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January

Blog Posts in January, 2018

  • Outstanding Warrant in California? Here’s What You Need to Know

    If You Have an Outstanding Warrant, You Need to Take Action Having an outstanding warrant puts you at risk of being arrested. With a warrant, police can arrest you at any time in any place. It’s difficult to live your normal life not knowing when and where you will be arrested. If you think you have an outstanding warrant in California, you need to find out if you have a warrant, what type of ...
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  • Mistaken Identification? Here’s Your Defense

    Mistaken Identification Is More Common Than You Think Victim and eyewitness accounts are sometimes the only element linking a crime to an alleged perpetrator. Unfortunately, innocent people can be victims of mistaken identification when those accounts are wrong. And this happens all too frequently. Many factors can affect memory recall, especially for those who witness crimes or experience ...
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  • DNA in Domestic Violence Cases: Hard Evidence

    Clear and Convincing Proof Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that contains our unique genetic code. Specific to the individual (or individuals in the case of identical twins), DNA is reliable enough to be used in a court of law. A person’s DNA is constant, meaning it can be used to solve cases from years or even decades in the past, as long as there is preserved evidence. The use of DNA ...
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  • The Benefits of Representation: Can An Attorney Go to Court for Me?

    Your Options for Appearing in Court It’s important to prepare for and attend your court dates if you are facing criminal charges. If you do not show up at your hearings, the judge can issue a bench warrant against you to compel you to go to court. Also, without going to court, your case can take longer to resolve, and your options may be limited. Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to go ...
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  • How Judges Determine Bail

    Setting Bail Bail is money paid to the court to secure a defendant’s appearance at future court proceedings. When the judge sets the bail amount, the defendant can pay it directly or with the help of a bail bond company. Once bail is paid—called posting bail —the defendant is released from custody and free to go. On the condition of the bond, the defendant must then appear in court or he or she ...
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  • Dram Shop Laws: Finding the Liability

    Whose Fault Is It? DUI cases are handled in criminal courts. But sometimes DUI cases involve claims in the civil court as well, specifically personal injury claims. If someone harmed someone else while driving impaired, he or she could potentially be held liable in a civil suit. This means he or she would have to compensate the person harmed for damages. DUI cases involving accidents and property ...
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  • Why Are Sobriety Checkpoints Legal?

    Sobriety Checkpoint Laws Many states have ruled that sobriety checkpoints are unconstitutional and illegal. The State of California, however, does allow law enforcement to conduct sobriety checkpoints. In fact, California operates thousands of checkpoints every year. But what makes them legal in California but not other states? And how does law enforcement get away with violating our ...
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  • Want to Defend Yourself? Read This First

    Looking for Representation While every criminal case is different, there are some universals. For example, it’s generally a bad idea to represent yourself in a criminal action. It’s easy enough for criminal defense attorneys to simply say it’s unwise to do. But explaining why it is a bad idea will help you make an informed decision about hiring an attorney. With that in mind, let’s take a look at ...
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  • Criminal Intent: What It Means and Why It Matters

    Why the Mind Matters We’ve all heard of criminal intent . But what does it mean, and why does it matter? In many cases, you must have intent to commit a crime to be found guilty of it. People who attempt to commit a crime can be charged with it even if they were not successful as long as they had intent. Likewise, someone who accidentally harmed someone is not guilty unless he or she intended to ...
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  • Gubernatorial Pardons in California: Past and Present

    A Look at Your Options Cleaning your record can help you move on with your life after a criminal conviction. In California, those with misdemeanor offenses can petition to have their conviction dismissed . But if you have a felony conviction and were sentenced to prison or otherwise put under the authority of the California Department of Corrections, you are ineligible for a dismissal. You could, ...
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  • The True Costs of a Domestic Violence Conviction

    It All Adds Up A domestic violence conviction will cost you. Not only will you face court-imposed penalties as part of your sentence or a condition of your probation, you will have to deal with the aftermath of a stigmatized conviction for many years to come. To better understand the true costs of a California domestic violence conviction, let’s first take a look at the financial consequences of ...
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