Criminal Defense
A California Court Has Ruled that Prohibiting a Juvenile from Possessing a Firearm Does Not Violate the Second Amendment
On appeal, a Defendant in California sought to overturn his conviction for gross negligence in discharging a firearm, possession of a firearm by a juvenile. The defendant in this case was previously made a ward of the juvenile court. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm until the age of 30. The United States Supreme Court's recently held that a city's ban on handguns violates the Constitution's right…
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Do Criminal Defense Attorneys Have to Advise Immigrants of the Consequences to Their Immigration Status Before They Plead Guilty to a Crime?
On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Padilla v. Kentucky in which the issue was whether criminal defense attorneys are required to advise their clients of the consequences to immigration status if he or she pleads guilty to a crime. If the court were to decide in favor of the defendant, then this would mean that every California criminal defense attorney would be…
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Hollywood Reckless Driving and DUI Defense Lawyers
The city of Hollywood is a renowned district in Los Angeles, California. Situated just west-northwest of Downtown LA, Hollywood is widely known for being the historical center of movie stars and movie studios. Some of the most prominent landmarks in Hollywood include the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Capitol Records, the Griffith Park Observatory, and the Shrine Auditorium. Approximately 210,777 people live in Hollywood, which has a population density of…
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Are Treatment or Specialty Courts the Answer?
In California, there are 217 "problem-solving" courts. Many are Proposition 36 courts that treat non-violent but severely addicted drug offenders. Other courts are drug treatment courts for juvenile, parents in dependency court, and regular drug treatment court. The idea behind these specialty courts was to "use the trauma of the moment to move individuals caught up into the system into treatment in hopes of breaking the addiction and transitioning them…
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Valencia Reckless Driving and DUI Attorneys
The city of Valencia is a planned community that along with three other communities, joined to form Santa Clarita, California in 1987. The region of Valencia is frequently used as filming locations for many TV series', past and present. Valencia is also recognized for its paseos, a network of walkways that connect the entire community without crossing streets at grade. The population of Valencia is estimated to be 32,642, and…
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Criminal Defendant Wanted a Jury Instruction But Failed to Set Up the Proper Defense
In May of 2009, in the County of Riverside, Michael Houston Chaffin was convicted of committing domestic battery. At his trial, the defendant argued that the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on his affirmative defense. Meaning, the defendant argued that the judge made a mistake when he or she failed to instruct the jury "on the right of a landowner to use reasonable force to eject…
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Prosecution Has Wide Discretion in Deciding What Criminal Charges to File, If Any
In Orange County, California, Joel Miranda, has been indicted on gross vehicular manslaughter charges for killing a pedestrian while driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Miranda's blood alcohol level was almost three times the legal limit, at 0.23%. Allegedly, Miranda fled the scene of the fatal crash. Miranda pleaded not guilty and his bail remains at one million dollars. The defendant has three prior DUI convictions. Other similarly…
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Paving the Way for Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity?
Recently CNN reported that Philip Garrido, the Northern California man who is accused of abducting Jaycee Lee Dugard, believed that he was able to speak to his neighbors and anyone in the world through a black box without speaking. Authorities claim that the Garridos held Jaycee Dugard captive for almost twenty years. Philip Garrido, who is a registered sex offender and fathered Dugard's two children, pled not guilty to the…
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Mel Gibson Does His Best to Forget His 2006 Conviction for Drunk Driving
Mel Gibson's 2006 misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol never happened. At least according to his criminal record. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lawrence J. Mira granted Actor Mel Gibson's request to have his criminal record expunged. As a first-time drunk-driving offender, Gibson was eligible to have the conviction removed from his record after completing the terms of his probation. As terms of his probation, Gibson…
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Ontario Reckless Driving and DUI Attorneys
The city of Ontario is a great contributor to San Bernardino County's culture and prosperity. With an estimated population of 171,691 in 2000, it may not surprise many people that Ontario's population has increased to almost one hundred times the size it was one hundred years ago. Now, Ontario is home to a small international airport and an ECHL hockey team, the Ontario Reign. Ontario is a chief focal point…
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