Read on for important information about electronic records, panel victories, upcoming trainings, and employment opportunities.
Receiving Electronic Transcripts from FDAP
Almost all transcripts are now electronic and the counties are sending them to FDAP for distribution to panel attorneys. Because we have not received any funding to develop a stand-alone secure file-sharing program, FDAP staff members distribute the transcripts through either gmail or Google Drive. This is because our email system is hosted by Google.
If the file size of the transcripts is small enough, they will come to you attached to an email. For bigger files, they are stored on the FDAP Google Drive in a folder with your name. That folder will be static, and transcripts from different cases will be transmitted to you in that single folder.
Accessing Your Transcript Folder. If you already have a Google account attached to the email FDAP has for you, you will be able to access the contents of your transcripts folder by simply clicking on the link we provide to you by email. If you do not already have a Goggle account, you need to create one. This does not mean you need to use gmail. Anyone can create a Google account using an existing email address that is not a gmail address.
We understand that some individuals do not want to create Google accounts. In an ideal world, FDAP would have the budget to create a platform where we can host file-sharing with panel attorneys within our own network. But we don’t have the funding for that and we don’t have the staffing where we can—on a case-by-case or attorney-by-attorney basis—provide workarounds for attorneys who don’t want a Google account.
Using Your Transcript Folder. Transcripts will only be temporarily stored in your Google Drive transcript folder. Upon receipt of the notification that a transcript has been shared with you in Google Drive, download it to your own computer/network forthwith. We will be deleting them from Google Drive after three (3) months.
Court of Appeal Division Clerk Communication
To communicate with the Court of Appeal division clerks, attorneys should email the clerks using the general division clerk email address. These addresses are listed on the First District’s website and are: 1DC-Div1-Clerks@jud.ca.
Upcoming Trainings
CADC Annual Conference and Seminar
May 16-17, 2025
Registration is now open for CADC’s Annual Conference and Seminar, which will be held in San Diego at the Liberty Station Conference Center. The two-day conference will be filled with informative and inspiring presentations, including the Project Directors Roundtable, a report from CADC’s lobbyist, and criminal and dependency break-out sessions, providing a total of up to 8.5 hours of MCLE credit. For more information and to register, please visit CADC’s website.
SDAP’s Annual Appellate Seminar
May 30, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Registration is open for SDAP’s annual seminar, to be held on Zoom. Presentations include Racial Bias in Jury Selection, SDAP Panel Wins, and Racial Justice Act on Appeal: Recognizing and Challenging Implicit Bias. Justice Daniel H. Bromberg, the Sixth District’s newest justice, will also speak. The seminar will provide up to 4.0 hours of MCLE credit, including 2.0 hours in implicit bias. A complete schedule is available on SDAP’s website.
Panel Victories
Below are a few noteworthy First District victories from this past month. There were other victories that could not be included. Please visit the FDAP website for a complete list of panel victories.
A171585 – [Unpublished Opinion | Rudolph Kraft] The Court of Appeal reversed an order reestablishing conservatorship under the Lanter-Peteris-Short (LPS) Act, concluding that the evidence was insufficient to show appellant was gravely disabled at that time (rather than at risk for grave disability if released). The Court of Appeal found that appellant’s condition was stabilized with medication, he showed no current symptoms of psychosis, he understood his mental health needs, he expressed a willingness to take medications, and he had a plan for gaining shelter as well as continuing treatment if released.
A169574 – [Unpublished Opinion | Matthew Alger] The Court of Appeal struck the great bodily injury enhancement attached to appellant’s manslaughter conviction under PC 12022.7(a). The enhancement was unauthorized because this section does not apply to murder or manslaughter.
A170649 – [Unpublished Opinion | William J. Capriola] In this appeal following a resentencing, the Court of Appeal remanded and directed the trial court to recalculate and award appellant all (1) actual and conduct credits earned prior to the original sentencing and (2) actual credits for the days served between the original sentencing and the resentencing. Calculating and awarding conduct credits earned after the original sentencing is the responsibility of the CDCR.
Employment Opportunities
The Sixth District Appellate Program (SDAP) is hiring a staff attorney.
The Office of the State Public Defender is hiring a Racial Justice Act (RJA) Specialist Attorney.