The Supreme Court today announced a six-case April calendar. The arguments will be live streamed, as all arguments have been since May 2016. Opinions in the cases should file by July 3.

The court continues on a pace for a low number of opinions. At this rate, there will be only 49 or 50 opinions this term, about the same as last term’s historically low output. (Related: “What’s ailing the California Supreme Court? Its productivity has plummeted”.)

On Tuesday, April 4, in San Francisco, the court will hear the following cases (with the issue presented as summarized by court staff or limited by the court itself):

Leon v. County of Riverside: Is immunity under Government Code section 821.6 limited to actions for malicious prosecution? (See Sullivan v. County of Los Angeles (1974) 12 Cal.3d 710.) This one was continued from the March calendar. (See here.) The court granted review in August 2021.

People v. Prudholme: The court granted-and-held the case in November 2021, but a month later it un-held the case and directed the parties to brief, “Does Assembly Bill No. 1950 (Stats. 2020, ch. 328) apply retroactively under In re Estrada (1965) 63 Cal.2d 740?  If so, does the remand procedure of People v. Stamps (2020) 9 Cal.5th 685 apply [see here]?”  (Link added.)

People v. Reyes: Soon after the court granted review in October 2021, it limited the issues to — “1. Does substantial evidence support the conclusion that petitioner acted with implied malice? 2. Does substantial evidence support the conclusion that petitioner’s actions constituted murder or aided and abetted murder?”

[March 30 update: The court yesterday told the parties to “be prepared to discuss whether the trial court correctly understood the requirements of implied malice murder under either a direct perpetrator or an aiding and abetting theory and whether, if the trial court did not correctly understand these requirements, any such misunderstanding was prejudicial.”]

Law Finance Group, LLC v. Key: Does equitable tolling apply to the 100-day deadline in Code of Civil Procedure section 1288.2 to serve and file a request to vacate an arbitration award in response to a petition to confirm the award? The court granted review in November 2021.

People v. Catarino: When the court granted review in January 2022, it limited the issue to — “Does Penal Code section 667.6, subdivision (d), which requires that a ‘full, separate, and consecutive term’ must be imposed for certain offenses if the sentencing court finds that the crimes ‘involve[d] the same victim on separate occasions,’ comply with the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?”

People v. Lewis: Can a defendant be convicted of kidnapping to commit rape (Pen. Code, § 209, subd. (b)(1)) based on the use of deception, as an alternative to force or fear, to take and carry away an intoxicated adult victim?” The court granted review in February 2022.