In this shortened Thanksgiving week, the only jury trial I saw on the EDCA calendar is week two of U.S. v. Marcus Major, et. al., No. 07-CR-156-LJO, before Judge O'Neill in Fresno. This 3-defendant trial involves Hobbs Act robberies and gun charges arising out of 30 alleged robberies in Fresno and Madera in 2005-06. The trial is expected to last 8-9 weeks.
On Friday, the Ninth Circuit affirmed Judge Wanger's grant of summary judgment in favor of the California Table Grapes Association in a published opinion in Delano Farms Comp. v. Cal. Table Grapes Ass'n. The Court held that the Association's compelled assessments on California table grape growers for advertising is government-protected speech that is immune to challenge under the First Amendment.