FindLaw News

Case Summaries

Criminal Law & Procedure

[07/02] People v. Nguyen
Court of Appeals judgment is reversed where the absence of a constitutional or statutory right to jury trial under the juvenile law does not, under Apprendi, preclude the use of a prior juvenile adjudication of criminal misconduct to enhance the maximum sentence for a subsequent adult felony offense by the same person under California's Three Strikes law.

[07/02] People v. Farley
Conviction for first degree murder and other crimes and sentence to death is affirmed where: 1) the trial court did not err in denying defendant's motions for a change of venue and in its rulings on various challenges to the makeup of the jury; 2) the court did not err in denying several motions to suppress and in its evidentiary rulings, in various instructions it made to the jury, and in denying requested defense instructions; 3) the court did not err denying defendant access to data concerning his past employment and in prohibiting him from introducing evidence on that subject, and did not err in refusing to give proposed instructions on aggravating and mitigating circumstances; and 4) there is no merit to defendant's argument that the death penalty statute violates the United States Constitution.

[07/02] US v. Blake
Defendant's carjacking conviction is affirmed, where the District Court did not err in refusing to suppress his post-arrest statements, because no evidence suggested that the arresting officer's provision of a statement of charges was anything other than an action normally attendant to arrest and custody.

More...