A recent article in the Los Angeles Times examines two recent dissents from orders denying review, both issued by Justice Goodwin Liu. Although, this type of dissent is often issued by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is relatively rare to have one issued by the California Supreme Court.
In October, Justice Liu “protested the court's vote against hearing a case in which a 10-year-old was deemed capable of waiving his right to remain silent.” The second dissent was written in late March 2016, and protested the court’s decision to not consider an appeal from two marijuana growers sentenced to life for a killing a jury found they did not personally commit.
The article considers the potential outcomes of these dissents, including acting as a petition to the high court to review the case, or as an invitation for defense lawyers to bring similar cases before the court.
Justice Liu is a member of the ALI Council, Chair of ALI's Projects Committee, and an Adviser on Restatement of the Law, Children and the Law.