The California Supreme Court held yesterday that the City of San José is not precluded by a so-called “pay-as-you-go” debt limitation enshrined in the state Constitution from financing unfunded liability in its employee retirement plans through the issuance of bonds without first seeking voter approval.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Debra R. Archuleta yesterday received a public admonishment from the judicial oversight body for engaging “in a pattern of discourteous, undignified, and impatient behavior,” with the commission highlighting that, in multiple instances, she “treated parents and children as if they were criminal defendants, instead of participants in dependency court.”

A woman who pled guilty to felony animal cruelty was improperly required, as a condition of probation, not to possess or have contact with pets for the rest of her life, Div. One of the First District Court of Appeal has held.

See this year's highlights of the judicial branch actions, initiatives, and achievements that helped to improve access to justice for the people of California.