The Supreme Court can transfer to itself a case pending in the Court of Appeal, but the power is mostly theoretical

Have you appealed from a superior court judgment or order and want to bypass the Court of Appeal and go straight to the Supreme Court? That’s possible. Possible, but not probable. In fact, quite improbable.

“On a party’s petition or its own motion, the Supreme Court may transfer to itself, for decision, a cause pending in a Court of Appeal.” (Rule 8.552(a).) The California Constitution authorizes that procedure. (Art. VI, section 12, subd. (a).)

But rule 8.552(c) says a transfer is warranted only when “the cause presents an issue of great public importance that the Supreme Court must promptly resolve.” That standard is rarely met. (See Professional Engineers in California Government v. Schwarzenegger (2010) 50 Cal.4th 989, 999–1000 [see here]; Brosnahan v. Brown (1982) 32 Cal.3d 236, 241.)

Transfer petitions are thus long shots. Relatively recently, the court turned down requests to transfer an employment classification case (Rogers v. Lyft, Inc.) and a Covid insurance appeal (The Inns by the Sea v. California Mutual Insurance Company). The former is still pending in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court denied review in the latter after a Court of Appeal decision (see here).