Raised Your Settlement Demand Before Trial? A New California Ruling Says Your Last Offer Is the One That Counts
A September 15, 2026, California ruling says the last unrevoked 998 offer decides if an injury plaintiff can recover expert fees and prejudgment interest.
Asking for Mental Health Diversion in California? Two New Rulings Say Prosecutors Cannot Force You Into Their Own Mental Exam
California courts have ruled that prosecutors cannot force a mental exam on people who ask for mental health diversion. Learn what two 2026 rulings mean.
California Could Ban Child Marriage: What AB 1267 Would Change
California may soon make a major change to its marriage laws by prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 from getting married. Assembly Bill 1267 has passed the California Legislature and is now awaiting action from Governor Gavin Newsom. If signed, the bill would establish 18 as the minimum age to marry in California, without […]
Signed the Immigration Warning on Your Plea Form? California’s Highest Court Says You May Still Be Able to Vacate the Conviction
Many people who are not U.S. citizens pleaded guilty years ago after initialing an immigration warning on a plea form. In August 2026, the California Supreme Court made one thing clear. A signed form does not, by itself, prove that the person understood how the plea would affect their immigration status. The Ruling in Plain […]
Can a Judge Dismiss Your Restraining Order Request Because the Hearing Ran Out of Time? A New California Case Says No
A July 2026 California appeals ruling says a judge cannot dismiss a domestic violence restraining order request just because the hearing ran out of time.
Hurt by a City Bus, a Pothole, or at School? California Gives You Only Six Months to File a Claim
Injured by a city, county, or school district in California? You usually must file a government claim within six months. Here is how the deadline works.
California’s New AI Chatbot Laws: What Parents Need to Know About Protections for Children
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday life. Children and teenagers are using AI to answer homework questions, ask for advice, talk through personal problems, and sometimes simply have someone, or something, to talk to. California lawmakers are now confronting a difficult question: What happens when an AI chatbot stops functioning like a tool […]
Your Phone Was Near a Crime Scene. Does That Make You a Suspect?
Your phone connected to a cell tower near a crime scene—but does that make you a suspect? Not necessarily. In California, law enforcement generally cannot obtain broad cell phone location data without complying with strict warrant requirements under the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA). This article explains what a cell tower dump is, why these searches raise privacy concerns, and how an overly broad or unlawful warrant may affect the admissibility of evidence in a criminal case.
California Supreme Court Just Narrowed the Felony Murder Rule Again: What People v. Morris Means
On May 4, 2026, the California Supreme Court decided People v. Morris, S284751, and the ruling could change the future for thousands of people serving life sentences in California prisons under the old felony murder rule. If you have a loved one convicted of first degree murder as an aider and abettor, where they were […]
I do not like my public defender or appointed attorney
What must a California criminal defendant show to successfully obtain substitution of appointed counsel under a Marsden motion, and how should such a motion be presented to maximize the likelihood of relief. Short Answer A Marsden motion will be granted only where the defendant makes a specific, factual showing that appointed counsel is providing constitutionally […]