The Court of Appeal for this district has held that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge did not abuse his discretion in striking the answer of a defendant who, over a two-year period, failed to provide meaningful answers to Form Interrogatory 15.1 seeking identification of facts and witnesses supporting his position, with the justices declaring that, under the circumstances, lesser sanctions need not have been tried first.

The court found that the judge in the trial of Dwayne Robinson incorrectly overturned the defense’s objection to the prosecutor rejecting a Black juror without a legally valid reason under section 231.7 of the state’s Code of Civil Procedure, which prohibits the use of peremptory challenge against a juror because of their race, ethnicity, gender or other identities, according to the ruling filed June 12 by California’s First Appellate District.

(Subscription required) The state high court will consider whether Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had the authority under a judicially-approved warrant to seize 650,000 local ballots cast in California’s statewide vote on its Proposition 50 redistricting measure. Bianco intended to investigate voter fraud allegations — even after Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) ordered him to stop.

Voters across California will be deciding whether to retain a number of justices on the states’ Supreme Court and appellate benches on the November 3 ballot. Standing for election this fall are six out members of the higher courts, including recently confirmed gay Associate Justice Charles Adams on the 6th District Court of Appeal.