Articles Posted in California

The discussion regarding legalizing marijuana and dispensaries in LA County continues to be in the spotlight. With the number of dispensaries growing in the county the debate of the impact of such establishments on the community is growing as well. There is the side that argues marijuana proves to be useful for managing medical conditions…

Bubba, an award-winning bulldog, was stolen last week on December 15th in Santa Ana, Orange County. The owners are offering a $2,000 reward for anyone who can return their prized possession. California Penal Code Section 487e states: “Every person who feloniously steals, takes, or carries away a dog of another which is of a value…

Steven Burky, age 37, was arrested December 14, 2009 for stalking Jennifer Garner and violating a restraining order protecting the family. Jennifer Garner’s stalker was arrested in Santa Monica outside Violet Affleck’s school. At his arraignment, Burky pleaded not guilty on two counts of felony stalking and two misdemeanor counts of violating a court order.…

Remember Jeffrey Woods? He was the guy who caused an accident which killed 14-year-old Danny Oates as he was riding his bike in Orange County, California. On December 11, 2009, I was present at his sentencing as Orange County Superior Court Judge Marc Kelly ordered Woods to serve six years in state prison for the…

If you “Google” the phrase “shoplifting during the holidays” you will find hundreds of news items from across the country discussing how shoplifting increases during the holiday season. Not surprising, the number of shoplifting arrests increases as well. Here is video from WBKO which discusses how one major US retailer, TARGET, deals with shoplifters. If…

As the holidays are upon us now is a good time to consider the effects of drinking and driving and how you can avoid an arrest or causing an accident. My experience comes from 15 years of legal representation. Even though the legal limit in California and many other states is a 0.08 blood-alcohol level…

DUI checkpoints were determined to be legal by the United States Supreme Court; however, there are strict guidelines which must be followed. In California, many drivers do not know about these rules. For example, police must use a neutral mathematical formula, such as every driver, or every third, fifth, or tenth driver to determine who…

Notably, while these charges usually concern “street drugs” like Cocaine and Methamphetamine they can also apply to substances commonly thought of as medications. If you are found in actual possession of the drug or “constructive” possession of the drug you may be found guilty of the offense. Constructive possession means that the drug may not…

A red-headed 12-year-old boy was assaulted in Los Angeles on November 20th because of a Facebook message declaring Friday as “Kick a Ginger Day.” A “ginger” is a label for someone with red hair, fair skin, and freckles. A group of seventh and eighth graders at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas beat up the…

Across University of California campuses students have been protesting a 32% increase in tuition. According to the Orange County Register about 300 students protested at the University of California, Irvine in Orange County, California. Last week at UC Berkeley students had been arrested during protesting. Reportedly $800 million has been cut from state funding for…