Will Bruzzo's Blog

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Woman Arrested for having 15 Year Olds Baby

2010-03-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

38-year-old Debra Ayala Tapia was arrested March 23, 2010 on suspicion of felony lewd and lascivious acts with a child ages 14 and 15 and felony oral copulation with a child under 16 years of age (California Penal Code Section 288). Her bail was set at $100,000.

Tapia is said to have had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy in the Santa Ana neighborhood of Orange County and then having his child in November 2009. The boy's mother learned of the relationship when she found letters that Tapia wrote to her son. She then talked to her son and found out that he had sexual intercourse with Tapia, who was married at the time with three children of her own.

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

Here is video coverage from KABC7-Eyewitness News

Don't Forget Your Sunscreen

2010-03-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

As the beach weather returns sun bathers at San Onofre State Beach will be facing enforcement against nudists. There is a disagreement on whether the beach should allow nudity. The California Court of Appeal decided that the Cahil Policy was not a valid measure because it had not been passed through proper procedures for approval. That policy meant that nudity was allowed unless there was a citizen complaint to authorities who could then cite the nudist. There are those that argue that the policy is valid and officials should not be able to cite beach goers without swim wear. Over the weekend there were two people cited for nudity at the beach. It was estimated that the ticket, including fees would be roughly $500. State park officials explain that they have been informing the public they will start issuing citations and that the public has had ample warning of the new policies. The pro nude beach groups intend to work on keeping San Onofre clothing optional. A person found in violation of the nudity law could be cited under various municipal code sections and subject to incarceration and/or fines.

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

Here is a video compliments of ocregister.com

Former Westminster Sergeant Guilty Of Domestic Violence

2010-03-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

William Arganda, former Westminster police sergeant in Orange County, California, an 18 year veteran with the force, was sentenced to three years informal probation, 100 hours community service and five days of service at the California Department of Transportation. Arganda pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and unlawful disclosure of DMV records. He was accused of using the CLETS system (which connects to DMV, state and federal law-enforcement databases) for personal rather than professional reasons. Arganda was said to have used the databases to meet women, look up names and license plates, and keep an eye on his ex-wife and ex-girlfriends. He was eventually fired from the department for doing so. Domestic Violence can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor under Penal Code Sections 273.5 and 243(e) (1);as misdemeanors both charges carry a maximum punishment of 1 year in the county jail. As felonies both charges carry a maximum of 3 years in state prison. In addition, if a Defendant is found guilty of these charges or pleads guilty he/she must complete a 52-week batterer's course, 8 hours of community service and pay about $800.00 in fines, fees and "donations". A skillful attorney can help you avoid a conviction under this code section and/or custody time depending on your individual facts.

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

California Prisons go 'In House' for Health Care

2010-03-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

In an effort to curb state spending and move toward greater efficiency in inmate healthcare, Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing to have the University of California provide medical attention to state inmates. This move would could save California $300 billion this year alone according to the Los Angeles Times article. In order to reduce spending the new system would include electronic record keeping that can be easily accessed by doctors, buying medicines in bulk, and using video communication between doctors and inmate patients. The state would no longer send inmates to community hospitals instead the prisons would send their inmates to hospitals designated under the plan. Some details still have to be worked out with worker's unions for current employees that might have to be let go or work within the new system. Also, any concerns lawmakers or federal judges may have still need to be considered. Oversight of the prison healthcare service would be removed from federal judges and taken on by the University of California. A state agency comprised of governor appointees, federal court representatives, and correctional administrators would check the UC and make sure care and spending are appropriate.

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

Orange County Jail to ID Immigrants for U.S. Government

2010-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Orange County jail system debuted their new immigration check program on March 17, 2010. The process uses the Department of Homeland Security database to scan each inmate's fingerprints. The scan detects those who have had "any contact with the immigration system [and] flags immigration officials" according to the Orange County Register. An immigration hold can then be placed on the person; ICE then has 40 hours to pick them up. The scan connects Orange County law enforcement to the federal database and will permit all of those taken in by the police to be checked against the data base. Prior to this new process, those arrested were only asked if they were foreign born. U.S. officials then verified the immigration status of the individuals born outside of the U.S. The purpose of this new program is to identify illegal immigrant criminals, inform immigration officials and then deport them to their country of origin according to executive director David Venturella.

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

Here is a video from the Orange County Register ocregister.com/video

Orange County High School Baseball Team Theft

2010-03-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday night, on March 10, 2010, $10,000-$12,000 worth of gear was stolen from locked outdoor storage sheds at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove, Orange County. The young players were shocked to find their mitts, bats, helmets, cleats, catching gear and pitching machine all gone. 80% of these items belonged to the players themselves and were purchased with their own money. Because of the unfortunate theft, an opening season game against Saddleback Valley Christian was cancelled. Practices, however, have resumed with the players using older or donated equipment, but it is not the same said one of the players. The booster club will now be meeting to discuss fundraising options as about 70% of the school's students come from economically disadvantaged households and do not have the resources to buy new gear. Perpetrators of the crime can be charged with Burglary (California Penal Code 459) or Grand Theft (California Penal Code 487(a) if caught, since they first broke into the sheds and then committed the theft.

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

Here is a March 16, 2010, video from myfoxla.com

Orange County Prosecutor: Killer's Photos Could be of Additional Victims

2010-03-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Convicted murder Rodney Alcala has again been sentenced to death for two murders from the 1970's. The case gained attention outside of Orange County and has been featured in print and television news as Alcala represented himself on his third trial for multiple murders after the prior trials were reversed on appeal. Alcala also defended himself during the penalty phase of his trial where a jury recommended the death penalty. News reports of his death sentence brought attention to the many photos Alcala took during the 1970's. The Huntington Beach Police Department in Orange County released the photos to the media to see if it generated information from the public regarding the subjects in the photos. According to the Orange County Register prosecutor Matt Murphy expressed a concern that the people depicted in the photos were missing or possible additional victims of Alcala. The police were able to get a search warrant for a storage locker in Seattle and Alcala's home in Monterrey Park. Authorities explained that they have received calls from people stating that they are the subjects in the pictures. Some photos had addresses and the police have followed up with family members at those locations with no one being identified as missing. The photos can be seen on the Orange County Register website.

Anyone with information can contact Huntington Beach PD Detective Patrick Ellis at 714-375-5066, pellis@hbpd.org or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at 714-347-8492.

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

Here is an Associated Press video regarding Alcala and the photos:

The Deadly Dentist

2010-03-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Former Orange County dentist Tony Protopappas convicted of second-degree murder in 1984 has been granted parole by an appellate court. He was convicted for the deaths of three women he had as patients at his Costa Mesa dentistry office. They died from a high dosage of anesthesia. His attorney acknowledges that there are some possible road blocks: the Attorney General office could appeal the decision or Governor Schwarzenegger could change the ruling. His attorney Richard Pfeiffer had told the court that the deaths were when Protopappas was a dentist and that he would no longer be practicing dentistry or administering anesthesia therefore he was not a threat to society. Deputy Attorney General Amy M. Roebuck argued that Protopappas' "drug and alcohol use contributed to his negligence" and that he had not fully accepted responsibility for the deaths. Mr. Protopappas served 25 years of a life sentence.

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

Proposal to House Illegal Immigrants in Orange County Jails

2010-03-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

At a council meeting on March 9, 2010, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens offered a proposal to house 838 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees at two of the Orange County jails - Theo Lacy and James A. Musick Facility. Most of the ICE detainees are former federal, state or local inmates who were unable to provide proof of citizenship at the time of their arrest and were turned over to ICE after serving their sentence.

Sheriff Hutchens' proposal was not well-received by both the Mayor and Councilmen. Both were "uncomfortable" with the Sheriff Department's proposal especially since there was an issue of it violating the city's 15-year-old agreement with the county, which specifies jail perimeters and limits on inmate population. According to the Orange County Register, Hutchens said "she did not believe the proposal would violate the existing agreement with the city because nothing new would be added to the jail." She further stated, "We have no intention of increasing the population above what was discussed (in the agreement)."

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

Orange County School Evacuated After Bomb Scare

2010-03-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

A Huntington Beach High School student, in Orange County California, was arrested March 3, 2010 on two felony charges for possessing an imitation bomb (Penal Code Sections 12301, 12303, 12303.2, and 12303.3) and making criminal threats (Penal Code Section 422). Police were called to the school after a "suspicious" device was found in the student's backpack. Ultimately, the device was found not to be dangerous and the student explained it was simply a prop for a movie he was going to shoot after school. However, students were evacuated to the football stadium and back parking lots and were then dismissed from school for the rest of the day. The suspected student's home was searched pursuant to a search warrant and evidence was seized resulting in the student being booked at Orange County Juvenile Hall. After police investigation, the school will consider its own disciplinary action. The student's name or record will not be released since he is a juvenile whose discipline file is also confidential. Mr. Bruzzo practices only criminal law to include juvenile criminal law. Notably, these charges can also be misdemeanors. (Welfare and Institutions Code Section 602).

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

Here is a March 3rd video from KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA ABC7.com

Counterfeit Bills at Wal-Mart

2010-03-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Richard A. Econ of Lake Forest, Orange County, California was arrested on charges of burglary (California Penal Code Section 459-460)when he walked into Wal-Mart and tried to buy $100 worth of gift cards with counterfeit bills. The Wal-Mart clerk became suspicious after seeing the money, then called the store manager. The clerk then asked to look at Econ's license in order to detain him while they checked out the money. When it was taking too long, Econ fled the store. Within minutes of a brief foot pursuit, deputies had Econ in custody. The U.S. Secret Service will be conducting further investigations to determine if counterfeit charges apply.

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

Sentencing Guidelines Have Racial Result

2010-03-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

Congress is in the process of revising the current policy for sentencing of crack cocaine and powder cocaine crimes. The House of Representatives and Senate each have a bill that targets the discrepancy in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine cases. Explained in an article on Find law, 5 grams of crack has a sentence of 5 years while a hundred times more powder cocaine, 500 grams carries the exact same sentence. The policy employed since the late 1980's resulted in tougher sentencing for African American males for low level offenses involving crack, while the powder cocaine group, mostly white males with much larger amounts were doing less time. This policy has been pointed out as being outdated, biased and in need of reform. Some also argue that it would have been more efficient to send drug addicts to treatment programs instead of prison. Crack cocaine is the cheaper form used by the poorer population, while powder cocaine goes for a higher price and is used by more affluent drug users. This socio-economic difference served as another point to argue the unjust sentencing practices espoused by the federal government.

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

Student Visa Fraud

2010-03-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Eamonn Daniel Higgins has been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud for attending ten different schools in Southern California on behalf of dozens of foreign students. The students, mostly from the Middle East, would pay him to sit in class, take exams and write their papers so their visas would stay in effect. They paid as much as $1,500 for course assignments and finals. The special agent in charge of investigations said that this was a "really sophisticated" scheme-- something they'd never seen before. Higgins carried on his plan from 2002 to 2009 and even had employees working for him. Authorities were first made aware of his actions when a wallet was found with seven fake California driver's licenses, all with a photo of Higgins' nephew. Higgins now faces up to five years in federal prison and the 16 students who had hired him have also been arrested and face criminal and immigration consequences.

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

Here is a video from the Orange County Register's ocvarsity.com

Orange County Sheriff Drives Drunk has Two Collisions in one Night

2010-03-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Orange County Sheriffs Department is investigating one of their own for suspicion of driving under the influence and crashing into a vehicle. On Monday of this week Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Allen Waters was involved in two collisions. The first incident happened in front of City Hall in Dana Point where deputies were called and took an incident report. It was not explained if the Lexus was parked or what the damage was, but Deputy Waters and the driver were able to go on their way. Within the hour CHP was called to a collision again involving Waters in Laguna Niguel. The California Highway Patrol reported that Waters made an unsafe turn to the right, and the resulting impact sent his car off multiple curbs and then into a Toyota with an elderly couple inside. One of the victims was taken to the hospital. At this collision the CHP reported that the unsafe turn was "...due to Waters' level of intoxication" according to the Orange County Weekly. The Orange County Sheriff's Department will conduct a full investigation. Driving under the influence can be filed as a misdemeanor or a felony. If a driver has three previous convictions and picks up a fourth case in a ten year period then the fourth case can be filed as a felony. Or, if a driver has never had a DUI previously but while driving drunk causes bodily injury to another then that case may be tried as a felony.

A first time misdemeanor DUI carries a maximum punishment of 6 months but most people do no jail time although they must pay a fine, attend an alcohol school and are put on three years of informal probation. A second time DUI within 10 years of a previous DUI has the same punishment except the maximum jail time is 1 year; the actual punishment varies from county to county. In Orange County an individual is looking at between 45-60 days in jail on a second DUI. On a third DUI the minimum punishment is 120 days by law and on a fourth DUI within 10 years of three previous convictions the maximum is 3 years in state prison. There are many possible defenses to driving under the influence. (See Vehicle Code Sections 23152(a), 23152(b), 23153(a), 23153(b).)

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

Teenagers can be Prosecuted for Sending Nude Pictures of Themselves

2010-03-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Attention has been brought to the practice of "sexting", where teenagers send provocative text messages or revealing pictures via cell phones. This trend has appeared in the news and in episodes of television series. While there is no specific law against teenagers sending explicit photos of themselves, prosecutors are charging individuals with distribution of child pornography based on the subject's status as a minor. To date there has been no effort to prosecute inappropriate written messages. Sexting normally occurs when pictures of nude or semi-nude teenager are sent to another teenager; normally, the teenager posing for the pictures is usually the one taking and sending the photo. Officials are troubled by the possibility that the photo can be distributed to others without the consent of the subject and with the possibility of the minor being exploited. In Pennsylvania a court ruling is being criticized where a judge told a group of teenagers to attend a program on why sexting is wrong or face charges of child pornography. Naturally, the first line of discipline for teenagers is their parents or guardians and it seems like sexting has now become a relevant matter to be discussed at home. (See Penal Code Sections 311, 311.1, 311.2 and 311.3)

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

Orange County Family Disappears Near Mexican Border

2010-03-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

The McStay Family

The search continues for a missing family of four whose car was found miles from the U.S.-Mexican border in a San Ysidro parking lot. No one has heard or seen from Summer McStay mother of four year old Gianni Giuseppe and three year old Joseph Mateo since February 4th. Her kids and husband Joseph McStay had moved from San Clemente to Fallbrook and were in the process of settling in to their 4 bedroom house. The last person to talk to her was Jesi Silveria a family friend when they had a phone conversation on February 4. Two friends had attempted to communicate with the McStays on different occasions and no one responded. Joseph's brother Michael stopped by to find the house empty and contacted police on the 15th. The police found Summer and Joseph's cell phone in the house and refrigerator items left out. Family and friends hope they find them safe and soon.

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

Here is a report from ABC7 KABC-TV Los Angeles.

Administrative Fines for Tagging in Orange County City

2010-03-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

The tagger poster has been made available by the City of Santa Ana, in Orange County, California.

In Garden Grove, Orange County, taggers will now be fined up to $1,000 for possession of graffiti instruments. The city will even make parents pay, if the tagger is a juvenile. The issuance of these citations will be starting March 1st. According to the Orange County Register, City Manager Matt Fertal said administrative fines are a "tried and tested tactic for Garden Grove." In the recent past, citations for illegal fireworks proved to be very effective after a city ordinance was passed allowing law enforcement to issue administrative citations to those shooting off illegal fireworks. Fertal also notes that the fines are a quicker more efficient way to handle these less serious offenses. Money collected from these fines will help pay for wiping out all the graffiti that's already been done. In other Orange County cities, taggers face criminal prosecution (and suspension of their license if convicted) in the court system rather than administrative fines, so Garden Grove taggers should count themselves lucky. (See also Penal Code Section 594, Vandalism and Penal Code Section 594.2, Possession of Vandalism Tools).

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

Robbery at Kohl's in Orange County

2010-03-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

A second Orange County Kohl's store was robbed in a period of just two days. The first Kohl's robbery occurred in Cypress where the suspects are still at large. The first robbery involved two women who stole $520.00 worth of cologne and silver jewelry. The second robbery involved a man who used a weapon to steal jewelry from the Irvine Kohl's. No gun, however, was ever recovered. Police utilized a "reverse 911 call" to warn Irvine residents to stay indoors as police searched for the suspect on the afternoon of February 25th. Two schools were also locked down. Police have now apprehended a suspect who they believe to be the one who carried out the armed robbery (Penal Code Sections 211 and 245(a) (1)). He was found walking in the courtyard of an apartment community in Irvine. No estimate of the stolen goods has yet been given.

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

Charlie Sheen Receives Visit from Child Protective Services

2010-03-01T10:45:00.000-08:00


Weiss for News

Charlie Sheen and his wife received a visit from Child Protective Services (CPS) at their home in Los Angeles. The reason for the home visit by authorities was a result of an alleged domestic violence incident which occurred near a ski resort in Colorado. After domestic violence incidents it is not uncommon for CPS to visit the home to insure the safety of the children who live there. The Sheens have two infant sons and Mr. Sheen has two other children from a previous relationship. After an official visit like this one CPS can decide to take no action or they may institute Dependency Proceedings, wherein the courts assess whether the parenting skills of the parents are sufficient for the children to remain in the home. In extreme cases the children can be removed from the parent and placed with a family member or in foster case. In the case of the Sheens it appears no action was taken by CPS.

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

Penal Code Sections 273.5, 243(e) (1), 273a (b).

Medical Marijuana: Should Its Distribution Be Stopped?

2010-02-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

According to The Orange County Register, the Los Angeles City Attorney is trying to legally force three dispensaries to stop selling marijuana for medical purposes. Specifically, the city prosecutor's office is trying to get injunctions to force Organica and two Holistic Caregivers stores to stop all their over-the-counter sales. The City Attorney states that the law only authorizes "collectives" to grow marijuana and recover their costs, not to sell it.

Americans for Safe Access, an organization that supports medical marijuana, has repeatedly assisted these dispensaries in their legal battles against the City Attorney. Joe Elford, chief counsel for the organization stated that "the city attorney's legal arguments are horribly flawed and have no basis in law." He also accused the City Attorney and the District Attorney of taking action before the dispensaries even had time to comply with the city's ordinance. Chief Deputy City Attorney, William Carter said that they are simply "enforcing the existing local and state laws as [they've] been doing for a long time" and therefore will not withdraw these lawsuits.

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

Constitutional or Discourteous?

2010-02-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last week Michael Oren gave a speech at University of California, Irvine in Orange County, California, describing the issues he faced as Israeli ambassador. His speech was interrupted multiple times from members of the audience that did not agree with him. A video posted online showed the interruptions occurring roughly every ten minutes. Professor Petracca of the Political Science department expresses his impatience with the outbursts and called out "Shame on you!" when he took the podium to control the ruckus caused by the interruptions. He told the audience that this behavior is not appropriate for University of California students. The spirit of the event as explained by Professor Petracca and Chancellor Drake was to provide a forum for an exchange of ideas and discussion on the Middle East situation. They said that a better way for the UCI Muslim Student Union (the group expressing their dissatisfaction with the speaker) to express their disagreement would be by presenting the ambassador with questions at the end of his talk. University officials were likely embarrassed by the students' conduct. The MSU has put on its share of displays on campus denouncing Israeli occupation and their tactics and the tolls it takes on the Palestinian community. Indubitably the University would have preferred picketing outside the speaking venue. Yet it's important to remember that a marginalized group may feel that working within the accepted modes of expression is not effective. The outbursts managed to successfully interrupt Oren from talking, but did not communicate any counter point. Some people present complained that UCI should have taken better measures to control the crowd and that the outbursts made UCI look bad. Notably, as soon as a person yelled out they were escorted out of the auditorium. The position that UCI takes on the incident is that expression is permitted within certain limits dictated by place and time. It is unclear if the students will be charged criminally. If they are they can be charged with disturbing the peace under Penal Code section 415 (2); this penal code section prohibits using "loud and unreasonable" noise. Despite the strong protection of Free Speech in the U.S. Constitution it does appear that the manner in which the students sought to protest the ambassador fell outside the protection of the constitution.

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

Here is a video from OCRegister.com

Orange County Deputies bring Lawsuit to Stop Early Release of Inmates

2010-02-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

The union representing around 1,800 deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Department filed a lawsuit on February 16, 2010 to stop the early release of inmates from Orange County jails. This lawsuit, modeled after the one filed in Sacramento County, is the second one of its kind. In the Sacramento case, the judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the release of inmates under the new state law SB X3 18. Superior Court Judge Loren E. McMaster ruled that "the law was intended for state, not county inmates, and that the release of inmates into the streets while the number of deputies is being reduced is a 'formula for disaster'" (Orange County Register). Attorneys representing the union argued that the state law, which went into effect January 25th, was meant to affect state prisons only, not county jails. Between January 25th and February 9th, 311 inmates have been released early from Orange County jails. Other counties, such as Los Angeles, are applying the law differently and in turn not releasing any inmates early. In the present suit, attorneys have also cited an inmate who was released early from Sacramento County jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon who then went on to attempt to rape a woman just hours after his release. Kevin Peterson's case is commonly referred to by law enforcement officials when stating opposition to this new law.

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

This story is covered in the OCinTwo Video (by the Orange County Register)

Fortune Teller Murder Orange County

2010-02-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

A death penalty hearing is set for Tanya Jaime Nelson in Orange County Superior Court; she was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for stabbing Ha "Jade" Smith and her daughter Anita Vo. The motive for the murders was that Ha Smith a fortune teller, told Nelson she would do better by moving her business to North Carolina. In the end Nelson's business relocation failed and she lost her house. Her co-defendant Phillipe Zamora who was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder, agreed to testify against Nelson in exchange for a 50 year to life prison sentence, avoiding the death penalty. Zamora testified he agreed to travel with Nelson to Orange County because she would in turn introduce him to gay sexual partners according to the Orange County Register. He described the April 21, 2005 incident in which he and Nelson were at the victim's home, which doubled as her place of business. He explained how his co-defendant stabbed Vo which made Smith scream and Nelson yell "Don't let her scream!" Zamora's reaction was to hit Smith with a wine bottle and once on the floor stabbed her with two knives. Before leaving the residence Nelson took some jewelry, credit cards and money. In the end the stolen credit cards she used led to her arrest in addition to police finding she had a scheduled appointment on the day of the murders.

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

Here is a link to a CBS2/KCAL9 News Report

Fake Doctor Sentenced to 9 Months in Orange County Jail

2010-02-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Daryn Wayne Peterson was recently sentenced to 9 months in the Orange County Jail for 'playing doctor' and claiming to heal cancer and AIDS with natural remedies. He treated patients from his Orange County home, telling them he had a doctorate from Canterbury University when he held no license to practice medicine in the state of California. He even encouraged his patients to cancel their health insurance policies.

Last December, Peterson pleaded guilty to four charges: (1) Unauthorized practice of medicine (B&P Section 2052(a)), (2) Operating a health care service plan without a license (H&S Section1349), (3) Offering an unapproved drug for cancer treatment (H&S Section109300), (4) Selling misbranded food (H&S Section110760).

Peterson has also been banned from working in the medical field and will not be selling vitamins and drugs for five years.

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

Here is a sample of Mr. Peterson's video advertisements:

Dr. Daryn Peterson (Fake Doctor??)
by xdj70s