Criminal Defense | Orange County Criminal Defense Blog - Part 3

A first-degree murder charge is one of the most severe charges you can find yourself being accused of, and as a result, it is important to know what your options are and how to prepare for an approaching trial. First-degree murder is where you intentionally kill someone unlawfully as a result of your deliberate acts of premeditation and planning. Therefore, a prosecutor must prove that the defendant possessed intent or “malice aforethought,” and that the defendant committed the actual murder itself. Read the rest »

Being accused and convicted of an assault with a deadly weapon charge is a serious offense that should not be taken lightly. It is important to understand not only what constitutes this crime but also the specific factors involved that will determine what your possible punishment could be if convicted. California Penal Code 245(a)(1) defines this crime as the attempt to assault someone with the added use of a deadly weapon. Standing in front of a person and pointing a gun at them or wielding a knife with the threat of stabbing someone are both examples of assault with a deadly weapon. Read the rest »

Traffic. Gridlock. Bumper-to-bumper. Even hinting at some of these conditions can put some people’s teeth on edge. Unfortunately, no matter what term is used to describe the flow of vehicles on Southern California roads, it always adds up to one thing: frustration. Depending on the time of day, the location, and the freeway, that frustration can rapidly switch into anger. Anger at the driver in front of you. Anger at the motorcyclist coming up behind you. Anger at the general lack of movement. Read the rest »

If you are an immigrant facing deportation due to a criminal charges, it is important to seek proper legal counsel as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to maintain your status. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to have the charges vacated or get a waiver allowing you to remain in the country. But, you’ll have to act fast. Get the representation you need today, through an experienced immigration or criminal defense firm. Read the rest »

In years past, superstars like Burt Reynolds and Steve McQueen sped around the silver screen in their muscle cars. They played tough characters who caused untold amounts of havoc. This, of course, inspired legions of fans to do the same on the streets of Southern California. Unfortunately, not much has changed in the 21st century. With the introduction of The Fast and The Furious movies comes a new generation of speedsters tearing up public roadways. But, one thing is different this time around – the technology. Read the rest »

As the old saying goes, it wasn’t a matter of “if,” it was a matter of “when.” Officials at the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles recently installed face recognition software into their state database to combat identity theft and fraud.  Read the rest »

Before cell phones, making prank or harassing phone calls required more effort. Now, it only takes a couple of quick taps on a phone and send a few offensive “emoji” symbols to harass someone. This is unfortunate, as many people charged with making obscene or annoying phone calls weren’t even aware they were committing a crime. Read the rest »

It’s a term that we often hear on the nightly news: “The individual was arrested and charged with one count of false imprisonment.” While the idea sounds straightforward enough, it is a very complicated situation. For instance, in recent months there have been a number of reports of Arab princes taking up summer residence in Beverly Hills and engaging in all manner of bad behavior: speeding, reckless driving, disturbing the peace. But, the out of control rich bad boy behavior became very serious when a Saudi prince was arrested after a woman was found bloody and screaming trying to scale a fence surrounding his luxury property. As the LA Times reports, one of the charges the prince now faces is false imprisonment. Read the rest »

It was the summer of 1989 an up-and-coming actress named Rebecca Schaeffer was in her West Hollywood apartment rehearsing lines for potentially the biggest role of her career: The Godfather 3. She’d only recently moved to Los Angeles, but was already making a name for herself. This new role would only boost her star power. Then, there was a knock at the door. Rebecca answered it and was greeted by a young man who introduced himself as Robert John Bardo. He enthusiastically showed her an autographed photo and letter her fan club had sent to him months earlier. After a brief conversation, the actress asked the young man to leave. And never return. Moments later Bardo did return. Except, when Rebecca answered the door this time she was greeted by the small caliber handgun Robert John Bardo shot her with at point blank range. Read the rest »

The request was innocent enough. Will you be able to take care of our ailing loved one? Can you oversee their twilight years and make sure they are well taken care of? Naturally, you took on the role of caretaker because you are a genuinely caring person and you wanted to make sure the person you care for maintains a relatively high quality of life. At first, everything went smoothly – bills were paid on time, medical appointments were always met and, most of all, the family was happy with the care their loved one was receiving. But, despite the quality of care you delivered, you began to sense something was wrong. The family started to question your actions and treat you with a certain degree of suspicion. Everything finally boiled over and they outright accused you of elder abuse – specifically, skimming funds from the loved one’s bank account and misusing money set aside for their care. Read the rest »