california supreme court

our U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, wearing jackets labeled "POLICE" and "ERO" (Enforcement and Removal Operations), escort a handcuffed individual down a narrow hallway in what appears to be an office or apartment building. One officer carries a red folder as they proceed under fluorescent lighting.

Justice

California Democrats give in to GOP criticism on immigrant aid, tighten rules for defense fund

California Democrats set aside millions of dollars for immigrant legal services. They're tightening that aid in a way that would deny it to people convicted of felonies.

By

Cayla Mihalovich

and

Jeanne Kuang

• June 13, 2025

A foggy, empty street runs through a small rural town lined with wooden buildings and power lines. A pickup truck loaded with firewood is parked near a feed and hardware store with a faded sign. Trees with bare branches and forested hills are visible in the misty background.

Investigation

The Man Who Unsolved a Murder

If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee.

By

Anat Rubin

• June 5, 2025

A courtroom in San Diego on Oct. 8, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

Investigation

California is failing to provide a vital safeguard against wrongful convictions

If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee.

By

Anat Rubin

• June 5, 2025

Solar panels sit on rooftops at a housing development in Folsom on Feb. 12, 2020. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo

Economy

Were cuts in rooftop solar payments legal? California Supreme Court hears arguments

Environmental groups want to revive higher payments to panel owners. But the subsidies were unfair to non-solar ratepayers, regulators say.

By

Malena Carollo

• June 4, 2025

Attorney Jeffrey L. Fisher speaks at the California Supreme Court in San Francisco on May 21, 2024. Photo by Martin Novitski, Supreme Court of California

Justice

He didn’t pull the trigger. California Supreme Court sides with accomplice in felony murder case

A recent California law raises the standard for when prosecutors can charge accomplices to killings with felony murder. A case testing that law recently reached the state supreme court.

By

Nigel Duara

• June 4, 2025

A row of black leather chairs with metal armrests lines the jury box inside a modern courtroom. The room features wood-paneled walls, a neutral-toned carpet, and a simple, clean design. An "EXIT" sign glows red above a closed door in the background. The setting is quiet and unoccupied, with an orderly arrangement of seats waiting for jurors.

Justice

A program paying California jurors $100 a day would end abruptly due to Newsom’s new budget

California's experiment with increasing pay for jury duty would come to an early end under the new budget Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking lawmakers to approve.

By

Joe Garcia

• May 28, 2025

A wide view of two police officers standing near a police car in a street that is partially taped off with yellow police tape.

Justice

You’ll see a warning if you file a complaint against the LAPD. Does that chill free speech?

Californians who file complaints against police officers see a warning against making a false report. A dispute over the LAPD's form reached the California Supreme Court.

By

Nigel Duara

• May 22, 2025

A side-by-side split image showing two men in suits, each standing in front of a blurred background. On the left, a man with light hair and a red tie looks directly ahead with a serious expression. On the right, a man with darker, slicked-back hair and a navy blue tie looks slightly off to the side with a focused expression.

Justice

100 days in, California is suing Trump at almost double the pace of his first term

California sued the Trump administration 16 times in the first 100 days of the Republican president's second term. It's a "high volume" pace shaped by his many executive orders.

By

Nigel Duara

• April 30, 2025

A person in a suit sits at a wooden desk in an office, looking directly at the camera with one hand resting near their chin. The desk is cluttered with office supplies, personal photos, and decorations. Behind them, a framed artwork featuring a large red circle hangs on a wood-paneled wall, flanked by tall vertical windows.

Mental Health

Inside LA’s mental health court: Meth, homelessness and the judge who wants to help

Addiction and homelessness are a constant presence in L.A.'s mental health court. Its judge wants defendants to "feel like someone who's deep in the system of power cares about them.

By

Joe Garcia

• April 23, 2025

Black and white photograph of a roadside memorial of a cross, candle and flowers placed at the base of a stop sign in a rural intersection

Investigation

License to Kill

The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

By

Robert Lewis

• April 14, 2025