(Subscription required) Forum selection clauses cannot be invalidated solely because they require parties to litigate in a court that doesn't ensure a right to jury trials as California does, the state Supreme Court held Monday.

The Supreme Court today upholds a death sentence in People v. Choyce for three rapes and murders committed between 1988 and 1997. A defense psychiatrist testified the defendant suffered from the mental disorder of sexual sadism because of abuse he experienced during childhood.

(Subscription required) Court proceedings face significant delays in transcript delivery, and in the most troubling cases, no records are produced at all. When proceedings go unrecorded, litigants lose their ability to appeal adverse decisions; attorneys cannot develop effective legal strategies based on accurate records; and the transparency that underpins public confidence in our courts disappears entirely.

David Slayton, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, has received the Warren E. Burger Award for Excellence in Court Administration. Presented by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), the award honors individuals whose service has significantly contributed to improving the administration of state courts through professional expertise, leadership, integrity, creativity, innovation, and sound judgment.