March 17, 2026
Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Six
The Rule of People v. Jones is that a defendant confined in jail in one county cannot willfully fail to appear for sentencing in another county, and the prosecution must prove a willful failure to appear with admissible evidence including certified court records, under circumstances where a defendant enters a Cruz waiver plea agreement.
5/27/26
Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two
The Rule of The People v. Murray Rifat is that a petition to seal arrest records under Penal Code section 851.91 must be denied when there is a causal nexus between the arrest and a subsequent conviction, under circumstances where the defendant pleaded guilty to charges in a separate case filed as part of a plea agreement to dismiss the original charges and the conduct underlying both cases occurred during overlapping time periods.