Supreme Court of California - January 2009 Opinion Summaries

Meyer v. Sprint Spectrum L.P.

Class Actions, Communications Law, Consumer Protection Law, Contracts, Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
A plaintiff has no standing to sue under the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) without some allegation that he or she has been damaged by...

People v. Bennett

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Sentencing
In an automatic appeal in a death penalty case, the conviction and death sentence are affirmed over claims of error regarding: 1) a failure to record...

Schatz v. Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory LLP

Attorney's Fees, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Dispute Resolution & Arbitration, Ethics & Professional Responsibility
The mandatory fee arbitration act (MFAA), Bus. and Prof. Code section 6200 et seq., does not limit the ability of attorneys and clients to enter into...

In re Jose C.

Criminal Law & Procedure
Welfare and Institutions Code section 602, which purports to give state courts jurisdiction to declare any juvenile who "violates any law ... of the...

In re Corrine W.

Family Law, Government Benefits, Government Law, Insurance Law, Juvenile Law
A county bureau of children and family services is not compelled by Welfare and Institutions Code section 11460 to pay for automobile liability...

Musaelian v. Adams

Attorney's Fees, Bankruptcy Law, Civil Procedure, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Judgement Enforcement, Property Law & Real Estate, Sanctions
Code of Civil Procedure section 128.7, which authorizes trial courts to impose sanctions to check abuses in the filing of pleadings, petitions,...

Prospect Med. Group, Inc. v. Northridge Emergency Med. Group

Consumer Protection Law, Contracts, Health Law, Insurance Law
In a case involving the propriety of emergency room doctors' practice of "balance billing" of patients who are members of HMOs (but whose HMO's did...

Episcopal Church Cases

Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Corporation & Enterprise Law, Property Law & Real Estate, Tax-exempt Organizations
In a property dispute arising after a parish disaffiliated itself from the Episcopal Church after the national church ordained an openly gay man as a...

People v. Doolin

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Sentencing
Attorney conflict claims under the California constitution are to be analyzed under the same standard as that articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in...

People v. Galland

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence
A sealed search warrant affidavit, like search warrant affidavits generally, should ordinarily be part of the court record that is maintained at the...