California Court of Appeal holds that a railcar repairman doing stationary maintenance work in a Wilmington rail yard is not a ‘transportation worker’ exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act, so his class action waiver is enforceable.
Second District holds that vacatur of a murder conviction under Penal Code section 1172.6 does not establish an “erroneous conviction” entitling the former defendant to compensation under section 4900, because Senate Bill 1437’s narrowing of murder liability was a legislative act of lenity, not a determination that prior convictions were wrong.
Second District reverses judgment on the pleadings in Proposition 65 enforcement action against Kroger and other grocery companies, holding that providing outside counsel contact information in the 60-day notice substantially complies with California Code of Regulations title 27, section 25903.
Second District affirms summary judgment for medical group under the going and coming rule in case where employee struck a bicyclist while turning into a parking lot during her morning commute, holding that the employee’s permission to work from home on certain days did not convert her home into a second worksite for purposes of the day in question.
Second District reverses summary judgment for malicious prosecution defendant, holding that an English-language declaration purportedly reflecting the words of a witness who could not read or speak English is not competent evidence without attestation from a qualified interpreter or translator.
Second District affirms denial of Blue Origin’s motion to compel arbitration of former employee’s FEHA sexual harassment and other claims, holding that the arbitration agreement is both substantively and procedurally unconscionable due to lack of mutuality and one-sided carve-outs, and that severance is not appropriate.
Second District holds that Penal Code section 3051 youth offender parole hearings are constitutional as applied to forcible sex offenders sentenced under section 667.6’s full consecutive sentence scheme, finding that section 3051 did not improperly amend Proposition 83 (Jessica’s Law).
Second District reverses denial of motion to compel arbitration in nursing facility wage and hour class action, holding that three arbitration-related onboarding documents must be construed together and form an enforceable agreement despite minor ambiguities and the typical procedural unconscionability of an adhesion contract.
Second District rejects facial Second Amendment challenges to California’s prohibitions on assault weapons, short-barreled shotguns, silencers, and large-capacity magazines, holding that these regulations survive scrutiny under Heller, Bruen, and the common use test.
Second District reverses denial of class certification in 28-day shuffle case under Civil Code section 1940.1, holding that whether a hotel qualifies as a residential hotel turns on building-wide use patterns rather than individualized proof of each class member’s primary residence.