More California aftershocks

I noted here that every time I log on there is another batch of noteworthy decisions from the California intermediate appellate courts. Proving my point, I return from my Toledo trip to find People v. Mallory, 2004 WL 2110084 (Cal. App. 2 Dist. Sept. 23, 2004), and People v. Barnes, 2004 WL 2137361 (Cal. App. 6 Dist. Sept. 24, 2004).

Mallory, which is “nonpublished,” reaches this brief but consequential conclusion: “pursuant to Blakely, consideration of the fact that the victim suffered great bodily injury and the fact that appellant’s prior convictions were of increasing seriousness to enhance the sentence violates appellant’s Sixth Amendment rights, and as a result the sentence is invalid.”

In contrast, Barnes is a (partially) published ruling which provides an extended examination of Apprendi and Blakely and waiver issues. Barnes is also especially noteworthy for the clever (and I think proper) way it reaches its conclusion “that defendant’s sentence complied with Blakely as it was within the statutory maximum authorized by the jury’s verdict and facts admitted by defendant.” Though cross-case comparisons are not easy, the final analysis in Barnes seems similar to the analysis employed by US District Judge Connor in US v. Johns (discussed here).