You May Get the Death Penalty if You Commit Murder in Riverside County
You May Get the Death Penalty if You Commit Murder in Riverside County
If you are convicted of murder in Riverside County, there's a chance that you will be sentenced to death. Despite only having the fourth-largest population in California, Riverside County ranked second in the nation for the number of death sentences handed down in 2012, according to a recently-released report by the Death Penalty Information Center. If you are facing charges of murder in Riverside, it is important to hire an…
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Using Social Media to Facilitate Terrorism Can Lead to Federal Charges (18 U.S.C. § 2339B)
There's no question that social media has had a significant impact on how we communicate with each other. Sadly, terrorist organizations have also adopted social networking as a way to hire new recruits, spread their message and connect with others interested in committing terrorism. If you use the Internet to facilitate criminal activity, you need to know that the United States government can aggressively prosecute you and if you are…
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California Supreme Court Grants Law License to Illegal Immigrant
An undocumented immigrant in California will be allowed to obtain his law license despite his illegal immigrant status, the California Supreme Court ruled. The landmark decision sets precedent for other illegal immigrants hoping to obtain their law license in California as well as other pending cases in the U.S. The Story of Sergio Garcia Sergio Garcia became a California resident permanently when he was 17 years old. He was told…
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Check Your Lawyer’s Credentials, Your Lawyer May Not Be a Lawyer at All
If you are going through a complex legal process, it is important that you choose an attorney who you can trust. One way to ensure your attorney is trustworthy is to do online research. The clients of Eric Phillips at Georggin Law failed to verify Phillips status as a lawyer and got burned by a man who is now facing 20 years in prison for committing fraud. Our attorneys at…
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Russian Anti-Gay Laws and Policies Could Lead to Russian Gay Man Being Granted Asylum in U.S.
In Russia, he was an easy target because of his sexual orientation. After being attacked several times in his home country and getting no help from law enforcement, a gay Russian man sought asylum in the U.S. only to be denied by immigration officials. A federal appeals court recently ordered immigration officials to review their decision. Gay Russian Man Seeks Asylum A gay Russian man, who was identified only as…
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What is a No Contest Plea and What is a Factual Basis for a No Contest Plea in California? (California Penal Code 1192.5)
There are times in criminal cases where a person will enter a plea of nolo contendere, or "no contest." This plea is usually used when a criminal defendant has caused some property damage or injury to another person during the course of the criminal act and he/she does not want to admit fault. By avoiding any fault, if the victim has a desire to sue the defendant in a civil…
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Should Lawyers be Disbarred for Possessing Child Pornography?
The California Supreme Court is debating whether or not to make any conviction for possession of child pornography a crime that mandates a lawyer's equivalent of the death penalty: disbarment. Citing "moral turpitude" as the reason to revoke a lawyer's license, the court is being asked to decide whether a conviction for child pornography possession should continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, or whether the crime is so…
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Epidemic of Brady Violations: Why Wasn’t This Defendant’s Conviction Overturned?
Brady v. Maryland 373 U.S. 83 (1963) was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the prosecution had withheld certain evidence from the defendant. The defendant challenged his conviction, arguing it had been contrary to the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court held that withholding exculpatory evidence (evidence that tends to exonerate you) violates due process "where the evidence…
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The Pros and Cons of Cellphone Privacy in California
Do Californians need stronger protection regarding their cellphone privacy? That is the issue currently before the Public Utilities Commission. California's telephone privacy rules are more than 20 years old, developed during the infancy of the debut of the cellphone. A debate next month between PUC commissioners and the wireless industry, led by AT&T, Inc. will determine whether additional regulation of the wireless industry is necessary. Commissioner Catherine Sandoval, a law…
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You Can Be Found Guilty of Murder Even if You Were Not at the Crime Scene
If you plan a robbery and someone dies, you can be convicted of murder even if you did not take part in the robbery. In a recent court of appeals case, California affirmed a lower court's decision to convict the mastermind behind a robbery in which the victim fatally shot one of the robbers. If you are facing murder charges, you should contact a skilled criminal defense attorney with extensive…
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