Orange County Police Officials Set Out To Enforce Curfew For Minors

Last week in various cities in Orange County police officials set out to enforce curfew for minors 13 to 17 years old. A teenager can be out after curfew if they are with a parent, guardian or are otherwise exempted. The reason for the curfew is to curtail teenagers from being out after hours and participating in illegal activities. In particular it was intended to reduce gang activity and crimes by minors. The current sweep was conducted at 10p.m. or 11p.m. depending on the city's ordinance. According to the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Edition "college-bound students, gang members, a 13-year-old on probation for kidnapping and more than one drunk[en] teenager" were some of those collected during the sweep. The teens were kept in a bus until their parents came to pick them up. The article adds that some parents were unaware that their children were out while others had been looking for their kids. An Orange County Deputy District Attorney and officials from the Orange County Probation Department met with the parents of the teenagers and showed them photos of victims killed late at night. Legal consequences were also discussed and counselors from Pepperdine University masters program in counseling were on hand to talk to parents and their kids.

Here is a news video provided by Garden Grove TV3


Criminal Law Updates by the Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo (714) 547-4636

Teenager Receives 50 years to Life for Gang Shootings

16-year-old Marco Antonio Perez was sentenced on October 23, 2009, to a minimum of 50 years in state prison for a 2006 shooting that left two rival gang members dead and a third in a coma.

A jury in adult court found Perez guilty of two felony counts of special-circumstances murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of street terrorism.

Perez was prosecuted as an adult for the execution-style shooting that took place in Santa Ana when he was 14 years old. Victims were ages 14, 15, and 16. Two other members of his gang have already been sentenced to multiple life sentences and the other three are awaiting trial.

Juveniles, or minors under the age of 18, can be prosecuted for any of the same crimes for which adults can be prosecuted. So, a child who is 14 years old can be tried in adult court for some serious crimes such as murder and attempted murder, setting fire to a building with people in it, robbery with a weapon, rape, kidnapping or carjacking, crimes with guns, drug crimes, and escaping from a juvenile detention facility without a hearing before a juvenile judge. Prop 21, which was passed in 2000, allows prosecution to direct file without a juvenile court judge making the determination as to whether the minor should remain in juvenile court or be transferred to adult criminal court. Only an experienced criminal defense attorney can then examine the possibility of transferring the minor from adult criminal court back to juvenile court for sentencing under the Reverse Remand Law, Penal Code Sections 1170.17 and 1170.19. The Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo has represented many Defendants to include juveniles charged with gang offenses (Penal Code Section 186.22)

Criminal Law Updates by Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo (714) 547-4636