Navigating Your DMV Case The California Department of Motor Vehicles suspends the license of anyone arrested for a DUI. The suspension is automatic under the Admin Per Se law. The suspension starts 30 days after the date of the arrest. This process is separate from the criminal court process. Eve...
Finding a Way Out When people are facing criminal charges, one of their first thoughts is “will I go to jail?” Understandably, the answer to this question can have a huge impact on your life. Jail can affect your ability to work, take care of your family, and maintain your ties to your community...
When Touching Crosses the Line Battery is a common California criminal charge. One of the reasons it is so common is the statutory language covering battery law casts a wide net. The law is not written to cover just acts of violence such as punching someone and giving them a black eye. In fact, C...
Getting the Information You Need When facing criminal charges, you should obtain all relevant information about your case, including documents and other pieces of evidence and testimony. Having as much information as you can help you build a strategic defense. Without knowing what you are up agai...
Who Is the Victim? People typically think of domestic violence as a crime between two intimate partners such as spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends. In reality, California domestic violence laws are more comprehensive. Under California law, an act of violence or abuse can be considered domestic v...
Commercial Risks Class C commercial drivers' licenses permit you to drive a wide range of heavy load, two and three axle vehicles as well as those carrying hazardous materials. Vital to our economy, these drivers help support many industries such as logistics, construction, and energy. If you hav...
New Technologies for New Law Enforcement Problems California is one of the many states that use sobriety checkpoints to crack down on DUIs. Typically, motorists who are stopped are asked a few questions and may be asked to submit to a field sobriety test or a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tes...
Investigating Injuries Corporal injury to a spouse is one of the more serious California domestic violence charges. It differs from domestic battery in that the alleged victim must have suffered a traumatic condition for the defendant to be guilty. Loosely defined, a traumatic condition is an inj...
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...
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.
