Naturally, people can commit criminal acts at any age. A 12-year-old could shoplift from a nearby store, a 50-year-old could embezzle money from their company and a 70-year-old may try to commit some type of financial fraud. You can always find examples of people breaking the law at any age. That...
From the moment of arrest, your future is up in the air. Given your charge, the legal penalties you will face may be clear, but it can be challenging to move forward socially. It's possible you haven't told anyone about your run-in with the law due to a fear of judgment, and that's okay. But to b...
Feelings of shock and fear or even excruciating pain are common occurrences after a collision. But if your injuries don't require an ambulance ride straight to the emergency room, collecting as much evidence as possible to back up your accident claim is crucial. What's considered to be evidence? ...
Although we almost all know someone who has been in a collision, hearing about their experience may not be enough to prepare for the possibility of personal involvement in one. Accidents can bring on a lot of physical pain and emotional distress, but knowing what to do, starting at the scene of t...
Police officers will often use various tactics and tricks to try to manipulate potential suspects. They may try to get them to confess or provide information that they wouldn't otherwise. After all, police officers are often allowed to lie to suspects, and this is part of the reason why it's impo...
People who immigrate to the United States are sometimes interested in how they can become citizens. It may be a multi-step process. For instance, someone could come to the United States because they get a job, using an employment visa. They could then get married and use their status to get a gre...
Those who are facing criminal accusations may claim that they did not want to break the law. They were under duress. Someone or something else was pressuring them, and they felt that they had no choice. A potential example of this is if someone is threatened with physical harm. Say that a woman w...
There are some situations in which you may encounter a dog that seems dangerous or threatening. Often, your instincts tell you to run or yell. You're simply trying to escape the threat or perhaps frighten the dog so that it doesn't attack. But these instincts are often wrong. Trying to run away c...
When you hear about a crime involving assault, you probably can instantly picture a movie scene of someone threatening or harming another person. On the other hand, you might not know the level a violent act needs to escalate for it to become an aggravated assault. Before getting into a more deta...
Theft from businesses is a common issue, although it takes various forms of severity. On one hand, there are workers who may just take office supplies home with them at the end of the day. But there are others who will take computers and thousands of dollars worth of equipment, and still others w...
Even though they are controversial, sobriety checkpoints are legal in California. At these checkpoints, police officers can ask drivers for their identification and may ask them to pull to the side if they believe the driver is impaired. This is different than a normal drunk driving traffic stop,...
There was a time when selling marijuana at all was illegal, but those times are now behind us. Today, recreational marijuana is legal and sold in California and many other states. This has really changed the way that consumers look at it, as many people now view it similarly to the way that they ...
Road rage is incredibly dangerous and can cause car accidents. If you're ever around a driver who appears to be experiencing a road rage episode, it is wise to keep your distance. But you may also find yourself wondering why it happens. People tend to act very irrationally during road rage in a w...
Those who are not citizens of the United States sometimes use marriage as a reason to get a green card. This allows them to be a permanent resident. For instance, someone who came to the United States to go to college may get married to a person who is already a citizen. They need to become a per...
Drug tests can show if someone has been using illegal substances in the past. For instance, employers will sometimes ask new employees to take drug tests to ensure that they aren't using illegal substances. This is especially true for dangerous occupations or those – such as being a police office...
Many people know that it's a crime to open someone else's mail. But in 2023, most people aren't sending or receiving that many letters through the post office. Instead, they do this through email. However, accessing someone else's email without permission is prohibited under U.S. law and under Ca...
Many accusations of criminal activity, such as assault or rape, are accurate. It is unfair to victims to assume that they are making the story up or that they are not being honest. These types of accusations do need to be taken seriously. That being said, false accusations have been recorded in t...
Most people are well aware that it is illegal to drink and drive. They cannot bring alcoholic beverages with them in the car, nor can they drive if they have previously been drinking and they are impaired by the substances they've consumed. Drunk driving is very common and results in thousands of...
Many drivers believe that they have excellent response times or reaction times. If you ask them how long it takes to react to something unexpected ahead of them, they'll tell you that they will react immediately. But will they? Probably not. Studies show that it actually takes about 0.75 seconds ...
Hydroplaning is often compared to driving on ice. But it is fundamentally a bit different. When a car hits ice, the vehicle loses grip on a slick surface. When a car hydroplanes, it is because the tires rise up on top of the standing water on the road, causing them to lose contact with the paveme...
Distracted driving is very common, especially texting and driving. It is illegal, but people still do it, and they cause accidents because they're not paying attention to the road. This lack of focus leads to mistakes or directly reduces their reaction times so they can't avoid accidents. But say...
When someone gets arrested on drunk driving allegations, their employer certainly may find out about it. It could be in the local news, for instance, or the person may have to spend time dealing with the authorities and not show up for work. One of the biggest things that people worry about when ...
People will sometimes act as if the results of a breath test are ironclad. Field sobriety tests may be a bit more subjective. But if a breath test measures someone's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and says that they are at or above the legal limit, people think of that as solid proof. But is i...
In California, you can purchase marijuana for either medicinal purposes or recreational purposes. Those who buy it recreationally still do have to adhere to certain rules – such as being 21 years old, similar to when they purchase alcohol – but it is not a criminal act. Other states may still put...
For many young people, getting an education is incredibly important. It sets the stage for their future. It may open specific doors to careers that they have been considering. For instance, someone who wants to become a nurse simply cannot do so without the right education and licensing. However,...