9th Circuit Opinions Chart & More

Yesterday's Recorder has a fascinating article At Ninth Circuit, Moderates Do The Talking accompanied by a revealing chart ranking Ninth Circuit judges by majority opinions and providing related data. Do not miss this!

Yesterday's DJ featured an article by appellate specialist Robert Cooper titled Decision Obfuscates Statutory Writ Petition Filing Deadline, about writs under the California Public Records Act and MinCal Consumer Law Group v. Carlsbad Police Department (2013) 214 Cal.App.4th 259. This piece concludes: "Although Mincal involved a writ petition under the California Public Records Act, its potential implications reach far beyond that context by creating confusion for those seeking to challenge other rulings where no right to appeal exists (i.e., where a statutory writ is the exclusive method of obtaining appellate review). Unless the Supreme Court grants review, the Mincal decision will blur the jurisdictional lines where bright lines are absolutely critical."

Today's DJ has an article by appellate specialist David Wilson that begins: "Never before has the state Legislature chosen a standard of appellate review. Choosing the standard of review on appeal from a trial court decision has been the province of courts throughout the history of the common law. Assembly Bill 715, sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, would break with that history by establishing that evidentiary decisions made at summary judgment would be subject to de novo review on appeal."