The California Supreme Court has opened a new phase in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to commute every death sentence in the state to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, inviting legal briefs from interested parties and establishing a schedule for arguments over the governor’s constitutional authority to grant sweeping clemency.

A sextet of LGBTQ justices was among the members of the California judiciary who won their retention races on the November 3 ballot. Voters across the state maintained the two members of the California Supreme Court who were on this year’s ballot, as well as all of the appellate court members in their part of the Golden State.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has granted clemency to all of California's death row prisoners, converting their sentences to life without the possibility of parole. But his decision is being met with both praise and condemnation even among members of the same family.

Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a trial judge did not abuse her discretion in allowing the expert testimony of a forensic psychologist who admitted that she used ChatGPT as a “thought partner” in preparing a report opposing pretrial mental health diversion where the jurist found credible the witness’ attestation that she used the tool for organizational purposes.