Tomorrow morning, the Supreme Court will file its opinions in People v. Mumin and People v. Schuller. (Briefs here and here; oral argument videos here and here.)
Schuller will be the last of two opinions for cases argued on the regular June calendar in San Diego. The Mumin opinion will leave one undecided case — Raines v. U.S. Healthworks Medical Group — from the six-case late-May calendar, an opinion in which should file Monday. There’s also still one opinion outstanding for the nine cases argued in early-May — because of post-argument briefing, the opinion in People v. Martinez isn’t due until August 28. Finally, two opinions from the special late-June session — including one in the high-profile, long-pending voting rights case, Pico Neighborhood Association v. City of Santa Monica — should issue by September 25.
In Mumin, the court granted review in November 2021 and limited the issues to: “Did the trial court err by providing a kill zone instruction? Did the Court of Appeal apply the proper standard of review under People v. Canizales (2019) 7 Cal.5th 591 [see here] in holding the trial court did not err in providing the kill zone instruction?” Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero is recused (she authored the Court of Appeal published opinion under review); Third District Justice Ronald Robie is sitting pro tem in her place.
Schuller is expected to answer these questions: (1) Was the trial court’s error in refusing to instruct the jury on voluntary manslaughter based on imperfect self-defense harmless? (2) What standard of prejudice applies to such an error? The court granted review in January 2022.
The opinions can be viewed tomorrow starting at 10:00 a.m.
