Criminal Defense
Say and do or don’t do this when stopped by police
What you say and how you act when police stop you can follow you during the entire criminal investigation and prosecution. Do not expect that police will be fair or concerned about your rights. They are legally allowed to lie, intimidate, and bluff in these...
Were my Miranda rights violated?
If you have been arrested and are in police custody, it makes sense that law enforcement officials will want to interrogate you to get as much information as they can regarding the alleged crime. However, when you are facing this kind of questioning, it is very easy...
Understanding California’s stalking laws
Most serious criminal offenses involve acts of physical violence. However, others involve no physical contact act all, with words or behavior constituting the substance of the crime. Stalking is perhaps the most well-known crime in this later category. The elements of...
Carefully weigh the consequences of entering a plea bargain
Criminal defendants have the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial which forces the government to prove their case in court beyond a reasonable doubt. But only 5,242 of the 568,408 criminal cases resolved in California in 2019 were decided by a jury trial according to...
What is considered domestic violence?
Domestic violence charges can significantly impact those accused of it. Because domestic violence can impact everyone touched by it, it is important for those accused of domestic violence to know about the legal resources available to help them through domestic...
What constitutes identity theft in California?
With the prevalence of online commerce and the many ways in which we use the internet for financial transactions, a lot of interest and media coverage is often focused on this type of alleged identity theft. However, prosecutors may choose to charge someone with...
The impact of a conviction on your life can be significant
The first concern for most people in California who are arrested and charged with a crime is that they may face jail time. For felony offenses, there is even the prospect of significant prison time. Although being deprived of your freedom is obviously the most...
Embezzlement penalties and defenses
Embezzlement laws penalize people who unlawfully retain property that is entrusted to them. In California, embezzlement is a property crime. It requires a fiduciary relationship between the person to whom the property was entrusted and the victim. This means that he...
Your rights in a criminal trial
If you have decided to take your criminal case to trial in California, you have likely decided that you have a chance to “beat the case” and avoid a conviction. This is a calculated decision that almost all criminal defendants must reach: Is the prosecution’s case...