People v. McGhee & Jasso (Cal. Supreme Ct. - April 3, 2025)

It's a rare day when you simultaneously have joy and disappointment on death row in San Quentin. But today is one of those days.

Christopher Jasso gets his conviction and death sentence unanimously affirmed. Killing a taxi driver in cold blood for a robbery, and then consistently attacking other inmates before the penalty phase, is not the soundest strategy for obtaining your freedom.

By contrast, Timothy McGhee's conviction and death sentence are unanimously reversed. He allegedly killed -- or at least ordered the killing -- of a plethora of people. But the trial court dismissed a juror who, essentially, just didn't believe the prosecution's case. The juror didn't refuse to deliberate or anything. He just consistently and pervasively disbelieved the prosecution's witnesses. That's not enough to get you booted off a jury, hence the result.

So a split result, on balance, for that particular group of inmates up north.

Krug v. Board of Trustees of Cal. State Univs. (Cal. Ct. App. - April 1, 2025)

There are lots of reasons why it's better to be employed by a private university rather than a public one. Add this to the list. The Court of Appeal holds that Section 2802 of the Labor Code, which requires employers to reimburse employees for their reasonable on-the-job expenses, doesn't apply to state employees, including faculty at public universities.

There are other ways, of course, in which teaching at a public university is superior; in particular, in the protections afforded by the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause, which apply in public schools but substantially less so in private schools.

Still. Definitely not perfect to be on the faculty at a public university. Lots of downsides. 

(Admittedly: Still a great job, though.)

Winter v. Menlo (Cal. Ct. App. - April 2, 2025)

Yeah, sorry. It's a conflict. You're disqualified for that.

Justice Viramontes' opinion is 30 pages longer than that, and has more exhaustive detail, but honestly, it's to the same effect.