Criminal Defense
Mental Health Expert Shall be Appointed in Criminal Case – California Penal Code Section 1054.3
In response to Verdin v. Superior Court (2008) 43 Cal.4th 1096, which has held that when the defendant raises a "diminished actuality" defense and places his mental state at issue, the court could not order him to submit a mental health examination to the prosecution. The California legislature amended Penal Code 1054.3, subdivision (b), authorizing the prosecution to submit a defendant to examination by a prosecution-retained mental health expert. The…
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Possession for Sale of Marijuana – California Health and Safety Code Section 11359
Anyone charged with possession for sale of marijuana should speak with an experienced drug possession attorney in Southern California. Possession for sale of marijuana is a serious crime that comes with harsh penalties and consequences. California Health and Safety Code Section 11359 makes it a felony for anyone to unlawfully possess marijuana for the purpose of sales. To be convicted under Section 11359, it needs to be proven that the…
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Chula Vista Assault and Battery Defense Lawyers
The Southern California city of Chula Vista is a hub for businesses and tourists alike, and lies along the coast, stretching an estimated 51.2 square miles. Its evaluated population of 217,478 does not include the large number of travelers and tradesmen that enter the city annually in search of vacation and commerce. Like other major cities that cater to a variety of consumers and residents, situations of arrest for assault…
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I am Accused of Meth Possession – What Should I Do? – California Health and Safety Code Section 11377
California Health and Safety Code Section 11377 makes methamphetamine ("meth") possession illegal. Meth Possession is a serious crime with serious penalties. If you are charged with meth possession, it is important that you speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney to get you the best possible result in your case. Meth possession means that you had physical custody of the meth. You must also know the nature of meth as…
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Riverside Assault and Battery Defense Attorneys
Spanning about 98.4 square miles, Riverside, California, is the 61st largest city in America, the number 12 largest city in all of California, and the number one biggest city in the metro area of Riverside-San Bernardino. Its approximate 311,575 residents are about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, and Riverside has its own notable sites including parks (California Citrus State Historic Park), museums (Riverside Metropolitan Museum), and schools (University of…
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I am Accused of Possession of a Controlled Substance – What Should I Do? – California Health & Safety Code Section 11350
California Health & Safety Code Section 11350 is a law that makes it illegal to possess various types of drugs as defined within the health and safety code. In order to be convicted of possession of a controlled substance, the prosecution must prove that you unlawfully possessed a controlled substance, that you knew of its presence, that you knew of the substance's nature or character as a controlled substance, what…
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“Money Man” Spared Jail Time and Felony Conviction in Exchange for Turning Informant and Providing Witness Testimony
It was recently reported that Donald Haidl, the alleged "money man" for disgraced Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, will not serve jail time because Haidl provided "extraordinary" cooperation with prosecutors in convicting Carona for corruption. Haidl will instead pay a $40,000 fine and perform community service on a guilty plea for filing a false tax return. The crime carries a statutory minimum of three years in prison and a $100,000…
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Don’t Get Ticketed for Passing a Parked Emergency Vehicle – California Vehicle Code Section 21809
Under California Vehicle Code Section 21809, the law now gives greater protection to emergency vehicles that are parked on the shoulder of a freeway. This means that if you are driving in either the very far right or very far left lanes, the law requires you to change lanes if you see that you are coming up behind an emergency vehicle that is parked on the freeway shoulder and has…
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An Arizona Self-Help Guru Has Been Charged With Manslaughter
Self-help guru, James Arthur Ray, has been charged with three counts of manslaughter after dozens of his followers collapsed in a sweat lodge at his retreat center in Arizona. Allegedly, over twenty people were hospitalized, and three of them never regained consciousness and died at a hospital. If he is convicted, Mr. Ray could be sentenced to more than 35 years in prison. Since prosecutors charged Mr. Ray with manslaughter,…
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Doctor Convicted of Assault with a Deadly Weapon – California Penal Code Section 245
NPR reported that a former emergency room doctor was convicted of six felony counts in an incident involving a car which was allegedly used as a weapon. The news story said that the incident started when the doctor, while driving his car, got a little too close for comfort with a couple of cyclists who were apparently hogging the road. The doctor and the cyclists exchanged words, and the doctor…
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