On Aug. 10, the court held that when an indigent litigant requests an official record and establishes an inability to pay for a private reporter, the trial court must provide one — and if a live stenographer is unavailable, an electronic recording is required.

(Subscription required) The 9th Circuit asked California's high court to decide whether USAA may charge enlisted servicemembers higher auto insurance rates than officers -- and whether consumers can recover damages when the rates were approved by the insurance commissioner.

(Subscription required) The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will let stand an order requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build housing for disabled and mentally ill veterans in Los Angeles. The panel agreed with a class of veterans that the VA violated Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act by denying them “meaningful access” to their healthcare. 

Unlike Biden, Newsom can’t act on his own: The California Supreme Court would have to approve commutations for people with multiple felony convictions (more than half of the relevant cases).