Williams v. Taylor

Holding that counsel's performance was deficient when their investigation failed to uncover "extensive records" filled with mitigation evidence concerning the defendant's family history, education, mental health, and rehabilitation

Apprendi v. New Jersey

Holding that “[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt”

Blakely v. Washington

Holding that “[w]hen a judge inflicts punishment that the jury's verdict alone does not allow, the jury has not found all the facts ‘which the law makes essential to the punishment,’ and the judge exceeds his proper authority”

Jackson v. Virginia

Holding that courts conducting review of the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction should view the "evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution"

Estelle v. McGuire

Holding that a federal habeas court may not reexamine state court determinations of state law questions

Miranda v. Arizona

Holding that statements obtained by custodial interrogation of a criminal defendant without warning of constitutional rights are inadmissible under the Fifth Amendment

Cunningham v. California

Holding that the "jury-trial guarantee proscribes a sentencing scheme that allows a judge to impose a sentence above the statutory maximum based on a fact, other than a prior conviction, not found by the jury or admitted by the defendant"

Ring v. Arizona

Holding that “[i]f a State makes an increase in a defendant's authorized punishment contingent on the finding of a fact, that fact—no matter how the State labels it—must be found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt”

Roper v. Simmons

Holding "that the death penalty cannot be imposed upon juvenile offenders"

Chapman v. California

Holding that error is harmless only if "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt"

Rule 401 - Test for Relevant Evidence

Providing that evidence is relevant if " it has any tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without the evidence; and (b) the fact is of consequence in determining the action"

Section 12022.5 - Personal use of firearm in commission of felony or attempted felony

Providing for sentence enhancement

Section 189 - Murder of the first degree

Providing that malice may be express or implied – with implied malice being, e.g. , "when the circumstances attending the killing show an abandoned and malignant heart"

Section 190.2 - Penalty for defendant found guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstance

Prescribing penalty of death or LWOP for special circumstance murder

Section Amendment XIV - Rights Guaranteed: Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection

Prohibiting deprivations by “State”

Section 273.5 - Infliction of corporal injury resulting in traumatic injury upon person who is spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, or parent of child

Inflicting corporal injury on a person in certain specified relationships

Section 496 - Buying or receipt of stolen property

Relating to receipt of stolen property

Section 243 - Punishment

Defining "serious bodily injury"

Section 15

Affording “the right ... to compel attendance of witnesses in the defendant's behalf”

Section 210 - "Relevant evidence"

Defining relevant evidence

Rule 8.630 - Briefs by parties and amicus curiae