March 25, 2026
Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District
The Rule of People v. Chang is that imperfect self-defense is unavailable when a defendant's belief in the need for self-defense is based entirely on delusion without any objective correlate that could plausibly relate to a reasonable need for self-defense, under circumstances where the defendant shoots at peace officers based solely on delusional beliefs about CIA persecution without any objective threatening conduct by the officers.
March 5, 2026
Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division One
The Rule of People v. Superior Court (Taylor) is that mental health diversion may not be granted when no evidence supports that the defendant will comply with treatment in the community, even where experts opine the defendant would not pose an unreasonable risk to public safety if treated, under circumstances where the defendant has a documented history of abandoning treatment facilities and refusing prescribed medication.