White

DISCUSSION

The RJA was enacted in 2020 “with a stated aim ‘to eliminate racial bias from California’s criminal justice system’ and ‘to ensure that race plays no role at all in seeking or obtaining convictions or in sentencing.’ [Citation.] To that end, the RJA prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a criminal conviction, or seeking, obtaining, or imposing a sentence, on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin.” (People v. Wilson (2024) 16 Cal.5th 874, 944–945.) Under the RJA, an incarcerated defendant whose judgment is final may bring a claim for relief under the Act by filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus. (§ 745, subd. (b).) He or she may also “file a motion requesting disclosure . . . of all evidence relevant to a potential violation of [the RJA] in the possession or control of the state.” (Id., subd. (d).) “Upon a showing of good cause, the court shall order the records to be released.” (Ibid.) Prior to the passage of Assembly Bill 1071, the Courts of Appeal had issued conflicting opinions on whether a habeas petitioner could obtain discovery to pursue an RJA claim before making a prima facie case for relief. (Compare In re Montgomery (2024) 104…