Div. One of the Fourth District Court of Appeal held yesterday that a trial judge erred in dismissing a murder prosecution based on a 27-year delay in bringing charges. One man—Steven Thomas—was successfully prosecuted in 1996 for the fatal stabbing two years earlier of Karl Senser during a robbery. But the San Diego District Attorney’s Office did not believe it had sufficient evidence to convict Leon Daniel McInnis who was believed to be Thomas’s accomplice.

(Subscription required) Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sumako McCallum says she draws on lessons from three generations of women in her family to guide her calm, child-centered approach on the dependency bench.

California is promoting a “kin-first” approach to adoption, which prioritizes placing children with relatives. At an October council meeting, an adoptive family shared personal stories illustrating how kin placements have led to more stable and nurturing environments.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge erred in ordering that the University of Southern California await the outcome of a lawsuit against it before resuming disciplinary proceedings against a student who allegedly engaged in disorderly conduct in his confrontations with another tenant in off-campus housing, including throwing a glass at him, Div. Five of the Court of Appeal for this district held yesterday.