Should I Admit Guilt to My Attorney?
Should I Admit Guilt to My Attorney?
All lawyers have an ethical responsibility to vigorously advocate for their client. In California, a lawyer must put his or her client’s interest above all—even if a client admits guilt. This is because a lawyer never knows if the client is being coerced, protecting someone else close to them, or is not of right mind when admitting guilt. Innocent Until Proven Guilty Every American citizen has the constitutional right to…
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Look Happy on Facebook? It Could Destroy Your Case
If you are like most people who use Facebook, you probably enjoy reading about the good things that happen in the lives of your social circle, and you probably share the same type of information, photos and videos. In fact, a recent study found that the majority of social media users screen the photos they post online and only post photos in which they seem “socially desirable.” The study also…
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Are You Legally Allowed to Provide Alcohol to Your Minor Child at Home?
You may reason that, since your children have drunk alcohol with friends, they would be a lot safer if they did their drinking at home. But cities have created social host ordinances prohibiting adults from providing alcohol to minors, even in their own home. Jeff Lake, father of 18-year-old Olivia Lake, was arrested recently for throwing a Playboy-themed party in Poway, Calif. to celebrate Olivia’s 18th birthday. There were reportedly…
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Study Finds Elder Abuse Frequent in Nursing Homes (PC 368(c))
As of 2011, there were more than 100,000 residents in California nursing homes, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If a recent study is to be believed, nearly half of these residents have experienced elder abuse.1 In fact, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) reports that a study conducted in 2000 in which 2,000 nursing home residents were interviewed revealed 44 percent of those residents say they had been…
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Should Internet Trolling Be a Serious Crime?
If you spend any amount of time online (and we know you do because you are reading this article), you are undoubtedly familiar with Internet “trolls.” These are the people who, empowered by the anonymity of the Internet, seemingly only enjoy life when they are making someone else’s life miserable. Trolls usually operate by reacting to an online opinion post or comment of someone by deliberately posting offensive or inflammatory…
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How to Beat an Assault with a Deadly Weapon Charge (PC 245)
Assault with a deadly weapon is one of the most serious crimes in California. Under California Penal Code Section 245, you could face up to four years in jail and $10,000 in fines if you are convicted of felony assault with a deadly weapon. That is why it is important that you hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer if you are facing assault with a deadly weapon charges. Your assault…
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Should There Be a Hate Crime Offenders Registry?
Hate crimes have recently become a persistent issue across the country. As the number of crimes based on race, religion and sexual orientation rises, many minorities are feeling unsafe in their homes and communities. To combat this growing problem, a California lawmaker has introduced a new piece of legislation that would create a registry to list all those who commit hate crimes. What is a Hate Crime? A hate crime…
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6 Proposed California Criminal Laws That Could Change Your Life
The 2017 legislative session is underway and California lawmakers have introduced a flurry of proposed laws. Many of the proposed laws could have a major impact on the California criminal justice system and how certain crimes are punished. From marijuana Breathalyzers to a new crime registry, here are six recently proposed laws that could affect you. Reclassifying “violent crimes” to get around Prop. 57 In an effort to help ease…
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8 New California Laws that Went Into Effect Jan. 1, 2017
In 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown signed nearly 1,000 pieces of legislation into law. Many of these new laws went into effect Jan. 1, 2017. Here are eight new California laws you need to know about. No More Bullet Buttons (PC 30515, 30900, 30680) Assault rifles, semi-automatic pistols and other guns that did not have fixed magazines and instead could be reloaded by using the tip of a bullet or…
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Do Police Need a Warrant to Search Your Cellphone During a Traffic Stop?
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. This means that police cannot search you or your property without a warrant or probable cause. So what happens if law enforcement officers violate this protection? Is there anything you can do if police illegally searched you and you were convicted of a crime based on the evidence they found? A recent California Supreme Court decision…
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