Encounters With Police – Know Your Rights to Avoid Arrest and Conviction
Encounters With Police – Know Your Rights to Avoid Arrest and Conviction
Street encounters with police occur with varying degrees of coercion. An encounter with police is best understood by breaking it down into three categories: Where a citizen feels "free to leave" and terminate the encounter at will. Here, there has been no "detention" under the law. This falls outside the scope of Fourth Amendment protections prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures of a person, their home, papers, and effects; Brief "seizures",…
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Community is a Haven for Sex Offenders
An Experienced Criminal Defense Firm Will Do Everything Possible in Order to Prevent their Client from Having to Register as a Sex Offender Antioch, a small community outside of San Francisco, has recently been making national headlines for being the home of over 100 sex offenders. Most specifically, it was the home of sex offender Phillip Garrido, who is accused of holding Jaycee Lee Dugard against her will for the…
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O.C. Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Making Threats to Wife and Family Law Judge
A 45-year-old Orange County man was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment for possessing homemade explosive devices with the intent to kill his former wife, her divorce attorney, the family court judge and Huntington Beach Police Department officers. The Costa Mesa resident was ultimately charged with a laundry list of offenses, 15 felony counts in all, including stalking, possession of a destructive device with intent to injure, possession of a homemade…
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Kidnapped Girl Found 18 Years after Being Abducted
An Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney Will Take All Steps Necessary to Neutralize Any Prejudice a Criminal Defendant Faces in the Press While Diligently Defending Against Serious Charges A report filed by Elizabeth Espinosa for details the incredible story of a 29-year-old girl who was recently found after being kidnapped and held captive for 18 years. The girl was abducted nearly two decades earlier from a school bus stop in South…
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Torrance DUI and Criminal Defense Attorneys
Located within the lively expanse of Los Angeles County, Torrance had an estimated population of 140,820 in July 2008. Torrance's population is sure to keep growing as more and more people are drawn to convenient access to beaches, pleasant weather, secure communities, and successful businesses. The 2009 California Population Estimate predicts that Torrance will become the eighth largest city in Los Angeles County and the 35th largest in the state…
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A Father Who Faces Murder Charges Also Faces a Prejudiced Jury
An Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney Will Negate Any Prejudicial Effect and Fight for Your Right to a Fair Trial There are two sides to every story. A trial was held when a man pled not guilty to allegedly throwing his daughter off a 120-foot cliff to avoid paying child support. The media has sensationalized the case and prosecutors have "played up" the most lurid details in an effort to obtain…
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Legislature Passes Reducing Offense to Infraction for Office Sports Betting Pools
You no longer can be thrown in jail for taking part in that office betting pool when March Madness or Super Bowl comes around. In early August Governor Schwarzenegger signed a law that changes the penalty for participation in a non-commerical or an office "sports betting pool" from a misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $1,000, to an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $250. This change in…
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Palmdale DUI and Criminal Defense Attorneys
The city of Palmdale has grown immensely as a city located in the northeast region of Los Angeles County. Palmdale had an estimated population of 151,346 in January 2009, drawing new residents to live close to the stunning San Gabriel Mountain range. As a city that is mostly full of family communities, Palmdale's growth and popularity has made it California's largest desert city. Although Palmdale is considered a safe community,…
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A Court May Consider a Dismissed Charge When Imposing Probation Conditions
An Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney Knows How to Argue Against Facts Underlying a Dismissed Charge A California appellate court has recently held that trial courts have broad discretion in granting or denying probation and imposing probation conditions. Further, the appellate court ruled that a trial court even may consider a charge that the defendant was not convicted of or pled guilty to. See People v. Martin, C.A. 4th/2, DAR p.10639.…
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Vehicle Searches Incident to Arrest
Evidence from Warrantless Vehicle Search Incident to Passenger's Arrest is Suppressed where Defendant was Inside Patrol Vehicle when Searched Defendant, Gonzalez, was convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. This conviction resulted when a firearm was found during a June 19, 2006 traffic stop of a car in which Gonzalez was riding. The police, following the arrest of another passenger with outstanding warrants, searched the passenger compartment and found…
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