What is the test for retroactive application in a criminal case?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Saavedra, 234 Cal.Rptr.3d 544, 24 Cal.App.5th 605 (Cal. App. 2018):

The due process clause "bars retroactive application of a judicial construction of a criminal statute that is unexpected and indefensible by reference to the law expressed before the conduct in issue." ( People v. Crew (2003) 31 Cal.4th 822, 853, 3 Cal.Rptr.3d 733, 74 P.3d 820 ; see Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964) 378 U.S. 347, 352-355, 84 S.Ct. 1697, 12 L.Ed.2d 894.) "[R]etroactive application turns on whether the change effects 'an unforeseeable judicial enlargement of a criminal statute' [citation] and whether defendant had 'fair warning that ... contemplated conduct constitutes a crime.' [Citation.]" ( People v. Martinez (1999) 20 Cal.4th 225, 239, 83 Cal.Rptr.2d 533, 973 P.2d 512.)

Other Questions


Does the retroactive application of the Reproductive Rights Act retroactively apply to all cases that have been litigated to a final judgment? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for retroactive application in the context of a change in the criminal code to criminal code? (California, United States of America)
Is Section 702.3 of the California Criminal Code retroactively retroactively applied to a defendant in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
Is a parent, relative, or co-habitant of a defendant in a criminal case outside the scope of marital privilege in criminal cases? (California, United States of America)
Is a new federal constitutional rule for the conduct of criminal prosecutions, like that of the Payne case, to apply retroactively to all cases, state or federal? (California, United States of America)
Is a person who is a member of a criminal gang liable for criminal activity if they are not involved in the criminal activity? (California, United States of America)
In a criminal case, is there any case law in which a jury has been ordered to conduct cross-examination of evidence in the penalty phase? (California, United States of America)
Does the illegibility of exhibits 19 and 20 in a criminal case affect their authentication under section 352 of the Criminal Code? (California, United States of America)
How have the cases of two separate sexual assault cases been determined to be cross-admissible under section 1101 of the Criminal Code? (California, United States of America)
How have the voir dire questions in a criminal case been interpreted by the trial court and the prosecutor in this case? (California, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.