(Subscription required) The justices cited tightened proof standards for gang allegations. The unanimous ruling marks the third time in 10 days the high court has invoked the statute to undo gang-related sentences.

The California Supreme Court has approved a revised application form for use by attorneys seeking appointment by the court to represent indigent defendants in capital appeals, as well as a new, shorter application form for use by attorneys who seek an additional appointment.

(Subscription required) After 12 years presiding over felony trials in Compton, Judge Sean D. Coen now oversees long preliminary hearings in downtown Los Angeles -- often sharing lunch, cases, and courtroom philosophy with his father, fellow Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen.

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