Category Archives: Legal News
California Continues Criminal Justice Reform With Laws Limiting Felony Murder, Juvenile Prosecution
Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a number of laws aimed at criminal justice reform. These laws benefit accused juvenile offenders, beyond the reforms we previously covered, as well as those who would otherwise face murder charges under the antiquated felony murder rule. Read for details about the new laws, and contact an experienced Rancho… Read More »
California Ends Cash Bail System for Criminal Defendants
California has just become the first state to end cash bail for criminal defendants. Under a law recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown, defendants will face either jail or no jail pending trial, with no cash payment required. Continue reading for more about the new law and the pretrial detention system, and contact an… Read More »
New California Laws Ban Secret Settlements, Protect Victims in Sexual Harassment Cases
California lawmakers have been responding to the #MeToo movement with a fervor, drawing up and passing numerous laws intended to protect employees in the workplace. Governor Jerry Brown just signed several bills that limit employers’ ability to sweep sexual harassment instances under the rug and otherwise expand the rights of victims of harassment. Continue… Read More »
California Refines DUI Laws for Uber Drivers, Cannabis Possession
To account for the changing times for drivers, California passed several laws in 2017 that recently went into effect. Read on to learn about several laws that affect rideshare drivers and cannabis users, and contact a knowledgeable San Bernardino criminal defense attorney if you have any questions or are facing criminal charges. Rideshare and… Read More »
New California Law Would Prevent Minors Under 16 From Being Tried As Adults
Under current California law, minors as young as 14 can be tried as an adult depending on the circumstances of the crime and the nature of the defendant. A new law currently before the California legislature would require that all 14- and 15-year-olds be tried as juveniles, regardless of the crime. Read on for… Read More »
How California Props 64 and 215 Affect Marijuana Users, Growers, and Sellers
California voters passed Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), on November 8, 2016, which permits the adult recreational growth and use of marijuana (or cannabis). The commercial sale and purchase of marijuana became legal earlier this year. Continue reading to learn what is allowed under California law, and contact an experienced… Read More »
Hazing at a CA High School Could Lead to Sex Crimes Charges
Allegations have surfaced at a Los Angeles County high school of sexual hazing by forced sodomy on the school’s varsity soccer team. L.A. county sheriffs investigators are looking into an alleged attack in which a 14-year-old victim was surprised by 10 teammates in the soccer team’s storage room, held down by four older players,… Read More »
Los Angeles Jury Returns Verdicts in Trial of the “Bell 6”
A jury in Los Angeles County returned verdicts in the trial of six former Bell City council members (the “Bell 6”) charged with misappropriating public funds to pay themselves excessive salaries. The scandal came to light in 2010 following the publication of a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times discussing the large… Read More »
…But is it Rape?
Earlier this year, the California Court of Appeals had to determine whether or not a rape occurred when a man entered a sleeping woman’s bedroom and had sex with her, when she thought at the time that the man was her boyfriend. The court held that a rape did not occur, but only because… Read More »
Impact of California A.B. Prison Realignment Law
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law A.B. 109 effectively transferring responsibility for nonserious, nonviolent and non-Penal Code §290 registerable sex offenders from the state to the counties. The law was an apparent response to a U. S. Supreme Court order to reduce California’s prison population to 137 percent of capacity by May 24, 2013… Read More »