Message from the Chair

• Publication year: 2020

Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Winter Edition of the Criminal Law Journal. My law school bookstore sold a t-shirt that said: "I only read the Constitution for the Articles." I hope you feel the same way about this publication!

In this edition, Mendocino County Public Defender Jeffrey Aaron writes about the interplay between criminal law and immigration by looking at recent decisions interpreting Penal Code section 1473.7. This is a "Self-Study" article, meaning you can earn one hour of MCLE credit by reading the article and answering 20 questions about the subject matter online.

The next article keeps with the theme of immigration law, albeit from a different perspective. George Emmons won the Honorable Mention Prize in our Marshall M. Schulman Student Writing Competition for this piece exploring which state domestic violence offenses qualify for removal under federal immigration law. Emmons provides practical guidance on what will trigger or avoid immigration consequences in these cases.

Next, veterans advocate Duncan MacVicar draws our attention to recent amendments to Penal Code 1170.91 which allow veterans to seek resentencing if they suffer from certain service-related maladies. MacVicar makes a call for pro bono volunteers to represent eligible veterans, and those interested in participating should contact him directly.

Finally, Immediate Past Chair Albert Camacho and I presented a webinar last month on new laws enacted by the Legislature that will impact criminal practice. While I encourage everyone to go watch the webinar in the Section's online library, we have included a sneak peek at the "Top Five" new...