People charged with crimes in California must be granted bail in amounts they can afford unless they are accused of capital offenses, or face serious charges and pose a threat of violence if released, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday. Lawyers said the decision could affect thousands of cases.

When CARE Courts were introduced in California in 2022, they were touted as a way to help California’s most vulnerable. The system was designed to allow family members, first responders, and others to petition the courts on another person’s behalf, who may be homeless, severely mentally ill, or both, to compel them into a variety of treatments. As of July of 2025, just 2,421 petitions have been filed, with 45% of all petitions being dismissed. New legislation has been introduced to address some perceived gaps in care.

The California high court has ordered that former Executive Director of the State Bar Joseph Dunn, 67, be suspended from practicing law for one year, with execution stayed, and face an actual suspension for the first 30 days of his 365 day probationary period relating to charges that he intentionally misled the body’s Board of Trustees during his tenure by saying, in 2013, that no agency funds would be used to fund a then-upcoming trip to Mongolia.

A man scheduled to stand trial next week pleaded no contest to second-degree murder for a Placer County death from fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that has been sold by dealers on social media and other online platforms. James Scott Teahan Jr., 35, was convicted of murder in the death of Stephen Windham, who died from fentanyl on April 24, 2024.