferred to criminal court for alleged felonies including murder and second-degree robbery. A juvenile wardship petition alleged that Miguel…

Justia Opinion Summary: A California Court of Appeal has affirmed a lower court's judgment in a case involving a defendant convicted of rape by an intoxicating substance and kidnapping to commit rape. The defendant, Rodney Taurean Lewis, was…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, defendant Lee Farley allegedly shot and killed four men in a car in San Francisco. The prosecution claimed it was a drive-by shooting committed for the benefit of "Page Street," a supposed "criminal street gang"…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, VFLA Eventco, LLC (VFLA), a music festival organizer, sued Starry US Touring, Inc., Kali Uchis Touring, Inc., Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC (WME) over the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the dispute originated from a presidential election for the organization Yeong Wo Association, a private cultural and charitable association. The plaintiff, Hee Shen Cemetery and Benevolent Association, is…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a father, Rene S., who appealed against the jurisdictional and dispositional orders which removed his daughter, F.V., from his custody. F.V. had traveled to the United States from Honduras with…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case is an appeal from the Superior Court of Placer County, California. The appellant, J.S., challenges the denial of his motion to dismiss his juvenile wardship petition and seal all related records under…

Justia Opinion Summary: Safety-Kleen of California, Inc. appealed against the denial of its petitions for a writ of mandate, which sought to compel the Department of Toxic Substances Control (the Department) to set aside final inspection…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Dr. Gopal Balakrishnan, a former tenured professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), who was dismissed and denied emeritus status following an investigation into allegations of sexual…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the State of California, a defendant, Kevin Lunsted, sought a writ of mandate to compel the trial court to grant his motion to quash a subpoena from the prosecution. The prosecution subpoenaed Lunsted's case file…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the appeal of an order to transfer a juvenile, Miguel R., from the juvenile court system to the criminal court system in California. Miguel was originally charged with murder and other offenses when he…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) and TRC Operating Company, an oil operator. CalGEM, tasked with overseeing the state's drilling operations, enacted new regulations requiring…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case, a group of students from the University of San Francisco (USF) sued the university for breach of contract, alleging that the university did not deliver on its promise to provide in-person instruction and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the California Board of Psychology revoked the license of Dr. Robert Geffner after it found that he had violated the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, affirmed the decision of the lower court, which had denied Jesse James Hollywood's petition for resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involved Rhonda Persiani, a defendant charged with multiple counts of driving under the influence (DUI) in California. Due to doubts about Persiani's mental competence, the criminal proceedings were suspended,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves an appeal from a postconviction order for restitution in the amount of $6,700. The defendant, Joshua Jereco Pittman, was ordered to pay this amount for jewelry stolen from the home of victims Michael…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division Two, a woman, T.B., was found to be gravely disabled and was appointed a conservator under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff Jacob Ayers purchased a new Jeep Grand Cherokee manufactured by the defendant, FCA US, LLC (FCA). After experiencing numerous problems with the vehicle, he asked FCA to repurchase it, but FCA…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Magnus Sundholm, a former member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), who sued the HFPA for breach of contract and other claims after his expulsion from the organization. The HFPA moved to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Dana Hohenshelt, filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Golden State Foods Corp., alleging retaliation under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, failure to prevent retaliation, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over the taxation of cell phones sold in California as part of a "bundled transaction," in which a consumer purchases the phone at a reduced price from a wireless service provider in exchange…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1995, Armondo Lopez was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder for his role in an incident where his co-defendant, intending to kill a rival, accidentally shot and killed an unintended victim. Lopez had…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves an appeal from the defendant, Royce Lanele Robinson, who was convicted of domestic violence with great bodily injury and spousal battery. The charges were based on three separate incidents involving…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District Division One State of California decided on a matter concerning an automobile insurance policy. The plaintiffs, Silvia Escarcega and Alberto Molinar, who are…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District Division One State of California, the defendant, Devin Gaillard, appealed from a lower court decision denying his petition for resentencing on a 2014…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case of Maryann Jones v. Solgen Construction, LLC and GoodLeap, LLC, the Court of Appeal of the State of California Fifth Appellate District affirmed the trial court's decision not to compel arbitration. The case…

Justia Opinion Summary: The California Fifth Appellate District Court examined a case where the defendant, Brandon Michael Patterson, petitioned for resentencing under Penal Code section 1172.6. Patterson was initially convicted for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, the defendant, Daniel Oliver Mares, had appealed from an order that denied his petition to vacate his voluntary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The California Court of Appeal held that evidence from a TruNarc laser narcotics identification test was improperly admitted at trial because the prosecution failed to establish its reliability under the Kelly rule. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case presented, Wesley McDowell Jr. was convicted of human trafficking of a minor and other offenses, leading to a sentence of 23 years to life in prison. McDowell appealed this sentence, arguing that the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the City of Lancaster, California, and the companies Netflix, Inc. and Hulu, LLC. The City claimed that Netflix and Hulu were required under the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff, Ali Shalghoun, was the administrator of a residential facility, Hargis Home, where a client of the North Los Angeles County Regional Center, Inc. (the Regional Center), a man identified as…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute between plaintiffs Jason Riddick, Elizabeth Riddick, and Renee Sperling, and the City of Malibu in the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District, the court affirmed the lower…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early 1980s, Arturo Franco, the defendant, committed two sexual offenses against his minor stepdaughter. After serving his sentence and completing his probation, Franco complied with the requirement to register as…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the State of California, a criminal defendant diagnosed with a mental disorder can be placed on mental health diversion under Penal Code section 1001.36. The provision allows such defendants to receive treatment for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Norwalk sued the City of Cerritos, alleging that Cerritos' ordinance limiting commercial and heavy truck traffic to certain major arteries caused extra truck traffic to be diverted through Norwalk,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Jennifer Garcia, who was charged with multiple counts, including making threats to a public officer, disobeying a court order, possessing a weapon in a courthouse, attempted murder, and assault with a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case decided by the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Sixth Appellate District, the defendant, Ronald Gordon Ferenz, had pleaded no contest to charges of rape of an unconscious person, forcible rape,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division One, reversed and remanded a case involving a defendant, George Thomas Rouston, Jr., convicted of premeditated attempted murder,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, SanJuana Andrade, filed a lawsuit against the Western Riverside Council of Governments (Council) on the basis that she had been fraudulently enrolled in a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. She…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Los Angeles County District Attorney appealed an order denying the prosecution’s attempt to reinstate charges accusing two defendants, Woodrow Kim and Jonathan Miramontes, of filing false peace officer…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, defendant Charles Yeager-Reiman, a veteran, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor grand theft in connection with fraudulent activities related to veterans' benefits from the United States Department of Veterans…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, a father, Robert D., appealed a final custody order following a divorce, arguing that the court abused its discretion by refusing to grant a continuance after his attorney withdrew from the case the day…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, a father, Robert D., appealed a final custody order claiming that the court had abused its discretion by not granting a continuance after his attorney withdrew from the case on the day before the trial.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division One, addressed an appeal from Hilltop Group, Inc., and ADJ Holdings, LLC (Hilltop Group), regarding a dispute with the County of San Diego (County),…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Kevin Eugene Cartwright, was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, robbery, burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and being a prohibited person owning or…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Jeremiah Paul, who was convicted of possession of a firearm with a prior violent conviction. Paul had pleaded no contest following the denial of his motion to suppress evidence of a firearm by the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant, Tommy Bonds, who was stopped by Officer Ryan Cameron of the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) leading to his arrest for a misdemeanor concealed firearm violation. Bonds claimed he was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One, State of California reviewed a case involving a mother (E.V.) who argued that the juvenile court lacked the authority to issue a temporary restraining order…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the state of California, a group known as the Real Parties circulated an initiative petition to repeal a special tax within Service Zone Five of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. The District…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Ty Whitehead, participated in a training ride for the AIDS LifeCycle fundraiser in March 2017. During the ride, Whitehead hit a pothole on a road maintained by the defendant, the City of Oakland, causing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Gardena Hospital in California appealed a decision regarding its reporting of patient days for the purpose of calculating Medi-Cal reimbursement. The controversy centered around whether "bed hold" days —…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a plaintiff, Joni Fraser, who was attacked by two pit bulls owned by a tenant, Hebe Crocker, who rented a single-family residence from landlords Ali Farvid and Lilyana Amezcua. Fraser sued both Crocker…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Kelly Vaughn Kimble, who was sentenced to 25 years to life under the former Three Strikes law, plus an additional year for a prior prison term enhancement, sought resentencing under Senate…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case pertains to the enforcement of the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (the Act), a voter-enacted statute that expanded and amended the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. The California Privacy…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the issue at hand revolves around the California Racial Justice Act (CRJA). The petitioner, Michael Earl Mosby III, was charged with the drive-by shooting of Darryl King-Divens, along with a gun enhancement…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, BioCorRx, Inc., a publicly traded company engaged in providing addiction treatment services and related medication, was involved in a dispute with VDM Biochemicals, Inc., a company specializing in chemical…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Nathan Jackson, a detention officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, who was suspended for 10 days due to several misconduct charges. These charges included reporting late for duty, reporting…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns the dissolution of a marriage between Diana and Andreas Lietz. The primary point of contention was the valuation of the family home. Diana presented an appraisal report valuing the home at $1.1…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case, Mojave Pistachios, LLC (Mojave) and other petitioners sought to challenge a replenishment fee on groundwater extractions imposed by the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (the Authority) in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Symons Emergency Specialties (Symons), a provider of ambulance services, and the City of Riverside. The City regulates ambulance services within its limits under the Riverside Municipal Code (RMC),…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal of the State of California Fourth Appellate District Division Three heard an appeal from Amanda Neeble-Diamond against a postjudgment order, awarding costs exceeding $180,000 to the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, affirmed a lower court's judgment that the relationship between the plaintiff, M.A., and the defendant, B.F., did not constitute…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case heard by the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District Division One State of California, the appellant, Esteban Jimenez, was convicted of evading an officer while driving recklessly and leaving the scene of an…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Dr. Gopal Balakrishnan, a former tenured professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), who was dismissed and denied emeritus status for sexually abusing a fellow academic at an…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division Four, the plaintiffs, thousands of individuals who suffered adverse effects from the use of a prescription drug, TDF,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between a group of plaintiffs (Jason and Elizabeth Riddick, and Renee Sperling) and the City of Malibu, the Malibu City Council, and the Malibu Planning Department (collectively referred to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute between two cities, Norwalk and Cerritos, both located in California. In 1974, Cerritos enacted an ordinance restricting commercial and heavy truck traffic to certain major arteries…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division Two, the appellant, Debra Abney, challenged the decision of the State Department of Health Care Services and the City…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this juvenile wardship proceeding in California, defendant M.B. admitted to attempting murder and related enhancement allegations. M.B. was committed to a secure youth treatment facility (SYTF) for a four-year…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, Division Two, the court analyzed a second appeal involving a defendant, Yacob Dain, who was found guilty of home invasion…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Epochal Enterprises, Inc., also known as Divine Orchids, entered into a commercial lease agreement with LF Encinitas Properties, LLC and Leichtag Foundation. The lease included a limitation of liability…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early hours of New Year's Day in 1987, O'Neal Underwood and an accomplice mugged a pedestrian in Richmond, California. During the mugging, Underwood's accomplice stabbed the victim, who subsequently died from his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In February 2022, Gracia Bovis, an elder woman, signed documents transferring the title of her house to her daughter, Marina Casey. According to Bovis, Casey had misled her into signing the documents to protect her from…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2003, Anh The Duong was sentenced to death by a jury, after being found guilty of multiple murders. In 2015, Duong filed a habeas corpus appeal, and in 2020, his conviction and sentence were upheld by the California…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Three, the mother (B.S.) appealed the court's decision to exercise jurisdiction over her child (R.M.) under the Welfare…

Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant C.B., the biological father of minor A.K., appealed from the January 2023 order of the juvenile court terminating his parental rights. The appellant argued that the juvenile court and the Calaveras County…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case arises from an appeal by a minor, K.B., from the juvenile court's order denying his request to dismiss a juvenile justice petition and seal records pertaining to his commission of several criminal offenses, for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Adrian Lamont Brooks, who was found guilty of inflicting corporal injury on his domestic partner, R.J., and committing assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. On appeal, Brooks argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case heard before the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Five, Omar Kader, the plaintiff, sued his employer, Southern California Medical Center, Inc., and other defendants…

Justia Opinion Summary: Charles Ramsey, a subscriber to Comcast Cable Communications, LLC’s Xfinity services, filed a lawsuit against Comcast for violations of California’s consumer protection statutes. He alleged that Comcast engaged in…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a person identified as Tony R., who was committed to the Reaching Into Successful Endeavors (RISE) program for a term of 11 years or until he reached the age of 25, with a baseline term of four years.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Two, the plaintiff, Ali Shalghoun, appealed a judgment from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in favor of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A sex offender, who was convicted in the 1980s and had lived a law-abiding life for 37 subsequent years, petitioned the trial court to be removed from California’s registry of sex offenders. The People opposed the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case from the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Two, defendant Carlos Chavez was indicted with violent felonies and a gang enhancement. However, after the indictment,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal of the State of California Third Appellate District considered whether the planning and implementation of amendments to long-term contracts with local government agencies that receive…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case in question involved a dispute between Epochal Enterprises, Inc., doing business as Divine Orchids, and LF Encinitas Properties, LLC and Leichtag Foundation, over a commercial lease agreement for a property…

Justia Opinion Summary: In San Diego, California, Kevin Eugene Cartwright was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, robbery, burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and owning or possessing ammunition as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Michael Earl Mosby III, an African-American man charged with multiple murders, including a drive-by shooting, by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office in California. The District Attorney…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, a man named Clifford James Smyth, who was categorized as a tier two sex offender, sought to be removed from the California sex offender registry. However, at the time of his petition, he was living and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between Onecimo Sierra Suarez, an employee, and his employer, Rudolph & Sletten, Inc. (R&S), concerning the payment of arbitration fees. Suarez had initially sued his employer for alleged wage…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this appeal, the defendant, Francisco Gonzalez, was challenging the court's decision that his previous conviction constituted a "strike" under the "Three Strikes" law, following amendments to the law by Assembly Bill…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, James McCray, appealed from a 2022 order that recommitted him for another one-year term under a statutory scheme governing violent offenders with mental health disorders. McCray argued that…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2020, Loring De Martini agreed to sell a commercial property to Puja Gupta. A dispute arose and the parties entered arbitration. Subsequently, Gupta filed a petition to confirm the arbitration award and recorded a lis…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Vincent Medrano, appealed an order denying his second Penal Code section 1172.6 petition for resentencing. Medrano had been convicted in 1991 of two counts of first degree murder, two counts…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case involving the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and others (appellants) against the City of Los Angeles and others (respondents), the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fourth Appellate District,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over the use of electronic information evidence in a murder trial. The defendant, Christian Steve Campos, was charged with premeditated murder and convicted of second-degree murder. He argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute between K&S Staffing Solutions, Inc. (K&S) and The Western Surety Company (Western) and VSS International, Inc. (VSSI), the Court of Appeal of the State of California Third Appellate District upheld the…

Justia Opinion Summary: A dispute arose between The Pep Boys — Manny, Moe & Jack and The Pep Boys Manny Moe & Jack of California LLC (collectively, Pep Boys) and their insurers, Old Republic Insurance Company (Old Republic); Executive Risk…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case concerning subsidized low-income housing, the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Seven, ruled that tenants in such housing developments have standing to sue a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Court of Appeals of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Six, ruled in favor of the Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association (VCERA) in a dispute over the calculation of retirement…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Darlene Renee Fouse, who was convicted in 2006 for several crimes, including attempted murder of a peace officer, appealed a resentencing order under Penal Code section 1172.6. Fouse was originally…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this personal injury case from the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, the plaintiff, Mark Olson, sued the defendant, Patrick Saville, for injuries sustained while both were surfing…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case pertains to an appeal by the City of Los Angeles and real parties in interest, TTLC Los Angeles – El Sereno, LLC and The True Life Companies, LLC against a petition filed by Delia Guerrero and Coyotl +…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a domestic violence dispute that led to dueling restraining orders, the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Seven, affirmed the trial court's decision to award attorney's fees to Peter…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over an arbitration agreement between an employee and her employer. The employee, Aljarice Hasty, was employed by the American Automobile Association of Northern California, Nevada & Utah…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California Fourth Appellate District Division Two, the plaintiff, a minor identified as J.R., filed a putative class action against Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District reviewed a decision by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to adopt a new net energy metering (NEM) tariff. The PUC was required by…

Justia Opinion Summary: In early 2022, a three-year-old child, L.C., was taken from his mother, D.C., after she was arrested for transporting fentanyl pills with L.C. in the car. After the juvenile court removed L.C. from his mother's care,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the juvenile dependency case involving P.H., Jr., the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Five affirmed the jurisdiction and disposition orders of the Superior Court of Los…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Alexander Alberto Frias, was convicted of stalking. Frias appealed the decision, arguing that the trial court violated his Sixth Amendment right to counsel of his choice by denying his four…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Kathryn Tornai, filed a lawsuit against her insurance company, CSAA Insurance Exchange, alleging breach of contract and bad faith for not paying her underinsured motorist claim. In response, CSAA filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, John GM Roe, a childhood sexual assault victim, filed an action against three "Doe" defendants, including his former Boy Scout leader. The Superior Court of Fresno County dismissed his complaint with…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a pharmaceutical manufacturer, Gilead Life Sciences, Inc., and its development and sale of a drug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), to treat HIV/AIDS. The approximately 24,000 plaintiffs allege…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns a defendant, Jeanette Sarmiento, who requested mental health diversion after being charged with attempted robbery. Sarmiento suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the California School Employees Association (CSEA) filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board (Board or PERB) alleging that the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) violated Government…

Justia Opinion Summary: In an appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Kern County, five minors, aged between one and fourteen years, challenged the juvenile court's decision to order reunification services for their parents, identified…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early morning hours of August 1, 2018, Gwendolyn Adams and Glenn Tyler Bolden were pursued in a high-speed chase by Michael William Becker, a peace officer employed by the California Department of Corrections and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Court of Appeal of the State of California First Appellate District Division Three, the defendant, Menique Lashon, was convicted of one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over an easement across a property, Lot 4, in Sausalito, California. The property was part of a larger estate that once belonged to Alan Patterson. Patterson had sold a neighboring property,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, a defendant, Gary Marcus Hall, convicted of two counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 years, challenged his sentence on several grounds. He argued that the court (and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this class action case, Nicole DeMarinis and Kelly Patire, current and former employees of Heritage Bank of Commerce, brought a case under the California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) against Heritage…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, consumers brought tort claims against a mattress retailer and manufacturer, alleging injuries suffered while sleeping on a defective mattress. The plaintiffs settled with the retailer and later dismissed…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, Maria Ruiz Perez and minor children of the deceased, Hector Evangelista and Giselle Evangelista, filed a lawsuit against the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) after a tragic accident resulted in the deaths…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case from the Court of Appeal of the State of California, First Appellate District, Division Five, the defendant, who was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances and an enhancement for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case of Planning and Conservation League et al., v. Department of Water Resources heard in the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, the court considered whether the Department of Water Resources’…

Justia Opinion Summary: In California, plaintiff Jasmine Moten appealed the trial court’s decision to grant an anti-SLAPP motion filed by defendant, Transworld Systems Inc. (Transworld). Moten had taken out a student loan which she later…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this California case, Gary Garner, the plaintiff, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against BNSF Railway Company, alleging that his father's exposure to toxic levels of diesel exhaust during his four-decade employment…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Donald Carmody (appellant) and the estate of his deceased nephew, Robert Allen Flores. Initially, Donald was informed by an heir-hunting firm, American Research Bureau, Inc. (ARB), that he was an heir…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Court of Appeal of the State of California Third Appellate District was asked to determine two key issues. The first issue pertained to whether K&S Staffing Solutions, Inc., a staffing company, could be…