Legal Roundup: 'Snake Burglar' Admits to 54 Counts; Riverside's Evidence Practices Questioned

Judicial Council discusses court vacancies & funding, CA Supreme Court redefines "presence" in emotional distress cases, 'Snake Burglar' pleads guilty, and Riverside's evidence-sharing under scrutiny.

Legal Roundup: 'Snake Burglar' Admits to 54 Counts; Riverside's Evidence Practices Questioned
The historic Riverside County Courthouse. (Daniel Shaw/Gazette)


Here’s a round-up of recent legal stories affecting Riversiders from our friends at Follow Our Courts, who cover legal news in the Inland Empire:

  • At the Judicial Council’s July 21 meeting, discussions centered on court vacancies, funding allocations for San Bernardino and Riverside, the need for new courthouses, and the results of a statewide pretrial diversion program that showed decreased recidivism rates, concluding with accolades for the retiring Justice Marsha Slough (link).
  • The California Supreme Court has taken up a Riverside damages case that challenges the appellate ruling that a person doesn't need to be physically present at an accident scene to claim negligent infliction of emotional distress, suggesting that remote technology like phone calls can provide sufficient presence for a lawsuit (link).
  • Christopher Michael Paul Jackson, known as the "Snake Burglar," pleaded guilty to 54 burglary counts and was released with 12 years of GPS monitoring, a treatment program, and an obligation to pay $158,000 in restitution (link).
  • The Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal determined that Riverside resident Roger Parker, who was jailed for four years on murder charges, doesn't have a civil rights claim under the Brady rule but might have grounds under more recent case law, highlighting the implications of evidence-sharing practices in Riverside's legal system (link).
  • Starting August 1, California lawyers must report other attorneys’ misconduct (link).

Follow Our Courts reports on cases, legislation, and courthouse happenings in the Inland Empire. Learn more at followourcourts.com.

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