HOW TO BE A DRUG DEALER WITHOUT GETTING BUSTED No, I am not really going to tell you how to break the law and get away with it, but Purdue Pharma certainly knows how to deal an extremely dangerous drug, which has been abused by millions in this country, without…
California Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
APPELLATE COURT SAYS LAW PROHIBITING GRAND JURIES IN OFFICER-INVOLVED LETHAL FORCE CASES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Police use-of-force has been big news in this country for several years now. A large segment of the public believes that the police have used fatal force without just cause. They cite many high-profile cases: Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and so on. These police killings have triggered…
CRIMES AGAINST DISABLED PERSONS IN CALIFORNIA
You probably heard about the four Chicago youths who kidnapped a mentally disabled 18-year-old male, tied him up, assaulted, tortured him, and taunted him with profanities against white people and Donald Trump. Perhaps you saw the video. The assailants actually live-streamed this 30-minute ordeal over Facebook; the video is revolting.…
Possession And Under The Influence Of A Controlled Substance
FENTANYL MAKES FOR GRIM STATISTICS AS WE CLOSE OUT 2016 Prince was one of thousands of people who died last year after overdosing on fentanyl. The number of deaths attributed to fentanyl overdoses is rising almost exponentially. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, is said to be from 50 to…
California And The Death Penalty
THE ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT California is one of 30 states in which the death penalty is legal. In the last election, California voters voted to keep capital punishment legal (Proposition 62) and, beyond that, voted to speed up the process (Proposition 66). Proposition 62 would have replaced the punishment for those…
ARE CRIMINALS BORN AND THEN MADE?
Researchers have discovered a there is a genetic link between personality and mental illness. As one of the researchers explained: “Mental illnesses can be viewed as maladaptive or extreme variants of personality traits.” The researchers studied the genetic profiles of 260,000 people focusing on the five long-established personality traits…
PROPOSITION 57 GIVES EARLY PAROLE TO CERTAIN NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS
On November 8, 2016, California voters passed Proposition 57, The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 201, by an overwhelming majority of 64%. This proposition contained two key provisions: 1) It makes certain non-violent felons eligible for immediate parole and 2) It requires a court hearing before a juvenile…
PROP 57 ENDS “DIRECT FILE” IN JUVENILE CRIMINAL CASES
Until the passage of Proposition 57 on November 8th, minors over the age of 14 charged with a criminal offense would often find themselves directly charged in adult court rather than juvenile court. The two courts are very distinct because the focus of court in a juvenile criminal matter…
Prop 64 and Prior Marijuana Convictions in California
PETITION UNDER PROPOSITION 64 TO DISMISS AND SEAL OR TO REDUCE A PRIOR MARIJUANA CONVICTION By a hefty margin of 56%, Prop 64 was passed in California on November 8. It is now legal for Californians over the age of 21 to possess, transport, and buy 28.5 grams (a little…
TECH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR CIVIL RIGHTS
Dystopian films and literature are usually thought of as science fiction, but while this entertainment might be classified as fiction, it often portends a future that may already be here. That is especially true when it comes to crime fighting. In my previous post, I discussed a few of…