Dr. Murray killed Michael Jackson. No doubt about it since the jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter. He got sentenced to the maximum term of four years. Dr. Murray won his case when he got convicted. How can I say that when he went through a hard fought trial…
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a real problem in our veterans returning from combat deployments. Many times the conditions are not diagnosed until the veteran becomes a defendant in the criminal justice system. How the criminal justice system deals with these defendants is a…
Veteran’s Day is celebrated once every year by the country. Yet the sacrifice by our veterans is not always so easily recognized any day in the current criminal court system. Often times I represent men and women who have served our country both in actual combat and in supporting roles.…
Recently a man was convicted in Orange County California of murder. Essentially this Defendant was initially attacked by a group of gang members who chased him and threw beer bottles at him. In response the Defendant attacked the group who had initially assaulted him with a gun. He shot at…
Petty theft, or a violation of Penal Code Section 484-488, is when someone steals an item or items of value when that item(s) doesn’t have a large dollar value. It used to be that if what was stolen was worth less than $400.00 is was clearly a misdemeanor violation, commonly…
Residential burglary occurs when someone enters the residence of another with the intent to steal or commit a felony inside the home. The “normal” burglary is one where the burglar enters the home by forcing some kind of entry. Entry into the home through a window or forcing a door…
Recently I had the opportunity to teach a class to other attorneys. All attorneys are required to attend and complete mandatory continuing education classes on various issues in the law. One of those classes offered was “How To Defend A First Time DUI”. Since I am a Certified Specialist in…
Recently the Los Angeles Times ran an article about several Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ deputies who had their testimony rejected by a jury. The case involved the deputies testifying that a defendant possessed a concealed firearm. One deputy in particular testified that he saw the defendant in a side yard…
I recently had a case in which my client was charged with evading the police, assault on a police officer, and resisting arrest. The police reports read like a one man crime wave. The client sped away at a high speed from the police, failing to yield to the lights…
Before 1997 if someone was injured by a defendant during the commission of a crime and died more than three years and a day after the crime, he could not be convicted of murder. Recently, a case came before the Court of Appeal that tested this assumption. Two defendants, Robert…