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Articles Posted in New Criminal Case Law

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Veterans sentenced to indeterminate terms are not eligible for resentencing under section 1170.911

People v. Stewart (Cal. Ct. App., July 9, 2021, No. E074907) 2021 WL 2883176, at *1 Summary: Stewart was honorably discharged from the Army in 1976 and suffers from schizophrenia related to his military service. In 1986 and a1992, he was convicted of first degree burglary. In 2001, after being…

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Outstanding Warrant Exception to Exclusionary Rule Applied to Officer’s Illegal Detention of Defendant

People v. Kasrawi (Cal. Ct. App., June 16, 2021, No. D077139) 2021 WL 2451095 Summary: Kasrawi was stopped and ultimately arrested by a police officer who acted on no more than a hunch. The officer detained  Kasrawi after watching him  cross the street to his legally parked car. The officer…

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Trial court must give  notice and opportunity to be heard before recalling a sentence under 1170(d)

People v. Williams (Cal. Ct. App., June 17, 2021, No. E074162) 2021 WL 2472953, at *1–4  Summary: A trial court exercising its discretion pursuant to section 1170 of the Penal Code to recall a sentence and enter a reduced term must: (i) give the parties notice and an opportunity to…

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Sentencing a mentally disabled person to 63 years is not cruel and unusual punishment

People v. Brewer (Cal. Ct. App., June 7, 2021, No. C089676) 2021 WL 2309551  Summary:  Brewer  was convicted of second degree robbery, attempted second degree robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm, and sentenced to a determinate term of 63 years. Brewer appealed and contended that  his sentence, which…

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Case is not final if defendant is on probation with a suspended sentence

People v. Esquivel (Cal., June 17, 2021, No. S262551) 2021 WL 2461206, at *1–2 Summary: The California Supreme Court held that the judgment is not final in a  case where defendant is placed on probation with imposition of sentence suspended if the defendant may still timely obtain direct review of…

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What is excessive punishment under the constitution?

In re Palmer (2021) 10 Cal.5th 959 Summary: The California Supreme Court  held that prisoners may challenge their continued incarceration as constitutionally excessive when the Board repeatedly denies parole. The Court had granted review in the case of Palmer who in 1988, was 17 years old when he pleaded guilty…

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Warrantless search of cell phone seized from car left at a shooting upheld

 People v. Tousant (Cal. Ct. App., May 26, 2021, No. A156044) 2021 WL 2134389  Summary: Tousant challenged the denial of his motion to suppress evidence downloaded from his cellphone, seized after an allegedly illegal search of his car left at the scene of an Oakland shooting. Tousant claimed the trial…

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