California Criminal Defense, Cryptocurrency, Immigration And Personal Injury Legal Blog

Increasingly, people are taking psychedelic drugs (hallucinogens) to help with various mental health issues as well as substance abuse disorders. Among the most common are “magic mushrooms” and ayahuasca. Several cities in Northern California (San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz) have decrimina...

Facing a DUI charge isn't something to take lightly. You might be frustrated or trying to think of all the ways you should have done something differently leading up to your charge. But instead of dwelling on it, it's essential to reflect on what happened and compare it to what should happen at a...

If you are someone who jogs multiple times a week, you likely do it because you want to stay in shape and stay healthy. Unfortunately, there are also some health risks that come with running, especially when you have to do it by traffic. You could be injured in an accident caused by a driver who ...

One of the most dangerous things that people can do when driving is to tailgate the car ahead of them. This means they are not maintaining a proper following distance. In the event of an unexpected change – a driver hitting the brakes, for instance – they may not be able to stop their car in time...

It is fairly common, and certainly not illegal, for two intimate partners to make an explicit recording of themselves, as long as they are both aware of this and consent to the activity. It is illegal to record someone without their knowledge, of course, but many people will do this intentionally...

Cryptocurrencies are under “serious scrutiny,” according to news reports. Only this isn't new information. Regulators have spent years scrambling to identify the potential problems with digital assets. And while government agencies have yet to agree on a legal categorization for DeFi, they contin...

When a driver pulls up to a red light, they may take that opportunity to pull out their cell phone. This driver may not even consider that texting and driving is prohibited, but they do know that it's dangerous. That's why they've waited until they're at the red light. They didn't want to text wh...

Homeowners need to be well aware of the risk of an attractive nuisance. It could mean that they are liable if someone else gets injured on their property. This is especially true in cases involving children. The homeowner may claim that they didn't try to cause an injury and they didn't even beli...

Next time you are sitting in traffic on the way to work, take a look at the drivers around you. Do they all seem bright and alert, or are some looking sleepy or exhausted? It is highly likely that whatever time of day you drive, you will share the road with a few drowsy drivers, and that could pu...

When a truck crashes, the outcome can be far worse than when a smaller vehicle crashes. These powerful vehicles essential to keeping the country stocked with goods have taken or ruined many lives. Because the outcome for people in other vehicles is so grave, they (or their families) may need to c...

There's a common myth about drunk driving charges that says that a person who is too intoxicated to drive just needs to take the time to have a cup of hot black coffee before they get in the car. The idea is that this will sober them up, and then they can drive safely. Similar myths indicate that...

They say dogs are man's best friend. Yet, best friends don't bite each other. You've probably seen news articles where the family pet attacks the child. It's proof that dogs can be unpredictable, and you should always take a certain amount of care, especially around ones you do not know. Can you ...

If you are facing criminal charges, it is important to consider all possible defense arguments. One of the more obscure ones you might not have heard of is called the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. Here is how it works: You use it to try and convince a judge to refuse to admit evidence The...

In many cases where a crime is committed, some sort of outside pressure influenced that action. For example, someone who is facing overwhelming debt or a lot of financial pressure may be more likely to embezzle money from work or shoplift from the store. These are not necessarily activities that ...

Crime statistics from 2021 show that while crime in California remains relatively low, certain offenses went up — specifically, crimes of violence. The Public Policy Institute of California reports that violent crime incidents per capita jumped 6 percent from 2020 to 2021. In the latter year, the...

You may know that you have a right to a trial by a jury of your peers when you're accused of a serious crime, but do you also know that you have a right to a “speedy” trial? The right to require the government to bring you to trial without undue delay is guaranteed under the 6th Amendment to the ...

Theft, simply put, is taking something that is not yours. Minor theft includes things like shoplifting from the grocery store. Major theft includes breaking into stores or homes, and you also have examples like grand theft auto, which involves the theft of motor vehicles. But embezzlement, a whit...

Not everyone that courts issue sentences to goes on to serve those sentences. In some cases, the court suspends the sentence. How does that work? Firstly it's important to realize that not everyone is eligible to ask for this. It's typically something judges will reserve for minor offenses. Secon...

It's certainly true that people understand the danger of slip-and-fall accidents, which can lead to serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries. These things do happen and it is often the fault of the property owner. For instance, someone who slips on a wet spot in the store may claim that...

It is often thought that jail time is a deterrent to crime. Therefore, when young people are arrested, jail time may be used to ensure that they don't offend again. The hope is that they will see the time behind bars as a potential ramification and that will modify their behavior in the future. A...

It is, naturally, prohibited for someone to take a firearm on a plane. You are not allowed to travel with a gun, even if you legally purchased it and you hold all of the required permits. Firearms are one of the main things that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA_ looks for when scan...

Evidence is critical in a criminal case. Yet, not all evidence deserves to be given equal weight when it's considered by a judge or jury. If the police charge you with a crime, you need to understand what, if any, evidence they have and what category it falls into. Direct evidence is something th...

A search warrant means that the police can enter a property that is owned by someone else, even if they do not have that person's consent. They will often ask for consent first, and if they cannot get it, then they will get a warrant. But there are also cases where they will get the warrant in ad...

Many people accused of drug crimes, especially possession offenses, will face state charges. Any drug offense has the potential to limit your opportunities in life and cause significant criminal consequences, but some charges are much more serious than others.  There are some scenarios in which t...

November is a month that crypto enthusiasts across the world would want to forget in a hurry and it typifies how 2022 has been so far, following the bearish market and the series of events that have led to the loss of billions of dollars in investments. The recent collapse of FTX and the possibil...