Huntington Beach - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo

Orange County Teenagers Dead from Overdose

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Autopsies have identified that the cause of death of two teenagers was accidental overdose. Their bodies were found by police on January 21 2011. One victim was a 16 year old female from Huntington Beach named Chelsea A. Taylor. The autopsy revealed a combination of drugs in her system that caused her death and the death of her 15 year old male companion Aaron Saenz. Both had methadone, hydroxyalprazolam, and alprazolam. Methadone is used to treat pain and withdrawal symptoms from heroin addiction. Alprazolam is commonly use to treat depression, anxiety disorder and panic attacks; the most popular brand is Xanax. Hydroxyalprazolam is found in anti-depression medication. Saenz had doxylamine in his system, a sedative for treating insomnia. Taylor had a blood alcohol level of .03, and ethanol in her system. Officials found an empty can of the controversial Four Loko drink. Their bodies were found in an empty apartment building by a passer-by. There was no information regarding how the teens got the drugs.

Look Who’s on Facebook Now!

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:04:00 GMT

Huntington Beach once again looks to a new strategy to reduce Drunk Driving Offenses also known as DUI’s. The city had agreed to list people cited for possible DUI in newspapers but the publications stopped listing the names. Another plan was approved to allow the Huntington Beach Police Department to list the names of people on their website arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. Now the police department and the city have discussed having the names of DUI suspects on the Huntington Beach PD’s Facebook and Twitter account. Police Chief Kenneth Small explained that they would consult with the City Attorney regarding any legal issues that would arise. If the procedure does not violate the law, then the department would most likely go ahead with the plan. Since arrest information is public in nature it is unlikely there would be a legal obstacle.

Huntington Beach Arrests for Drunk Driving May Appear On-Line

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:46:00 GMT

Huntington Beach continues its work toward maintaining a safe environment for residents and party-goers alike. It was revealed that the city had significantly high numbers when it comes to drunk driving. The city of 201,000 residents has the third most DUI drivers in the state according to an article in the Orange County Register. In comparison with Irvine, a city with about the same population, HB had 1000 more DUI’s. While they might have a similar population size, Huntington Beach does seem to have a higher level of nightlife. In an effort to tackle this issue, the city is looking into posting DUI arrests. It is not clear how much it would differ from the information already available online. Orange County Superior Court does make criminal and traffic case information on-line, including charges and hearing dates. The Orange County Sheriff allows people to look for those that have been arrested or have arrest warrants. It is unclear whether such postings would discourage people from drunk driving. Just because it’s available to the public does not mean it will be read by someone. An interested person would still need to initiate a search to see the information, so it’s not quite like a scarlet letter that everyone you meet will automatically know. Notably, municipalities have previously posted arrests for prostitution in an effort to curb the crime through embarrassment. What would probably make more of a difference in drunk driving cases is increasing the severity of the consequences for drunk driving. An increase in fees and a further restriction on driving privileges would up the ante. See, Vehicle Code Sections 23152 (a) (b), 23153 (a) (b).

No Charges Filed Against Jenna Jameson’s Boyfriend

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:39:00 GMT

Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson

Ultimate Fighting champion, Tito Ortiz, will not have any domestic violence charges filed against him. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said there was “insufficient corroboration to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.” Thus, Ortiz is a free man!

Ortiz was arrested back in April on suspicion of felony domestic violence under California Penal Code 273.5 inside his Huntington Beach home. The victim, famous porn star Jenna Jameson, was allegedly thrown into the tub and suffered torn ligaments. However, Ortiz denied all allegations and said that he never touched Jameson. Police did issue a 7-day emergency protective order when they came on scene, which was later lifted.

The couple is now spending time together with their twin boys and were seen recently at a Lakers’ game.

Wife of Convicted Embezzler Wants to be Compensated

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:53:00 GMT

After husband Matthew Mercuro’s conviction for embezzlement Janelle Mercuro is requesting $15,890 from the city of Huntington Beach. Items were taken during the investigation of Mr. Mercuro for embezzling $365,000 from pro skater Ryan Sheckler, and now Mrs. Mercuro wants financial compensation. She explained that her car was towed to Huntington Beach and then sold and stripped according to the Orange County Register. She is asking for $7,140 for the loss of her car. Also $500 for an iPod station that has not been returned and for the city to cover $8,400 in legal services that she paid for representation in the retrieval of her property. See Penal Code Sections 503 et. seq.

Orange County School Evacuated After Bomb Scare

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:03:00 GMT

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).

No Beer Pong Allowed

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:46:00 GMT

Huntington Beach bars and restaurants might have one more rule to adhere to: no Beer Pong allowed. According to the Orange County Register the city is considering banning the popular drinking game from being played at businesses with an alcohol license. The reason for the ban stems from a general attitude shared by council members and residents that it is necessary to control bad behavior by drunken customers of those very popular watering holes in Huntington Beach. Residents dislike discovering urine or vomit on their lawns; meanwhile the city has passed rules designed to “improve downtown’s image”. Those wanting to ban the game explain that a drinking game is not something a business establishment should promote since the city might be negatively affected. Yet the game is so popular there is a championship in Las Vegas and it has caused enough problems that Huntington Beach is not alone in having issues with the drinking game. In New Jersey one city has already passed a law prohibiting Beer Pong and there was a Time Magazine article on the subject of banning the ping pong based alcohol-drinking game. Some Beer Pong participates might find themselves charged with a violation of Penal Code Section 647(f) (Drunk and Disorderly). Commonly, police will stop individuals who appear drunk, usually while they are walking and conduct field sobriety tests at the scene. The tests determine whether they are a risk to themselves and/or others. If so, they can be arrested and face fines and fees as well as a maximum of 90 days in jail. A skillful attorney can get the court to allow first time offenders to take a class and get the case dismissed.

Woman Flees From Police in Orange County

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:10:00 GMT

A woman evaded the police in Huntington Beach, Orange County on January 13, 2010 after being pulled over around 12:30 a.m. Police suspected she was on drugs and were discussing the situation, when the woman suddenly fled in her vehicle and headed south on Pacific Coast highway. The woman led the police on a chase from Huntington Beach to Laguna Beach, where she eventually crashed into a guardrail after running over spike strips police had laid out. The woman did not suffer any injuries and was taken to jail on possible charges of Vehicle Code Section 2800.1. The code section specifies that “any person who, while operating a motor vehicle and with the intent to evade, willfully flees or otherwise attempts to elude a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year if all of the following conditions exist: (1) The peace officer’s motor vehicle is exhibiting at least one lighted red lamp visible from the front and the person either sees or reasonably should have seen the lamp. (2) The peace officer’s motor vehicle is sounding a siren as may be reasonably necessary. (3) The peace officer’s motor vehicle is distinctively marked. (4) The peace officer’s motor vehicle is operated by a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, and that peace officer is wearing a distinctive uniform.” Notably, this crime can also be a felony under vehicle code section 2800.2 if in addition to fleeing the police the individual drives with a wanton, willful disregard for the safety of persons or property. That crime can carry a maximum of three years even without causing any injury or property damage.