Dan Churney

Sep 26, 2023 | socalrecord.com | Dan Churney

An appeals panel has ruled a group of plaintiffs may continue their suit, which alleged Los Angeles school and union officials discriminated against minority students through remote-learning Covid-19 policies, saying that although schools are back in session, any academic damage to students remains. The recent decision was authored by Justice Brian Currey, with concurrence from Justices Audra Mori and Audrey Collins, of the California Second District Appellate Court.

Sep 18, 2023 | norcalrecord.com | Dan Churney

A divided appellate court has ruled the San Jose School District officials discriminated against a student religious group — officials disliked the group's views on homosexuality — saying the District's "animus" against religion was "shocking." However, a dissenting judge decried the appellate ruling as "flying in the face of judicial restraint." The recent decision was written by Circuit Judge Consuelo Callahan, with concurrence from Circuit Judge Danielle Forrest, of the U.S. Court of...

Sep 12, 2023 | socalrecord.com | Dan Churney

A federal appellate panel has told a judge to quickly reexamine her refusal to stop California from barring residents from openly carrying guns, saying the judge failed to consider the merits of a constitutional challenge to the ban. The Sept. 7 decision was penned by Circuit Judge Lawrence Van Dyke, with agreement from Circuit Judges Kenneth Lee and N. Randy Smith, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Sep 5, 2023 | socalrecord.com | Dan Churney

A reconstituted appellate panel now leaning to the right, has thrown out the panel's prior ruling that barred a Los Angeles police officer from invoking qualified immunity in a lawsuit alleging he unjustifiably killed a man resisting arrest, saying the officer was in reasonable fear for his partner's life. The Aug. 30 decision was authored by Judge Daniel Bress, with agreement from Judge Consuelo Callahan, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Morgan Christen dissented.

Aug 29, 2023 | socalrecord.com | Dan Churney

The California Supreme Court has ordered an appellate panel to reexamine its decision that an activist group failed to show Santa Monica's at-large voting system saps Latino voting power, saying the lower court did not undertake a "searching" evaluation of the issue. The Aug. 24 High Court ruling was authored by Associate Justice Kelli Evans, with concurrence from Associate Justices Goodwin Liu, Leondra Kruger, Carol Corrigan, Joshua Groban, Martin Jenkins and Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero.