California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Lopez, 21 Cal.App.4th 225, 27 Cal.Rptr.2d 25 (Cal. App. 1993):
" 'As a rule, judicial decisions apply "retroactively." [Citation.] Indeed, a legal system based on precedent has a built-in presumption of retroactivity. [Citation.]' " (People v. Guerra (1984) 37 Cal.3d 385, 399, 208 Cal.Rptr. 162, 690 P.2d 635.) If a judicial decision does not establish a new rule of law " 'no question of retroactivity arises,' because there is no material change in the law. [Citations.]" (Id. at p. 399, 208 Cal.Rptr. 162, 690 P.2d 635.)
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