Criminal
Jun. 2, 2026
Justices clarify and narrow path for Racial Justice Act claims
Four rulings clarify how courts should handle racial bias challenges, while drawing sharp dissents over harmless error and coded language.
Courts across California have been asking for years for guidance on how to implement the Racial Justice Act. On Monday, they got it -- a lot of it.
The California Supreme Court issued four opinions relating to cases going back over three decades. Taken together, the rulings both clarify and narrow the law that has forced courts to reevaluate thousands of past convictions.
Passed in 2020, the act bars convictions or sentencing based on race, ethnicity or national origin. A...
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