Get Pat Ford's daily online criminal case
Summaries of each holding in every published case.
Summaries online the day cases are published.
Summaries organized and grouped by user-friendly index
Years of holdings on a single topic available with a keystroke.
All summaries written by an experienced appellate lawyer.
All California and select U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
NEW! Summaries now linked to the full text of the case.
NEW! Sort for defense-favorable cases within each category.
One year subscription — just $225!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
The trial court erred by precluding testimony from the defendant regarding the interactions with police in a Thai refugee camp to explain why he may have falsely confessed.
read more
Search our database
Search Subject Index
Legislation/Statutes (101)
-- Preemption (104)
-- "Prop 47" - General
(105)
-- Theft/Shoplifting (105a)
-- Eligibility for Prop 47 Relief (105b)
-- Prop 47 Drug Cases
(105c)
Three Strikes, generally (110)
-- Constitutional Issues (112)
-- Out of State/Juvenile Priors (114)
-- Strike 2/Credit Limits (116)
-- Consecutive Sentences (118)
-- Striking Priors/Romero/Wobblers (120)
-- Three Strikes Reform Act (121)
Constitutional Issues, generally (130)
-- Due Process/Fair Trial (132)
-- Present Defense/Evidence - Compulsory Process (133)
-- Equal Protection (134)
-- Ex Post Facto (138)
Preliminary Crimes, generally (140)
-- Solicitation (142)
-- Conspiracy (144)
-- Aiding and Abetting/Accessories (for accomplice instruction, see 782) (146)
-- Natural and Prob. Consequences - Prettyman (147)
-- Attempt (148)
Violent Crimes, generally (160)
-- Assault with a Deadly Weapon (162)
-- Kidnapping/False Imprisonment (166)
-- Sex Offenses, generally (168)
-- One Strike Law (169)
-- Sufficiency of Evidence (Sex Offenses) (170)
-- Sex Offender Registration (171)
-- Jury Instructions (Sex Offenses) (172)
-- Robbery/Carjacking (174)
-- Murder, Manslaughter, generally (176)
-- Jury Instructions (Murder) (178)
-- Sufficiency of Evidence (Murder) (180)
-- Felony-Murder Rule (182)
Property Crimes, generally (190)
---- Burglary (192)
---- Checks, Credit Cards, Forgery (196)
-- Fraud (200)
---- Theft, Receiving (204)
---- Arson (208)
Crimes v. Public Peace and Welfare, generally (220)
-- Criminal Threats(formerly "terrorist")/Stalking (221)
-- Driving Under the Influence (222)
-- Dept. of Motor Vehicle Issues (223)
-- Elder/Child Abuse, Domestic Violence (224)
-- Gang Crime - PC 186.22(a) (for gang enhancement see 852) (225)
-- Firearms/Explosives/Weapons (226)
-- Felon in Possession -12021 (227)
-- Shooting at Building/Vehicle (228)
-- Pornography, Obscenity, Prostitution (230)
-- Drug Offenses (234)
-- Medical Marijuana/Compassionate Use Act (235)
-- Proposition 36 (236)
-- Diversion PC 1000 (237)
Crimes v. Governmental Authority, generally (250)
-- Resisting Arrest, Escape (252)
-- Contempt (256)
-- Perjury (260)
-- Bribery, Obstruction of Justice (264)
-- Tax Cases (268)
-- Civil Code Violations (B&P Code, etc.) (272)
Exclusionary Rule, generally (good faith exception) (310)
-- Standing, Expectation of Privacy (312)
-- Search by Private Citizen/Foreign Officers (316)
-- Fruits, Taint, Inevitable Discovery (320)
Probable Cause, generally (330)
-- Based on Informants/Citizens (332)
-- Based on Police Experience/Knowledge (336)
-- Based on Observations (340)
Arrest and Detention, generally (350)
-- What Constitutes Arrest, Stop and Frisk (Terry) (352)
-- Airport Detention (354)
-- Knock-Notice (356)
-- Reasonable Suspicion to Stop or Detain (358)
Search Warrants, generally (360)
-- Affidavit (for Probable Cause, see 330) (363)
-- False Statements, Omissions (Franks v. Delaware) (365)
-- Overbreadth/Staleness (368)
-- Description/Execution (374)
Warrantless Searches, generally (380)
-- What Constitutes/Plain View (384)
-- Exigent Circumstances, generally (388)
-- Cases Finding Exigency (392)
-- Cases Finding No Exigency (396)
-- Consent Searches (400)
-- Houses, Premises (402)
-- Persons, Containers or Incident to Arrest (404)
-- Vehicles (408)
-- Administrative Searches, generally (412)
-- Prisoners/ Prisons/Booking Search (416)
-- Probation/Parole (418)
-- Electronic Eavesdropping/Air Surveillance (424)
-- Computer/Cell Phone (425)
Interrogation and Confessions, generally (450)
-- What Constitutes "in-custody" (452)
-- Voluntariness of confession (454)
-- Miranda Advice, Invocation, Waiver (456)
-- Interrogation after Counsel is Obtained (Massiah) (460)
Identification, generally (470)
-- Line-up/Photospread/Field (474)
-- Eyewitness Identification (ID Expert) (478)
Pretrial Proceedings (500)
-- Grand Jury (510)
-- Information/Indictment/Complaint (512)
-- Plea Bargains/Breach/Withdrawal (514)
-- Competency/Voluntar./Advice (Boykin-Tahl) (516)
-- Advice on Immigration Consequences (517)
-- Stipulations (518)
Special Hearings (520)
-- Sexually Violent Predator (522)
-- Preliminary Hearing (524)
-- Juvenile Proceedings (528)
-- Proposition 21 (530)
-- Extradition/Detainers (532)
-- Mental Competency - PC 1368 (536)
-- Restoration of SanityPC 1026.5 (537)
-- Mentally Disordered Offender (538)
Bail (540)
Pretrial Evidentiary Motions (550)
-- Suppress Evidence, PC 1538.5, proc. issues (554)
-- Discovery, generally (558)
-- Pitchess motions (559)
-- Brady v. Maryland material (560)
-- Preservation of Evidence (Trombetta/Youngblood) (562)
-- Informants (566)
-- Continuance (570)
-- Venue/Pretrial Publicity/Public Trial (for vicinage see 637) (574)
-- Severance/Joinder (578)
Pretrial Motions to Dismiss (580)
-- Dismiss, proced. issues (P.C. 995) (582)
-- Double Jeopardy (584)
-- Speedy Trial/Delay in Filing Charges (588)
-- Discriminatory/Vindictive Prosecution (592)
-- Jurisdiction (594)
-- Statute of Limitations (596)
-- Extended Statute - PC 803(g) (597)
-- Collateral Estoppel/Res Judicata/Bar (598)
Trial, generally (600)
-- Trial Motions/Motion for New Trial (602)
-- Post-trial Relief (expungement, 1203.4, etc.) (605)
-- Trial Judge/generally (610)
-- CCP 170.6 Challenge (611)
-- Judicial Misconduct (612)
-- Interpreter/Reporter/Clerk/Bailiff (614)
-- Defendant (Presence at Trial) (616)
-- Shackles/Medication (617)
Defense Counsel, right to/change (Marsden) (618)
-- Effective Assistance, Legal Issues (620)
-- Cases Finding Ineffective Assistance (622)
-- Cases Rejecting Ineffective Assistance Claims (624)
-- Conflict of Interest (626)
-- Self-Representation (Faretta) (627)
Prosecutor, generally (628)
-- Prosecutorial Misconduct, generally (630)
-- Comment of Defendant's Failure to Testify (Griffin) (632)
-- Other Misconduct in Argument to Jury (634)
Jury, Right to/Waiver (for jury instruct. see 780) (635)
-- Apprendi/Blakely/Cunningham (636)
---- Vicinage (637)
---- Voir Dire, Composition/Challenges, etc. (638)
---- Group Bias (Batson/Wheeler) (639)
---- Juror Misconduct (640)
---- Discharge of Juror (Including Holdout) (641)
---- Release of Juror Information (642)
---- Verdict (643)
Privileges, generally (652)
-- Self-Incrimination (654)
-- Immunity (656)
-- Attorney-Client (660)
Witnesses, generally (663)
-- Character/Habit/Custom (668)
-- Direct and Cross-Examination (676)
-- Impeachment of Witnesses, generally (679)
-- Impeachment with Prior Convictions, generally (681)
-- What Constitutes "Moral Turpitude" (686)
Evidence, generally (690)
-- Similar Acts or Crimes, generally (EC 1108/1109) (691)
-- To Show Intent (692)
-- To Show Modus Operandi/Common Scheme (693)
-- Balancing Relevance vs. Prejudice (EC 352) (694)
-- Order/Presumptions/Burdens/Inferences (696)
-- Foundation/Authentication/Best (698)
-- Sufficiency of, in gen. (see also particular crimes) (700)
Particular Kinds of Evidence, generally (710)
-- Gang Evidence (Including Gang Expert) (711)
-- DNA (712)
-- Fingerprints/Body Fluids/Breath/Voice (714)
-- Tape Recordings, Charts (716)
-- Polygraph, Hypnosis/Sodium Pentothal (717)
-- Expert/Lay Opinion (718)
-- Kelly-Frye (719)
-- Hearsay, generally (including Confrontation) (720)
-- Crawford v. Washington (721)
-- Admissions/Declarations (722)
-- Business/Official Records (724)
-- Prior Testimony/Depositions (726)
-- Coconspirator (728)
-- Prior Consistent or Inconsistent Statements (730)
-- Judicial Notice (736)
Defenses, generally (Right to Present) (750)
-- Insanity/Diminished Capacity/Intoxication (751)
-- Third Party Culpability (753)
-- Duress/Coercion/Necessity (754)
-- Entrapment/Outrageous Government Conduct (756)
-- Mistake/Ignorance/Impossibility/Consent (758)
-- Self-Defense/Crime Prevention (760)
Jury Instructions, generally (780)
-- Lesser Included/Related Offense (781)
-- Cautionary/Curative/Limiting (782)
-- Consciousness of Guilt (Flight/Falsity, etc.) (785)
-- Unanimous Verdict/Reasonable Doubt (788)
Sentencing Hearing, generally (800)
-- Realignment Act of 2011 (801)
-- Information Relied On, Presentence Report (802)
-- Other Fines, Fees and Costs (803)
-- Restitution (804)
-- Direct Restitution (804a)
-- Restitution Fines (804b)
-- Juvenile Restitution (804c)
-- Custody, Conduct Credits, generally (805)
-- For Time in Youth Authority/State Hospital or CRC (806)
-- 15 % Limit - PC 2933.1 (807)
Probation, generally (808)
-- Conditions of Probation (810)
-- Revocation of Probation (811)
-- Parole (Inc. denial, "some evidence") (812)
Punishment, generally/Cruel and Unusual (816)
-- Wobblers (818)
-- Consecutive/Concurrent (822)
-- Consecutive Sentence for Sex Offenses (823)
-- Multiple Punishment for Single Act (PC 654) (824)
-- California Youth Authority/Department of Juvenile Justice (826)
-- MDSO, Rehabilitation Centers, Special Programs, State Hospital for Mentally Ill (828)
Determinate Sentence Law, generally (832)
-- Dual Use of Facts to Aggravate and Enhance (835)
-- Aggravating and Mitigating Factors, generally (836)
-- Statement of Reasons for Higher Term (838)
-- Premeditation/Callousness/Viciousness (841)
-- Improper Factors (843)
Enhancements, generally (845)
-- Prior Convictions (PC 667(a)) (848)
-- Prior Residential Burglary (849)
-- Court's Discretion to Strike Prior (850)
-- Violent Felony with Prior Pris. Term (PC 667.5) (851)
-- Gang Enhancement (PC 186.22(b)) (852)
-- On Bail (PC 12022.1) (854)
-- Weapon Use (incl. PC 12022.53) (856)
-- Great Bodily Injury (857)
-- Value of Property Taken/Drug Weight (858)
-- Life Sent./Without Parole-Special Circumstances (859)
Death Penalty, generally (860)
-- Special Circumstances - Felony Murder (862)
-- Other Special Circumstances Justifying (863)
-- Jury Selection in Death Penalty Cases (864)
-- Aggravating and Mitigating Factors (865)
-- Sympathy/Victim Impact (866)
-- Prosecutorial Misconduct in Death Penalty (867)
-- Jury Instructions (868)
-- Motion for Modification of Death Penalty (869)
Appeal, generally (870)
-- Certificate of Probable Cause (874)
-- Counsel/Record/Briefs (876)
-- Appeals by the Prosecution (880)
Limits of Review on Appeal, generally (890)
-- Forfeiture by Failure to Object (892)
-- Standard of Review (896)
-- Harmless Error (900)
Decision/Motions (920)
-- Stare Decisis/Law of the Case (922)
-- Mootness/Remand (924)
-- Retroactivity of Court Decisions (926)
Habeas Corpus (940)
-- Prisoner's Rights (948)
Writs of Mandamus, Prohibition (950)
Enter Search:
e.g. "thermal imaging" or
Try a Free Search!
Click here to subscribe
The trial court erred by precluding testimony from the defendant regarding the interactions with police in a Thai refugee camp to explain why he may have falsely confessed.
read more recent defense victories
