Will Bruzzo’s Blog

Being arrested and taken into police custody can be a jarring experience, especially if this is your first interaction with the criminal justice system. Once you’ve been placed under arrest by law enforcement, specific procedures need to be followed by the police officer who is arresting you. When your constitutional rights are violated, your attorney…

If your California charges were dropped, the arrest itself can often still be cleared, either automatically by the state or through a petition you file in court. Here is how the two routes differ, who qualifies, and what a sealing order actually changes.

California holds commercial drivers to a 0.04 percent blood alcohol limit, and a DUI conviction in any vehicle, including your own car on a day off, can disqualify a commercial license for a year. Here is how the criminal and licensing tracks run at the same time.

To convict you of identity theft in California, a prosecutor has to prove you willfully obtained someone else’s identifying information, used it for an unlawful purpose, and did so without consent. Here is what each element requires and where these cases tend to be weakest.

California separates burglary from robbery by one fact: whether anyone was confronted. Burglary is complete the moment you enter with intent to steal. Robbery requires force or fear against a person. Here is how that line changes the stakes.

The dollar value of the damage decides whether a vandalism charge stays a misdemeanor or moves into felony territory. Here’s how Penal Code 594 draws that line.

Displaying a weapon in anger, without ever pointing it at anyone, can still be enough for a brandishing charge. Here’s what separates it from assault under California law.

A suspended license stop isn’t just a ticket. The reason behind the suspension decides which Vehicle Code section applies and how much exposure you’re facing.

A DUI arrest starts two separate clocks: one in criminal court, one at the DMV. Miss the short window to request a hearing and your license suspension moves forward automatically.

Property damage alone keeps a hit-and-run a misdemeanor. The moment someone is injured, the same charge can become a felony. Here’s what decides which one applies.