The Supreme Court of California is set to conduct oral arguments in-person on December 4, 2024, at the Ronald Reagan State Office Building in Los Angeles. The session will begin at 9:00 a.m., with live streaming available for public access via the judicial branch website.
This session marks a continuation of the court's policy, as outlined in Administrative Order 2023-05-11, allowing counsel to choose between appearing in person or remotely via video. The public also has the option to attend these sessions physically.
The cases scheduled for hearing include:
1. Ranger (Brian) v. Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (S282264): This civil action case examines whether a maritime worker under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act can pursue workplace injury claims under general maritime law or if they are limited to California’s workers' compensation scheme.
2. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation v. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (Michael Ayala, Respondent) (S282013): The case questions whether enhanced workers' compensation benefits for employer misconduct should be calculated based on temporary disability payments as per Labor Code section 4553.
3. People v. Patton (Ramon) (S279670): In this criminal matter, the issue is whether the trial court improperly engaged in judicial factfinding by using preliminary hearing transcripts to deny a Penal Code section 1172.6 petition at the prima facie stage.
Additionally, an automatic appeal from a judgment of death will be heard in People v. McGhee (Timothy J.) (S169750).