Verdict . News

•Georgia Supreme Court denied habeas petition from Alexandro Huitron, convicted of felony murder in his 3-year-old daughter's death

Georgia Supreme Court

Georgia Supreme Court Denies Habeas Petition in Child Death Case

The Georgia Supreme Court has denied a habeas corpus petition from Alexandro Huitron, who was convicted of felony murder and other crimes in connection with the 2010 death of his three-year-old daughter, Esmerelda Gomez. Huitron's appeal centered on claims that his appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance due to a conflict of interest.

•Huitron claimed his appellate counsel had a conflict of interest warranting a new appeal with different representation

•Contract formatting is generally irrelevant to substantive unconscionability analysis

California Supreme Court

California Supreme Court Clarifies Unconscionability Standards

The California Supreme Court ruled February 2, 2026, in Fuentes v. Empire Nissan, Inc., clarifying how courts should analyze illegible contract terms when determining unconscionability. The court held that a contract's format is generally irrelevant to substantive unconscionability analysis but requires close scrutiny of difficult-to-read contract terms.

•Courts must closely scrutinize terms in difficult-to-read contracts for unfairness

•Colorado Supreme Court granted certiorari to review Court of Appeals decision on less drastic alternatives in child dependency cases

Colorado Supreme Court Grants Cert on Child Welfare Standards

The Colorado Supreme Court has granted certiorari to review a Court of Appeals decision regarding when less drastic alternatives must be considered in child dependency cases. The case will examine whether such alternatives need to be "currently available" when determining child placement options.

•Case will examine whether alternatives must be 'currently available' when courts consider child placement options

•Colorado Supreme Court declares anti-SLAPP appeal provisions unconstitutional for violating appellate jurisdiction requirements

Colorado Supreme Court Strikes Down Anti-SLAPP Appeal Provision

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that portions of the state's anti-SLAPP statute violate the Colorado Constitution by allowing county court final judgments to bypass required appeal procedures. The court held that such appeals must go through district courts or the Supreme Court itself, not directly to the Court of Appeals.

•County court final judgments must be appealed through district courts or Supreme Court, not Court of Appeals

•Colorado Supreme Court rejected Black defendant's selective prosecution claim in felony murder case

Colorado Supreme Court Rejects Selective Prosecution Claim in Murder Case

The Colorado Supreme Court rejected a Black defendant's claim of selective prosecution in a felony murder case where only non-Black co-defendants received plea bargain offers. The court ruled that Demarea Deshawn Mitchell was not similarly situated to his co-defendants because he was the one who actually shot and killed the victim.

•Court ruled defendant was not similarly situated to co-defendants because he was the actual shooter

•Idaho Supreme Court agreed magistrate court made jurisdictional error but denied emergency mandamus petition

Idaho Supreme Court

Idaho Supreme Court Denies Emergency Petition in Child Custody Case

The Idaho Supreme Court denied an emergency petition for writ of mandamus filed by pro se litigant Veronica L. Baiz, who sought to compel a magistrate court to enforce a child custody modification judgment. While the Court agreed the magistrate court erred in its jurisdictional analysis, it ruled the matter should have been appealed to district court.

•Case involved enforcement dispute over child custody modification and Idaho Family Law Rule 816 compliance requirements

•Delaware Supreme Court dismissed Khalid's appeal for being filed three days past the December 5, 2025 deadline

Delaware Supreme Court

Delaware Supreme Court Dismisses Late Appeal in Khalid v. Musk Case

The Delaware Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by ATM Shafiqul Khalid against Elon Musk and X Corp entities after determining the notice was filed three days past the statutory deadline. The Court's February 2, 2026 order ends Khalid's legal challenge following a Court of Chancery dismissal.

•Khalid attempted to file electronically on time but encountered technical issues and filing procedure confusion

•Colorado Supreme Court exercised rare original proceeding jurisdiction in criminal case

Colorado Supreme Court Issues Order in Criminal Case Through Original Proceeding

The Supreme Court of Colorado issued an order on January 27, 2026, in the criminal case of People v. Issac Lawrence through an original proceeding. The case represents a rare instance where the state's highest court exercised direct jurisdiction rather than hearing the matter on appeal.

•Order issued January 27, 2026, in People v. Issac Lawrence case number 26SA25

•Colorado Supreme Court rejected selective prosecution claim by Black defendant in felony murder case

Colorado Supreme Court Rejects Selective Prosecution Claim in Murder Case

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that a Black defendant failed to prove selective prosecution in a felony murder case where his non-Black co-defendants received juvenile court plea offers while he did not. The court determined that Demarea Deshawn Mitchell was not similarly situated to his co-defendants because he was the one who directly confronted, shot, and killed the victim.

•Court ruled defendant was not similarly situated to co-defendants because he was the shooter