NewsLinks is a collection of recent news items relating primarily to the California judicial branch. NewsLinks does not verify or endorse the accuracy or fairness of the news items, and the views expressed in opinions, editorials, and commentaries are those of the writers only. Some news articles linked from this page may require a subscription or be behind a paywall.

NewsLinks

  • C.A. Says Broad Statistics About Gun Filings May Be Enough to Trigger RJA Discovery

    Metropolitan News-Enterprise
    July 2, 2026

    Div. Five of the First District Court of Appeal has held that a defendant who filed a motion alleging racial bias after he was convicted of attempted robbery with a firearm based on statistics from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, purportedly showing that Black defendants faced gun allegations in Alameda County more often than White suspects, may be entitled to discovery of eight years of data from the local prosecutorial office.

  • Novel Privacy Ruling Could Narrow Scope of 'Wiretapping' Statute

    The Recorder
    July 1, 2026

    (Subscription required) In a decision that might have the potential to shape future privacy litigation brought under state wiretapping statutes, a California federal judge granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment in a privacy case against pizza chain Papa John's International Inc. and a call-center services company, Cognizant Technology Solutions U.S. Corp.

  • Judge Blocks Postal Service From Imposing Restrictions on Mail-In Ballots

    New York Times
    July 1, 2026

    A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday blocked the United States Postal Service from carrying out changes to its delivery of mail-in ballots, writing that recent policies directed by President Trump ran afoul of legal terms the agency accepted more than four years ago to ensure timely delivery of mail ballots.

    Related: Reuters

  • Column | The declaration of (judicial) independence

    Daily Journal
    July 2, 2026

    (Subscription required) A look at how judicial independence has enabled courts to protect -- and, at times, fail to protect -- constitutional equality, from Yick Wo and Brown to Korematsu and Dred Scott.

  • Judicial Profile: Orange County Judge Bryan Clavecilla

    Daily Journal
    July 2, 2026

    (Subscription required) The son of Filipino immigrants and a former gang member, Judge Bryan F. Clavecilla says his background gives him a unique perspective on prosecutorial discretion, bail decisions and helping people who feel marginalized.

  • Judge denies bid to invalidate FAIR Plan cost-recovery guidance

    Daily Journal
    July 2, 2026

    (Subscription required) Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Tiana J. Murillo rejected a petition filed by Consumer Watchdog last year, leaving intact two bulletins Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued before and after the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires. The FAIR Plan, created in 1968, is California's insurer of last resort, providing property insurance to homeowners and businesses that cannot obtain coverage in the private insurance market, often because their homes are in wildfire-prone areas.

  • Federal Conviction Blocks State Charges Over Pelosi Attack

    Metropolitan News-Enterprise
    July 1, 2026

    A divided Div. Two of the First District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a trial judge rightly dismissed attempted murder and other counts in the pending state criminal case over the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi in his home based on double jeopardy principles following his conviction of federal assault charges, saying that courts are to look at the conduct at the heart of the crime rather than the elements at stake in determining whether the bar attaches.

  • Chief Justice Calls Jury Service a Cornerstone of the American Judicial System

    California Courts Newsroom
    July 1, 2026

    A new video from California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by recognizing jurors for their integral role in our justice system.