California has attempted to distance itself from the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Since President Trump took office, California has passed laws to protect undocumented immigrants and limit how local law enforcement cooperates with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. While California may be known for its welcoming stance on immigration, a well-known Orange …
Continue reading “Could You Be Arrested by ICE for Shopping in Orange County?”
Over the past few years, California voters and lawmakers have passed legislation aimed to reduce the prison population and focus on rehabilitation over incarceration. In 2014, voters approved Proposition 47, which lessened the punishment for several drug and property crimes. Two years later, voters passed Proposition 57, which allows inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes to …
Continue reading “California Voters to Decide Fate of Criminal Justice Reforms”
What is the job of a police officer? Is it to arrest those who commit crimes or is it to protect people from potential criminals? Is it both? A recent report by The Appeal, which cites a public records request lawsuit claiming that the Los Angeles Police Department is using data and analysts to monitor …
Continue reading “Is the LAPD Surveilling “Probable” Offenders?”
Have you been convicted of a felony in California or been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor sex offense that requires you to register as a sex offender? If so, you may not have to carry the weight of your past on your shoulders anymore. With a Certificate of Rehabilitation, you can move on with …
Continue reading “Am I Eligible for a Certificate of Rehabilitation?”
By: Wallin & Klarich
While President Donald Trump’s Administration has taken a hardline stance against illegal immigration, the state of California has passed laws that make it difficult for federal immigration agents to find and arrest undocumented immigrants within the state. One such law is the California Values Act (Senate Bill 54), which took effect this year. This “sanctuary …
By: Wallin & Klarich
Companies like Ring make doorbells that allow video and audio to be recorded when motion is detected near your front door. It is now easier than ever to install security cameras in different rooms of your house to keep an eye on your pets or property while you are away. This technology may help you …
Continue reading “Do Ring Doorbell Cameras Violate Wiretapping Laws? (PC 632)”
By: Wallin & Klarich
The recent school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida has sent shockwaves throughout the country and sparked a national debate about gun control. California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but lawmakers are proposing 10 new gun laws in the wake of this school shooting. Expanding the Definition …
Continue reading “California Lawmakers Proposing 10 New Gun Laws”
By: Wallin & Klarich
Under California Penal Code Section 273.5, the crime of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse is defined as using physical force on a current or former spouse or significant other, mother or father of your child or cohabitant that results in that person suffering a traumatic condition. If you are convicted of inflicting corporal injury …
Continue reading “Can My Wife Drop Corporal Injury on a Spouse Charges? (PC 273.5)”
By: Wallin & Klarich
Federal immigration authorities recently issued a directive stating that they plan to enter federal, state and local courthouses to make arrests. In response, the California State Senate approved a bill that would keep ICE agents out of courthouses if it becomes law. Senate Bill 183 would prohibit federal immigration agents from entering state buildings to …
By: Wallin & Klarich
While visiting his parents on break from the University of Pennsylvania, 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein, who identified as gay, was reportedly stabbed more than 20 times and left to die in a park in Lake Forest. Samuel Woodward has been charged with Bernstein’s murder, which authorities believe may have been motivated by Bernstein’s sexual orientation, and …
By: Wallin & Klarich
Lawmakers introduce new bills every year meant to protect citizens. However, one recently proposed law meant to protect the environment has drawn a lot of attention. Being referred to as the “Straw Law,” Assembly Bill 1884 would reportedly punish restaurant employees for providing patrons with a plastic straw for their drinks. Would California lawmakers really …
Continue reading “Explaining California’s Proposed “Straw Law” (AB 1884)”
By: Wallin & Klarich
Your child is accused of breaking the law while at school. The police arrive and begin questioning your child. Using interrogation tactics, police coerce your child into confessing to a crime he or she did not actually commit. How can this happen? Unfortunately, minors don’t have all the same rights as adults. However, a law …
Continue reading “Minors Under 16 Must Consult with Legal Counsel Before Waiving Miranda Rights”
By: Wallin & Klarich
Over the past several years, California lawmakers have been overhauling the state’s criminal justice system in an effort to reduce the prison population. The latest law amed to curb jail and prison overcrowding went into effect on January 1, 2018, and changed how courts deal with cases involving simple possession of drugs. Previously, if you …
Continue reading “Pretrial Diversion is Now an Option in California (PC 1000)”
By: Wallin & Klarich
If you are arrested, there will be a record of your arrest regardless if you are convicted of the crime. Having an arrest record could harm your chances of getting a good job, getting admitted to the college of your choice, or being able to achieve other business successes. Fortunately, a law that recently took …
Continue reading “Sealing Your Arrest Record in California Just Got Easier (CARE Act)”
Wallin & Klarich was established in 1981. Over the past 32 years, our law firm has helped tens of thousands of families in their time of legal need. Regardless of whether our clients faced criminal or DUI charges, the loss of their driving privilege, or wanted to clean up their criminal record, we have been there to help them.
