The Judicial Council public affairs folks today published a review of the Supreme Court’s 2023-2024 term (i.e., from September 2023 through August 2024). The report’s theme is that, after a year of transition with a new Chief Justice and Associate justice (see here), the most recent completed term “reflected stability and focus on the work of the court.”
In addition to numbers (e.g., there were 58 opinions; 32 in civil cases, 21 in non-capital criminal cases, and 5 in death penalty appeals), the review noted other important events:
- Hearing some oral arguments in Los Angeles for the first time in four years. (See here.)
- “Strengthening State Bar Protections.” The court “approved measures to further guard against conflicts of interest involving members of the State Bar Board of Trustees and the State Bar Court” and the Chief Justice “approved an updated and amended conflict of interest code for the Board of Trustees.” (See here.)
- Former Justice Edward Panelli’s death. (See here and here.)
- “High-profile Cases”: Castellanos v. State of California (see here), Legislature v. Weber (see here), Another Planet Entertainment v. Vigilant Insurance Co. (see here), People v. Hardin (see here), In re Dezi C. (see here), and Make UC a Good Neighbor v. The Regents of the University of California (see here).
There will be an At The Lectern review in the near future. (Last term’s review, in two parts, is here and here.)