Criminal Defense
What If I Am Arrested And Bail Out And Come To Court And There Are No Charges Filed? Am I Off The Hook Or Can The DA Still File Charges Against Me Later?
Unfortunately you are not off the hook. When you were arrested you were given a date to appear in court. You showed up but you were told your case "had not been filed". If you were smart you had a lawyer appear with you and he had your documents "stamped" to prove you appeared. However, this doesn't mean the DA cannot file charges on you. There are many reasons that…
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Attorney Pleads Guilty To Planting Hidden Cameras In Two Coffee Houses In Encino
In a bizarre case attorney Mark Wenzel has plead guilty to planting hidden cameras in two restrooms in Coffee Bean and Tea Leave stores in Encino. He plead guilty to the crime of invasion of privacy and was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and pay a fine of $1,000. In addition he was ordered to stay at least 100 yards from all Coffee Bean Stores. Just when…
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Can the police question my child without notifying me or allowing me to be present?
Unfortunately the answer to this question in California is YES. For many years there have been laws that have bee introduced in Sacramento to change this law but Governor Brown vetoed legislation last year that would have changed the law. Until the law is changed the police can go to your school or your home (even if you are not home) and interview your child about a possible crime that…
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What happens if my son is in custody and has a public defender but the public defender has never seen him in custody?
When someone is in custody facing a criminal charge it is critical that they have an experienced criminal defense lawyer representing them that has the time to devote to their defense. Felony charges carry extremely serious consequences including sentences for many years in state prison. No person should be facing such criminal charges without a lawyer fighting for them that they can trust will aggressively defend them in court. Due…
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Supreme Court throws out death sentence due to “willful” DA misconduct
The California Supreme Court has thrown out a death penalty verdict for a man was on death row. The highest court in California made clear that they had no choice but to void the death penalty jury verdict because the prosecutors in the case committed willful misconduct that lead to a man unfairly being put on death row. The court found that the prosecutor (who now sits as a Superior…
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Prison Commitments Rise As DA’s Offices Do All They Can To Get Around The New Laws Trying To Avoid Prison Sentences
It seems that DA's offices across the state may be implementing policies that will destroy the critical benefits of the passage of AB109 in October, 2011. The entire purpose of the new law was to have low level felony offenders no longer sentenced to state prison. The federal courts had told California that the prisons in our state were severely overcrowded and ordered that the prison population be reduced. As…
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Federal Court Rules That Poker Is Not “Gambling” and Reverses Conviction Of Defendant Accused of Unlawful Gambling Business
WOW!!!! It sure looks like the door may be opening for the legalization of poker in your home. A federal court judge after hearing expert testimony ruled that poker is not considered gambling because it is not a "game of chance". The court ruled that since poker is considered a game of skill it does not violate the laws pertaining to unlawful gambling. While this federal court decision is not…
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Voters Must Vote Yes On Proposition 34 To Abolish Death Penalty In California
A recent study by a federal appellate court judge and a law school professor indicated that the prosecution and implementation of the death penalty in California costs our taxpayers as much as 4 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR. Our state is bleeding red ink and we are not able to properly educate our children, take care of our elderly or to begin to rebuild roads that are in dire need of…
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Murder Suspect Charged in 18 Year Old Cold Murder Case
If you are charged with a criminal offense, it is extremely important that you hire a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. Police in Ontario believe that at long last they have solved a murder case that went cold 18 years ago. A truck driver was sitting in his big rig at the massive truck stop in Ontario on December 29, 1994 when someone shot him to death and stole his…
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The Curious Inconsistencies in the Setting of Bail Amount
A competent Orange County defense attorney can play a vital role in the outcome of a case. From the outset he can wield influence, even when it comes to the setting of bail. Indeed, bail fees are so inconsistent between and within counties that the matter bears discussion. Redding, California's KRCR News reported recently that bail for a woman arrested for stealing four beers out of a neighborhood garage was…
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