Articles Posted in California

On Monday September 9, 2013, the new Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach had its first day on the record. The new courthouse is 65% bigger than the previous facility down the street. It has 24 courtrooms, six elevators, escalators, stairs cases and a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. If there is a need for more…

Most people are aware that they have a right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Constitution. However, few people understand how this right works as a practical matter. The best way to analyze speedy trial rights is to break down cases by misdemeanor and felony. Misdemeanor cases affected by the speedy trial clause of the…

With the New Year comes new rules, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law 760 bills addressing various social issues and special projects. Here are some of the new laws for 2012 listed by the Los Angeles Times: Defendants extradited to California will have an additional $100,000.00 added to their bail. Importation and production of beers…

Many sex crimes require lifetime registration under Penal Code Section 290. However, for some sex crime convictions like Penal Code Section 314(Indecent Exposure) a person may be relieved of the duty to register if he is granted a Certificate of Rehabilitation under Penal Code Section 4852.01. This generally requires a clean record since the conviction and…

The LA Times reported December 29th that California continues to sentence more prisoners to death than any other state, creating the countries most populous death row; 28 new prisoners were added in 2010. LA County alone sentenced as many as the lone star state of Texas. The state’s death chamber was idle for a fifth year, due…

A recent trend with bath salts has some officials worried. The danger is in the effects the chemicals have on the senses. The ingredients affect the psychological state creating hallucinations and mental break downs like an LSD trip. The addictive tendencies are similar to crack. The Drug Enforcement Administration explained that the chemical stimulants create…

The shooting at Gardena High School earlier this week is being investigated as an accident. The teacher in the classroom heard the student say “I’m sorry” after the gun went off. The weapon was in a backpack and went off as the bag hit the desk. One bullet hit two students in the classroom. A…

A federal judge in San Francisco recently found that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional because it denied homosexuals equal treatment under the law and served no legitimate government purpose. A majority of Californians voted in favor of the ban so naturally many people were upset about the court’s decision. Supporters of the ban…

Domestic violence is frequently in the news, recently the movie The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo chronicled the affects of domestic violence, and for the past 30 years The Take Back the Night Foundation has existed to end domestic violence. Each incident has its own set of facts, but what if the violence is mutual? Read what one client says:…

Lately there have been numerous news articles covering concealed weapon laws. This is a hot topic in many states and municipalities. In California there is an “open carry movement“, and in response to this movement a new bill has been drafted; AB1934 is now in debate. Currently in California we operate under Penal Code Section 12025…