On Monday morning, the Supreme Court will file its opinion in People v. Deen. (Briefs here; oral argument video here.)
Deen is an automatic direct appeal from an October 2000 judgment of death. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero is recused, so there are two pro tem justices on this case, one replacing the Chief Justice and one filling the vacancy created by Justice Jenkins’s October retirement. The pro tems are Fourth District, Division One, Court of Appeal Justice David Rubin and Second District, Division One, Justice Gregory Weingart.
This will be the first opinion in the two cases argued on the January calendar. A decision in the other case — the death penalty appeal in People v. Bertsch and Hronis — will be delayed, possibly until April 30, because of supplemental briefing.
There are 12 other argued but undecided cases in the pipeline.
Opinions in the five cases on the February calendar should file by May 4.
Four death penalty appeals were argued last year, but their opinions are delayed by post-argument briefing (see here and here) and also by unusual rearguments held last month (see here) — People v. Bankston, argued in early May, People v. Chhuon and Pan, argued in late May, People v. Barrera, argued in June, and People v. Demolle, argued in October, now might not file until June 1. Three other cases that were also argued last month should also file by June 1.
The Deen opinion can be viewed Monday starting at 10:00 a.m. However, I will be unavailable to provide a summary of it until later in the week.
