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Articles Posted in New Criminal Case Law

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California Court of Appeal Rules Possession of Burglary Tools Includes Constructive Possession

People v. Bay, 2019 WL 4564854 (Cal.App. 1 Dist.), 1 (Cal.App. 1 Dist., 2019) The Stop and Search A Napa County Sheriff’s deputy was on patrol at 2:00 a.m. on September 9, 2017, when he noticed a Cadillac SUV parked illegally near a popular overlook. The deputy approached and saw…

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Parole Hearing Transcripts Are Not Part of Record of Conviction in SB 1437 Hearings

Felony Murder Rule Changed by SB 1437 Senate Bill No. 1437 revised the felony murder rule in California.  Under the felony murder rule, someone who aided and abetted an underlying felony was strictly liable for murder if a co-participant killed someone during the commission of the felony (People v. Cavitt…

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Aider and abettor found guilty of felony-murder special circumstance is not eligible for re-sentencing under SB 1437

People v. Gutierrez-Salazar, 38 Cal. App. 5th 411, 251 Cal. Rptr. 3d 178 (Ct. App. 2019), reh’g denied (Aug. 30, 2019) Defendant Dionicio Gutierrez-Salazar was by a jury of two murders for homicides committed in 2013 and 2015. As to the 2013 homicide, defendant was convicted of first degree murder…

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Hearsay Admissible to Deny Dismissal or Reduction of Marijuana Convictions under Proposition 6

People v. Hall, No. 2D CRIM. B292330, 2019 WL 4267761 (Cal. Ct. App. Sept. 10, 2019) Proposition 64 and reduction of marijuana convictions Proposition 64, an initiative measure known as “the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act,” amended section 11360 and added new sections 11361.8 and 11362.1.…

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Counsel Must Be Appointed on Immigration Motion to Vacate a Conviction

People v. Millan Rodriguez, 2019 WL 3852665 (Cal.App. 4 Dist.) Vacating a conviction because of inability to understand immigration consequences (Penal Code Section 1473.7) On January 1, 2017, Penal Code section 1473.7 went into effect. It allows a defendant to challenge a conviction based on a guilty plea where prejudicial…

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Correction of a sentencing error is not “resentencing” a defendant but merely “correcting an abstract of judgment”

(People v. Abdullah (Aug. 1, 2019, No. B290563) ___Cal.App.5th___ [2019 Cal. App. LEXIS 709].) In 2002, Warith Deen Abdullah was convicted of 13 counts of armed robbery and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and sentenced to 48 years four months in state prison. The sentence included firearm…

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US Supreme Court: Right to jury trial for parole violation that results in a mandatory minimum

United States v. Haymond (2019) ___U.S.___ [139 S.Ct. 2369], 2019 U.S. LEXIS 4398; No. 17-1672 Supreme Court of the United States,, Decided June 26, 2019.  Imposition of a new and higher mandatory prison term for a parole violation requires jury trial After serving a prison sentence of 38 months for…

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