The People, Plaintiff and Respondent v. Jacob Townley Hernandez, Defendant and Appellant

Summary

The court held that restricting defense counsel from discussing sealed plea-related materials concerning a prosecution witness with the defendant did not warrant automatic reversal. Because counsel remained available and actively challenged the prosecution's case, the defendant must show that the restriction prejudiced the reliability of the trial process, rather than relying on a presumption of prejudice. The judgment was reversed and the matter remanded for the Court of Appeal to conduct that prejudice inquiry.