Your Rights and Protections Both State and Federal Constitutions protect you from unreasonable search and seizure. Legally defined, unreasonable search and seizure is a search without a warrant or probable cause. But in California DUI stops, it is not uncommon for this right to be violated or sid...
Moving on From Your Early Mistakes Making a mistake in your youth shouldn't reflect on your character as an adult. But a juvenile record can follow you into adulthood. Courts, law enforcement, employers, landlords, and other agencies may have access to your juvenile records. While some records of...
Complicating Factors Domestic battery is one of California's domestic violence offenses. Battery is a misdemeanor charge. Although misdemeanors are less serious than felonies, there are certain things that can increase the seriousness of a battery charge. In light of such aggravating circumstance...
When Things Get Out of Hand In domestic violence cases, the prosecution process often begins with the alleged victim calling law enforcement. The word of the victim will be taken seriously, and, in most cases, the alleged abuser will be arrested. False accusations are not uncommon in California d...
Two Possibilities Certain domestic violence offenses are considered wobbler crimes. In California, wobbler crimes are those that can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies. In wobbler crime cases, the prosecuting attorney can decide to file charges as a misdemeanor or a felony. How the pro...
An Attorney for a Ticket? Traffic tickets in California can come with steep fines and penalty assessments. When coupled with long-term effects on your insurance rates, a simple traffic ticket can be a very costly mistake you'll pay for over years. Needless to say, getting a ticket is stressful, a...
An Agreement Between the Defendant and the Prosecution A plea bargain is an agreement between the defendant and the prosecution where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to certain charges in exchange for dropping or reducing certain charges or a lesser sentence. Plea bargains can be favorable t...
When Courts Get It Wrong Sometimes courts make mistakes. When those mistakes happen, wrongfully convicted criminal defendants might have a right to appeal a trial verdict. As long as the defendant has grounds, he or she may file an appeal. The ground is the legally justified for the appeal. If yo...
Get a Stay to Stay on the Road Once you're arrested for a DUI, the countdown to your license suspension begins. The arresting officer will give you a notice of your suspension, which states your suspension will go into effect in 30 days. Inaction is the quickest route to losing your license. If y...
Appearing at Your Hearing If you are facing proceedings with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, you probably want to know what to expect. Many people have never been to an administrative hearing of any kind. Without knowing what to expect, it's hard to prepare, which can hurt your chanc...
When the Deck is Stacked Against You When you are being prosecuted for a crime, many factors can influence your case. The facts and circumstances of your offense can influence how the prosecuting attorney files the charge. And many additional factors can influence how the judge sentences you. Amo...
Specialists vs. Generalists Licensed attorneys can provide legal advice on a wide range of legal topics. They are trained to interpret and apply the law. Although laws vary from issue to issue, attorneys have the general skills needed to practice law. At the same time, people who seek the help of...
The Points Add Up Among the many consequences of a DUI conviction, you will become involved with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which oversees your driving privileges. The DMV will handle your Administrative Per Se license suspension, which is an automatic license suspension that ta...
The Effect of a Criminal Conviction on Your Career A domestic violence conviction isn't like any other criminal conviction. Domestic violence carries a stigma with it that is hard to shake. Even more so than assault, domestic violence offenses are seen as particularly immoral given the nature of ...
Willful Evasion When it comes to law enforcement, police officers have immense power and authority. Because of their unique status in society, crimes that obstruct their duties or harm them in some way are punished severely. Evading an officer is one such criminal offense that isn't taken lightly...
Record cleaning is a growing service industry. The number of Americans with criminal records is rising. Some studies claim up to 1/3 of all working-age adults has a criminal record. Given this figure, it seems unfair for an employer to make a hiring decision based off of a criminal record. But th...
DMV administrative hearings are much like criminal court hearings. They take place before a hearing officer—rather than a judge—and involve the presentation of evidence and argument to establish facts. Those facts, when coupled with a review of the law, often result in a decision being made as to...
Legal Proceedings DMV hearings are administrative proceedings separate from the criminal court. Generally speaking, a hearing is a brief proceeding used to establish certain facts or issues relevant to the case. Typically, a hearing involves both the presentation of evidence and arguments. On the...
Driving on a suspended license is a serious offense in California that can result in fines and even jail time. But believe it or not, many people are caught driving on a suspended license and argue they didn't know about the suspension. To make sure you aren't caught unaware, you should learn abo...
The Initial Hold Counties across California can issue steep fines for even minor traffic violations. And when you can't pay those fines—or go to court to contest them—you put your license at risk. 40509.5 is the legal code section that permits the traffic court to tell the DMV to put a hold on yo...
Lifting Restrictions Probation is a common penalty for criminal convictions. Many crimes can result in one to three years of probation, during which time the defendant is subject to certain restrictions and requirements. Violating the terms of your probation can result in a longer probation perio...
An Important Right Your right to due process is protected under the U.S. Constitution. This is an important right to understand because it protects you on all levels of government, including the state government in California. This right ensures that without fair judicial proceedings, you cannot ...
Summertime Sobriety Checkpoints Sobriety checkpoints are ubiquitous in summer months across the State of California. Summer, with its holidays, festivals, and other events and activities, can result in more drunk drivers on the road. California operates around 2,500 sobriety checkpoints across th...
When You Are at a Disadvantage Being convicted of a crime is a life-altering event. Not only will you be punished by the criminal court, but you will also carry that conviction with you the rest of your life in the form of a criminal background. And, unfortunately, many people can access that inf...
A DUI With Complications Many factors can affect a DUI case in California. One of the more significant ones is whether you caused an accident, injured someone, or damaged property while driving under the influence. If you caused a minor accident and no one was injured, you will probably only face...
We focus on defending clients accused of Domestic Violence and Driving Under the Influence (DUI), two of the most aggressively prosecuted charges in California. Every case starts with listening. We take the time to understand your situation, your concerns, and your goals so we can build a defense strategy tailored specifically to you. If you are under investigation or have already been charged, do not wait. Early action can make a critical difference in your case. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
