May 18, 2026
Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Eight
The Rule of In re K.L. is that DCFS satisfies its ICWA initial inquiry duty when it contacts parents and reasonably available extended family members, even if some extended family members remain unreachable despite good faith efforts, under circumstances where the agency attempted contact, obtained disconnected phone numbers, and family members declined to provide contact information without the missing person's consent.
5/21/26
Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two
The Rule of People v. Tyus is that at a Penal Code section 1172.6 evidentiary hearing, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a petitioner is guilty of murder under current law—it is not the petitioner's burden to prove an alternate murder theory existed, under circumstances where the petitioner has established a prima facie case for relief and was not the actual killer.