Greg Hill & Associates

09/03/2026

On this Day in Legal History, September 3, 2005, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist passed away. He was colorfully described in “The Brethren” and was not shy of speaking to the press. While at Stanford Law School, he famously dated fellow-future Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. But what he should be remembered for, more than anything else, is his contributions to our country’s legal landscape.

Growing up in Shorewood, William Rehnquist once told his grade scho...

09/02/2026

On this Day in Criminal Law History: On September 2, 2025, the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, in Santa Ana (photo below), decided People v. Segura, clarifying the “nexus requirement” involved in a motion for military diversion under Penal Code § 1001.80. It held, “[t]o be eligible for military diversion when charged with a felony, the defendant has the burden to show a relationship(a nexus) between the qualifying [service-related mental health] condition (e.g., substance abuse) and the commission of the charged offense (the crime). However, when charged with a misdemeanor, the defendant has no burden to show such a relationship or nexus.”

09/01/2026

On this Day in Criminal Law History: Alan Dershowitz was born on September 1, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Yale Law School and was a professor at Harvard Law School, starting at age 28 (the youngest ever full professor) until his retirement in 2013 at age 75.

Perhaps best known as a legal scholar, he also served as criminal defense counsel for many celebrities, including O.J. Simpson, Mike Tyson, Leona Helmsley, Patty Hearst, Julian Assange and Jim Bakker.
He also was part of the defense team for then-President Donald Trump during his impeachment.

He is an author on constitutional and criminal law topics. I read The Best Defense and found it extremely good.

From O. J. Simpson and Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislain...

08/31/2026

On this Day in Southern California Criminal Law History: On August 31, 1985, notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez, known as the "Night Stalker," was captured and arrested by citizens in East Los Angeles, California.

He was one of the most vicious serial killers in American history: ...

08/30/2026

On this Day in Southern California Legal History Fifty-Four Years Ago: On August 30, 1972, a group of Mexicans calling themselves the “Brown Berets” went to Catalina Island and claimed Mexico owned it. It was regarded as a peaceful protest, based on a claim that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, giving California from Mexico to the United States, did not include the Channel Islands, which includes Catalina. The group, led by David Sanchez, camped on the island for three weeks, intending to develop the undeveloped land into housing for Chicanos. They eventually left the island on September 22 after facing a court order to vacate, and the event remains a significant symbol of Chicano activism.

Though we understand that a lot of controversy surrounds the "invas...

08/29/2026

On this Day in U.S. History: On August 29, 1957, the Senate gave final approval to a Civil Rights Act after South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond (then a Democrat) ended a filibuster that had lasted 24 hours. It was the first civil rights legislation passed by Congress since 1875. The bill was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 9, 1957.

Dive into the historic significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1957...

08/28/2026

On this Day in U.S. History: On August 28, 1963, some 200,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., an event that became a high point of the civil rights movement, especially remembered for the famous “I Have a Dream” speech of Martin Luther King, Jr.

I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American c...

08/27/2026

On this Day in U.S. History 18 Years Ago: On August 27, 2008, Barrack Obama became the first African American to be nominated by a major party to be President of the United States.

Check out some of President Obama’s most amusing moments throughout...

08/26/2026

On this Day in U.S. History, the 19th Amendment, ensuring a woman’s right to vote, became law. On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation certifying the Nineteenth Amendment into law after Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it. This date is now celebrated annually as Women's Equality Day.

Historian Matthew Pinsker Learn about the long arduous journey made...

08/25/2026

On this Day in California Criminal Law History: On August 25, 1983, the California Supreme Court (photo below) issued a ruling in an interesting case involving prosecutorial vindictiveness. The state’s highest court ruled that prosecutorial vindictiveness is presumed when charges are added after a defendant refuses to plead guilty after a mistrial. Twiggs v. Superior Court (1983) 34 Cal. 3d 360, 368.