orange-county-superior-court - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo

Fortune Teller Murder Orange County

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:10:00 GMT

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.

Jeffrey Woods Gets 6 Years

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:07:00 GMT

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 crime of vehicular manslaughter (Vehicle Code Section 192.5) with gross negligence while intoxicated. Apparently, Woods had been on his cell phone sending text messages while driving under the influence of two prescription drugs when the accident happened. The case was the Orange County District Attorney’s Office first prosecution of a felony manslaughter jury trial that involved text messaging.

The judge told Woods, “What caused this accident was your selfishness, your careless indifference for human life.” Despite the judge’s harsh words, he refused to give Woods the maximum sentence of 10 years as he had no criminal history before the fatal crash which took place on August 29, 2007. Woods’ own father told the judge that his son “deserved prison time” because he needed to be held accountable for his actions. Bob Woods further extended his sympathies to the Oates family, saying: “We haven’t gone an hour without thinking of you guys.”

Friends and family on both sides spent more then two hours during the sentencing telling the judge how Danny Oates’ death has not only changed their lives but their community. It was a tearful room with Kleenex being constantly passed around.

Jeffrey Woods’ neighbors, friends and former teacher said he was a kind and compassionate man who helped others and had no malicious bone in his body. Woods was also sentenced to three years parole, had his driver’s license revoked for three years and will be required to pay $28,000 in restitution to the Oates family.

Shoplifting Is No Laughing Matter

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:58:00 GMT

If you were an avid fan of Seinfeld or if you enjoy watching syndicated Seinfeld reruns, then you will probably remember the famous episode called “The Bookstore.” This is episode 173 from the 9th season, which aired originally April 9, 1998. Like all Seinfeld episodes, this episode had numerous plotlines, but who can forget when Jerry discovers that Uncle Leo is shoplifting and even Jerry’s parents defend Uncle Leo’s behavior saying something like “it is not stealing, if you need it!” While we might laugh at this over-the-top sitcom, the truth is being accused of shoplifting is no laughing matter. And in California shoplifting is usually charged as petty theft.

Should you be arrested for petty theft in Orange County, California, be sure to seek legal counsel. William Bruzzo is the senior attorney in the Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo and he has been a practicing attorney since 1993. Here is one client’s testimonial regarding being charged with petty theft and his case outcome.

“I was accused of petty theft [a violation of Penal Code Section 484(a)-488 a misdemeanor] and told to appear in the Orange County Superior court. It was alleged that I took an item from Sears without paying for it.

I hired Mr. Bruzzo because of his years of experience in the Orange County courts and his familiarity with all the District Attorneys. I knew that only a lawyer practicing in Orange County for quite some time would be able to get me the result I desired.

I am a nursing school graduate and have hopes of becoming a licensed nurse one day. The criminal charges against me were keeping me from pursuing this dream. Any conviction for a theft offense could have resulted in the end of my career.
Thankfully, Mr. Bruzzo was able to get me a complete DISMISSAL after just a few court appearances. All I had to do was complete a short class and give a DNA sample. Mr. Bruzzo took care of everything from the beginning to the end. Thanks to him, my record is clean.

I am happy to recommend Mr. Bruzzo to anyone facing a criminal charge, especially petty theft.” ~~ MO, June 5, 2009

Is it Petty Theft or Grand Theft?

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:18:00 GMT

Many times when we are watching television news or a crime drama we hear the phrases petty theft or grand theft. In most states the value of the stolen item(s) will determine what crime will be charged. In California the most common theft charge is Petty Theft (Penal Code Section 488); this can only be charged as a misdemeanor. It carries a maximum of 1 year in jail. Generally speaking if the item(s) stolen are $400.00 or less then the matter can be charged as a Petty Theft. But you need to understand: A PETTY THEFT VIOLATION WITH A PRIOR PETTY THEFT CONVICTION CAN CAUSE THE NEW CASE TO BE FILED AS A FELONY AND THE CLIENT SENT TO STATE PRISON.

Here is a testimonial from one person who was charged with petty theft in Orange County, California.

“I was accused of petty theft [a violation of Penal Code Section 484(a)-488 a misdemeanor] and told to appear in the Orange County Superior court. It was alleged that I took an item worth over $300.00 from a store without paying for it. The maximum jail sentence for this crime is 6 months in jail. I hired Mr. Bruzzo because of his years of experience in the Orange County courts and his familiarity with all the District Attorneys. I knew that only a lawyer practicing in Orange County for quite some time would be able to get me the result I desired. In addition, as I am not a citizen there would have been serious immigration consequences for me if I had been convicted of this crime. Mr. Bruzzo went to court several times in an effort to negotiate my case. Thankfully, he was able to get me a complete DISMISSAL after just a few court appearances. All I had to do was complete a short class and give a DNA sample. Mr. Bruzzo took care of everything from the beginning to the end. Thanks to him, my record is clean.

I am happy to recommend Mr. Bruzzo to anyone facing a criminal charge, especially petty theft.” ~~ RT August 13, 2009