Recently the California State Legislature passed a budget which called for massive cuts in the funding for California’s court system. These spending cuts will no doubt cause many litigants to have justice delayed or even denied altogether. Hundreds of clerks in the San Francisco County court system have been given…
A criminal defense lawyer must always be aware of whether his client is a citizen or not. A case can have huge a huge impact on a defendant’s life if he is not a citizen. Many city and county jails now screen their inmates to determine whether they are in…
Penal Code Section 278.5 controls the criminal law in the area of Court orders and custody proceedings. When a parent or other person or even a governmental agency has a right to custody of a child according to a Family Law Court order or any court of competent jurisdiction, that…
When you are arrested for a violation of Penal Code Section 266h you need a lawyer right away. The minimum sentence for a violation of the Pimping statute is three years in State Prison. If you are convicted of this offense the judge does not have the ability to give…
Why should you hire your attorney immediately? Some people will advise you that you don’t even need a lawyer. Others will tell you that you should wait to hire a lawyer so you can see what you are actually charged with or if you are charged at all. I would…
Unless a defendant is charged by way of a grand jury indictment he or she is entitled to a Preliminary Hearing. At a Preliminary Hearing a judge determines whether there is sufficient evidence against a defendant to justify going to trial. It is often called a probable cause hearing. Officers…
An elderly criminal defendant who commits a crime is in an especially difficult position. What does the criminal justice system do with a defendant who has violated the law but who is of an age where it makes no sense to put him in jail? An elderly defendant can be…
How does a lawyer conduct jury selection? What is he looking for? Why did he kick me off the jury panel? How could he think I wouldn’t be fair? Jury selection is sometimes called an inexact science at best. At worst, it’s like throwing darts at a target blindfolded and…
When an employee gets accused of taking money, merchandise, products, or writing checks without permission from his employer it almost always costs the employee his or her job. Often times the employer will call in law enforcement to back up the claim of theft. Why? Many times it is in…
What if the person who is the victim in my case doesn’t want to prosecute? Can I work out a money deal with him so that he is paid restitution and I am not prosecuted? The answer to this question is: sometimes. It’s not buying justice or bribing someone so…