Plain-language analysis of court decisions, statutes, constitutional issues, and current legal developments.
Category: Law Updates
Rule 702 and Forensic Toxicology Expert Testimony
A scientific issue-spotting framework for qualifications, sufficient facts, reliable methods, reliable application, and helpful forensic toxicology testimony.
In-Custody Deaths, Toxicology, and the End of Excited Delirium in California
California bars excited delirium as a diagnosis and civil evidence. Learn what AB 360 means for in-custody death toxicology and section 1983 causation.
Vehicle Code Section 21221: What Actually Applies to a Motorized Scooter Rider
California Vehicle Code section 21221 applies driver rules to scooter riders, while section 21221.5 creates a separate $250 under-the-influence offense.
An E-Bike Is Not a Motor Vehicle: Beale v. DMV Bars Refusal Suspensions
Beale v. DMV held that California cannot suspend a driver’s license for chemical-test refusal arising from an electric-bicycle ride. Analysis of the ruling, controlling statutes, limits, and defense strategy.
L.A. County District Attorney Ethics: Commentary and Sources
I have practiced in the Los Angeles County legal community for more than 23 years. During that time, I have appeared opposite hundreds of deputy district attorneys and, despite vigorous disagreements in court, I have never publicly criticized or complained about a prosecutor. That changed with this…
Federal Immigration Enforcement and the Supremacy Clause
The Ninth Circuit paused California’s “No Vigilantes Act,” ruling the state likely cannot force non-uniformed federal agents to display identification. Here is what the order does, and what it leaves undecided.
Research-Funding Litigation and the Trump Administration
In Thakur v. Trump , the Ninth Circuit split the difference for University of California researchers: viewpoint-based cancellations stay vulnerable, while routine terminations may sit beyond a federal court’s reach.
People v. Houston: When a Phone Call Is Not Enough
People v. Houston, the interrogation room, and the distance between a phone call and a car ride.
California Bail Conditions: What Courts Require
In re Kowalczyk and the end of wealth-based pretrial detention.
Stop-and-Identify Laws: When Must You Identify Yourself?
Your obligation — or lack thereof — to identify yourself to law enforcement depends heavily on where you are and why you were stopped.
