Vandalism - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo

Criminal Cases in City of Los Angeles Resolved Without Ever Going to Court Under New Program!

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 05:45:00 GMT

Los Angeles City Hall shortly after its completion (1931) Original caption: “New Los Angeles City Hall which rises 28 stories and dominates the Civic Center”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In September of 2014 the Los Angeles City Attorney started a new diversion type program called the Neighborhood Justice Program. Once a Defendant is arrested or cited for an offense he may be eligible for a program where the case never actually goes to court. This program only applies to certain minor charges such as:

Petty Theft (Penal Code Section 484-488(a)),
Disturbing the Peace (Penal Code Section 415),
Vandalism and Graffiti (Penal Code Section 594),
Minor in Possession of Alcohol (Business and Professions Code Section 25662,
Vehicle Code Section 13202.5),
Possession of False Identification or Possession of False Driver’s License (Penal Code Section 148.9, Penal Code Section 470b) and
Public Intoxication (Penal Code Section 647(f)).

Generally eligible persons should not have a previous record but that may be negotiable.
Other minor crimes not listed may also be covered by this new program and a skilled lawyer may be able to persuade the Los Angeles City Attorney to make other violations of law eligible. Notably, the program is only open to Defendants who commit crimes in the City of Los Angeles as other cities in Los Angeles County do not yet have any such program. Similarly, cases prosecuted through the Los Angeles County District Attorney do not have any such program.

Once an individual is deemed eligible for the program they will go before a three person board and explain themselves to the panel. If the panel is satisfied the person has taken responsibility for the crime and shown remorse the panel will then allow the person to pay back the community for the commission of the crime by completing a “restorative agreement” with the understanding that the City Attorney will then not file the criminal case. This usually consists of some number of hours of Community Service. The Defendant will have about two (2) months to complete the restorative agreement. This program is far superior to most diversion programs which usually require a guilty plea and a court appearance. The Los Angeles City Attorney program leaves much less of a trace when it comes to background checks since official charges are never filed and the matter never goes to court. Many clients are greatly concerned about the effect of a case on their record, especially when it comes to looking for a job; this new program effectively removes many of those worries.

If you are facing charges on ANY crime in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County or anywhere in Southern California do not hesitate to contact Mr. Bruzzo to check your eligibility for dismissal programs and for representation on any criminal case.

Violence Post Lakers Game

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:28:00 GMT

The scene after the final game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, where the Lakers beat the Celtics 83-79, was one of mass chaos and destruction. Violence broke out shortly after the game ended. Crowds broke windows of storefronts, jumped on cars, set at least 15 small fires and threw objects at police causing one officer to suffer a broken nose and another to be hit in the head with a rock.

The Los Angeles Police Department made 37 arrests that night. The arrests included: 11 for public drunkenness(CPC 647(f)); 3 for inciting a riot (CPC 404.6); 1 for arson (CPC 451 & 452); 4 for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer (CPC 245(a)(1)); 4 for disturbing the peace (CPC 415); 1 for battery(CPC 242); 3 for vandalism (CPC 594); 2 for throwing objects at a motor vehicle (CPC 219.1) and other offenses.

Taggers Arrested for Vandalism

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:30:00 GMT

On June 16, 2010, members of a tagging crew were arrested for doing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage over the last year. The vandalism included damage during the Lakers’ 2009 victory celebration. Members looted several retail establishments, smashed car windows and even vandalized police cars. At least 31 individuals were arrested after officers conducted probation searches and served search warrants. After some more investigation, detectives learned the crew, OCP or “Out Causing Panic”, has been vandalizing all across Los Angeles County, including El Monte, Pico Rivera and Whittier. In addition to vandalism, OCP members have been involved in assaults, robberies, vehicle thefts and drug sales.

The arrests have come just in time to help prevent a repeat vandalism attack that occurred during post game celebrations last year following the Lakers’ title win. The Lakers were set to play the Boston Celtics in Game 7 in Los Angeles for the 2010 NBA championship on June 17th. See, Penal Code Section 594.

New Laws for a New Year!

Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:14:00 GMT

This New Year’s brings new laws to the state of California. According to the OC register the fee for renewing a driver’s license has gone up to $31. Other vehicle related regulations include video screens and interlock devices. A video screen can be placed in the front seat as long as the driver cannot actually see the screen. It is now possible for cities and counties to require a 30 day impound of a vehicle if a person used a vehicle when soliciting a prostitute. On July 1st the following counties will require those convicted of a DUI to install ignition interlock devices on every operated or owned vehicle in order to maintain their driver’s license: Los Angeles, Sacramento, Alameda and Tulare.

Other laws that will go into affect:

AB 576- Agencies will be identified as “victims” of graffiti vandalism. This gives the agency eligibility to seek restitution from those convicted.

SB 492- Raises fines and jail time for registered gang members loitering near a school within 72 hours of being told to leave.

SB 135 chopping off a cow’s tail is considered a misdemeanor and can only be done when medically relevant.