Free case law in California

Law Is Free.

The Metropolitan News-Enterprise: "All appellate opinions published in California since it became a state in 1850 are now available online without charge at the state courts' website, the state Supreme Court announced yesterday."

[via Bag and Baggage]

California court officials were apparently savvy enough to include a requirement that Lexis-Nexis, as a condition to obtaining the contract for the official California reports (April 2003 press release), also provide that: "The public will have free access to the official text of the opinions at a Web site hosted by LexisNexis linked to the court's Web site." As others have noted, there's a lengthy disclaimer, but California's effort is also great progress toward making the law freely available to those who cannot afford subscriptions to legal research services. Other states in the process of re-negotiating contracts with vendors providing official reports should take note.

  4:40:18 PM  [Permanent Link]     

Court issues opinion in video lottery challenge

The Court released its opinion this morning in three closely-watched cases involving challenges to state-operated video lottery and issuance of revenue bonds to fund economic development projects throughout the state. In a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Maynard, the Court resolved the issues in favor of the constitutionality of video lottery and the financing mechanism for issuance of the bonds. As the Court stated:

Once again, let us be perfectly clear. As a result of this decision, there exists no constitutional, statutory, or other legal impediment to the immediate issuance and sale of the subject revenue bonds.

The Court denied other challenges to the process for issuance of the economic development grants at issue. Chief Justice Starcher filed a separate opinion, concurring and lamenting. Justice Albright reserved the right to file a concurring opinion.

  11:42:05 AM  [Permanent Link]