People v. McCallum (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 30, 2020, No. B301267) 2020 WL 5810212, at *1 Resentencing under Penal Code 1170(d)(1) Penal Code section 1170, subdivision (d)(1) authorizes the trial court to modify a defendant’s sentence upon a recommendation from the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Department),…
Articles Posted in New Criminal Case Law
A conviction set aside pursuant to section 1210.1, subdivision (e)(1), still exists for some purposes and the arrest cannot be sealed
People v. D.C. (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 16, 2020, No. F078629) 2020 WL 5542090, at *1–5 Summary: D.C. petitioned to seal his arrest record under Penal Code section 851.91 after pleading no contest to possession of a controlled substance and successfully completing treatment and probation pursuant to section 1210.1.the trial…
The Right to Counsel Under Section 1170.95 Attaches Upon the Filing of a Facially Sufficient Petition
People v. Cooper (Cal. Ct. App., Sept. 1, 2020, No. A156880) 2020 WL 5175210 Summary: Cooper was convicted by no contest plea of one count of second degree murder and filed petition for resentencing, alleging he pleaded no contest because he had faced possibility of conviction of first or second…
Murder conviction reversed because trail court excluded significant evidence of the victim’s violent character
People v. DelRio (Cal. Ct. App., Aug. 31, 2020, No. B298637) 2020 WL 5104917 Facts: DelRio and his cousin Raul Prieto had a gunfight in front of a house on a cul-de-sac. Prieto shot his nine-millimeter pistol 15 times but missed every time. DelRio fired his .40-caliber pistol twice and…
California Supreme Court states financial circumstances must be considered in setting bail (Humphrey)
The State Supreme Court posted an order on the docket of In re Humphrey (2018) 19 Cal.App.5th 1006, pending as # S247278, making Part III of the Court of Appeal decision in the case legal precedent. That part of the appellate opinion holds that due process requires consideration of the…
Odor and unsealed bag of marijuana in car provide probable cause to search the passenger’s purse.
People v. McGee, 2020 WL 4783643 (Cal.App. 3 Dist.); filed 7/28/20; published 8/18/20 Facts and Procedural Background On July 28, 2018, Stockton Police Officers initiated a traffic stop of McGee’s car after noticing its registration had expired. The officers noted the scent of unburned marijuana. McGee denied having any marijuana…
Remand to strike enhancements can void plea bargain
People v. Stamps, 2020 WL 3525176 (California Supreme Court; S255843: June 25, 2020) Summary: Stamps agreed to a plea bargain that included a prior serious felony enhancement (Pen. Code, § 667, subd. (a)). While his appeal was pending, a new law went into effect that gave the trial court authority…
Supreme Court reverses conviction: DA impermissibly vouched for officer’s veracity
People v. Rodriguez, 2020 WL 2563833 (Cal.) (Cal., 2020) Supreme Court of California; S251706; May 21,2020 Summary: The California Supreme Court held that a prosecutor impermissibly vouched for witness credibility by telling the jury in closing argument that two testifying officers would not lie because each would not put his…
San Francisco conviction overturned: Warrantless detention is not supported by collective knowledge of police.
Summary: Defendant was convicted in the Superior Court, San Francisco County, of domestic battery, and he appealed from denial of his motion to suppress evidence. The Superior Court, Appellate Division, held the State could not rely on “collective knowledge” doctrine to justify the defendant’s warrantless detention. The trial court failure…
Murder conviction must be reversed where jury relied on impermissible theory to convict
People v. Wear (Cal. Ct. App., Feb. 4, 2020, No. A152732) 2020 WL 549310 FACTS: Defendant James Wear and his friend, Brandon Lowell, arranged to meet an acquaintance, Ryan Rossknecht. Wear intended to buy or steal a gun from Rossknecht and possibly to supply him with heroin. During the meeting,…