Should Water Wasters Be Hung Out to Dry?
Should Water Wasters Be Hung Out to Dry?
If you have been living in California for the past few years, you know that one of the biggest problems in the state is a prolonged period of drought. While it may rain from time to time, these little showers are merely a drop in the bucket, and will not come close to solving California’s water crisis. The severity of the drought has gotten the attention of lawmakers. Governor Jerry…
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Going to Class Could Get You Out of Jail in California
The recently passed Prop 47 changed some felony and wobbler offenses to misdemeanors, but local jails continue to feel the burden of overcrowding. To help reduce inmate populations, some counties are introducing new alternatives to serving jail time. San Luis Obispo County recently launched a diversion program that will offer some first-time misdemeanor offenders classes as an alternative to jail time. Orange County launched the same program in 2011, and…
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Jailhouse Rocked: Jailhouse Snitches Backfire on Prosecutors
The trial of mass-murderer Scott Dekraai, who killed eight people in a Seal Beach beauty salon in 2011, should have been a crowning achievement for Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. Having secured a conviction for the deadliest killing spree in the county’s history, Rackauckas had the case lined up for a slam-dunk sentencing phase that would put Dekraai on track for the death penalty, a result that would surely…
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What Happens to Your Funds after You Get Arrested?
Serving time in jail or prison will not excuse you from your financial obligations. However, often weeks, months or even years can pass from the time you are arrested to the time your case is closed. So what happens to your funds during this time? If a judge determines you’re not a flight risk and you’re in a position financially to make bail, then you should have time to sort…
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The Right to Die: Is California Next to Legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide? (PC 401)
It is a heart-breaking story. A 29-year-old woman learns that she has terminal brain cancer. Her doctors tell her that she has six months to live at most. Seeing a future filled with seizures and unbearable migraines, she decides that the best option is to decide that she will die on her own terms. The problem? Her home state of California does not give her the option of seeking the…
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“Yes Means Yes:” Will California High Schools Teach Affirmative Consent in the Classroom?
Last year, California adopted a new approach to sexual assault cases that happen on state-funded college campuses. The new law became known nationwide for introducing an “affirmative consent” standard in all disciplinary hearings related to sexual misconduct. Six months after the law went into effect; two California legislators want high school health education courses to spread the word about the affirmative consent standard. Senate President Kevin de Leon and Assemblywoman…
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Utah Puts White Collar Criminals on the Blacklist
Rarely does the state of Utah find itself leading the nation. In fact, the state was the last in the country to stop executing death row inmates by firing squad (the last occurred in 2010), and is considering bringing that form of capital punishment back.1 Yes, the state of Utah has tired of not leading the nation in something, and it has decided to change that. Recently, the state became…
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How Police Get You to Confess to a Crime You Didn’t Commit
We have all seen crime dramas on television. The cops interrogate a suspected criminal for hours until the suspect finally breaks down and confesses to the crime, whether they are guilty or not. You may have watched these shows and wondered if you would ever crack under the pressure and confess to a crime you didn’t commit. A recent study suggests that under the right circumstances, most of us would.…
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Personal Foul: Free Speech, Ashley Judd, and Social Media Threats
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament didn’t get the nickname “March Madness” just from its tendency to produce shocking results. The nickname also comes from the craziness of the sport’s fans that live and die with every shot, rebound, or bad call against their team. Such is the case with Ashley Judd. The famed movie actress is one of the most well-known and vocal fans of the University of Kentucky basketball…
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Transgender Rights in California
Before Bruce Jenner was famous for living in front of the camera on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” he was an Olympic champion, taking home the gold medal in the 1976 decathlon at the Summer Games in Montreal. Winning the decathlon gave Jenner the unofficial title of greatest athlete in the world, and secured his place as one of the best competitors the United States has ever produced. Nearly 40…
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