A lawsuit against Bay Area Rapid Transit by an officer who was fired after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 faced possible dismissal this spring because the officer’s lawyer had fallen ill and missed numerous deadlines. When the lawyer resurfaced, she filed arguments explaining her absence and why it shouldn’t be used against her client — but three of the four cases she cited as precedent, a federal magistrate found, were nonexistent.

On May 11-15, courts shined a spotlight on the citizens that help bolster our democracy by making the cherished right of trial by jury a reality.

The Sixth District Court of Appeal has issued a writ of mandate ordering the trial court to scrap its order suppressing the results of a blood test conducted on a drunk driver who caused a death, rejecting his contention that an officer’s application for a search warrant was tarnished by virtue of a material omission in not revealing that he had agreed to a breath test.

This year marked the 19th year that Mariposa Superior Court Presiding Judge Anita Starchman Bryant arranged the “When You Turn 18” program. A range of issues were addressed including driving under the influence, insurance, rental agreements, credit, working and taxes, crimes and consequences, dealing with domestic violence, civil laws and lawsuits, and finding legal help.