United States: How Often Do Governmental Entities Win Their Civil Appeals (Part 1)? (California Supreme Court Review)

For the past few weeks, we've been studying appeals brought to the California Supreme Court by governmental entities – specifically, which areas do governmental entities tend to most often appeal in civil cases? This week, we begin our look at the natural follow-up question: how often do governmental entities win those appeals?

We begin with the years 1994 through 1999. In 1994, governmental entities won both their appeals raising questions of government and administrative law, plus their single tort law and judicial discipline cases. The government won two of their three cases in constitutional law. In 1995, governmental entities won their only case in tort law and their one employment law case. They won two of three tax law cases, and two of three civil procedure cases. They won 62.5% of their cases in government and administrative law, and one third of their cases in constitutional law and judicial discipline.

In 1996, the government had a clean sweep, winning all four cases in government and administrative law, both of their constitutional law cases and their one property law case. In 1997, gpvernmental entities won their one tort law case, on case in election law and one case in workers compensation. The government won six of seven cases in government and administrative law – 85.71%, and three of four cases in constitutional law. In 1998, governmental entities won all five of their cases in tort law, plus their one case in constitutional law and their one case in workers compensation. Governmental entities won two of three cases in government and administrative law that year. The government lost one case in judicial discipline and two cases in employment law.

In 1999, governmental entities won both their cases in government and administrative law. They won half their cases in constitutional law, and lost their one tax law case.

Join us back here tomorrow as we address government entities' won-lost record for the years 2000 through 2005.

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