Criminal Defense

New Smart Streetlights Aid Law Enforcement in San Diego

By Criminal Defense Attorney on October 31, 2019

In 2018, the City of San Diego began a smart streetlight initiative with the intention of providing law enforcement with tools to better monitor the streets of America’s Finest City.
These state-of-the-art streetlights are equipped with energy-saving LED lights, microphones, cameras, and sensors that can detect gunshots, detect open parking spaces, and even measure air quality and the traffic flow of both vehicles and pedestrians.

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These People Need a Lawyer (Part 1)

By Criminal Defense Attorney on September 28, 2019

This past summer, you may have heard a story involving a big-rig truck driver who was pulled over and arrested in Moorpark when a police officer spotted a phony license plate on his rig. Not only did this homemade plate display wobbly letters and numbers in old-style yellow on black, but it also had “CALIFORNIA” misspelled as “CALIFAS.”

How many laws were violated here, and what potential penalties is the driver facing? Let’s take a look.

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The Facts on Ghost Guns and Weapons Charges

By Criminal Defense Attorney on September 11, 2019

The colloquial term “ghost gun” refers to firearms that are not made by regular gun manufacturers, do not have serial numbers, and are not registered with the government. Most of these guns are made by hobbyists at home, or in small, unlicensed operations.

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Crime Statistics in the San Diego Area

By Criminal Defense Attorney on August 28, 2019

The San Diego area is no stranger to crime. One only needs to look at statistics from the final weeks of last month for proof.

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The Basics of Entrapment

By Criminal Defense Attorney on March 25, 2019

Enforcing the law, by definition, is what law enforcement officials are meant to do. It is their responsibility to investigate, not instigate criminal behavior. So, you might assume that if someone suggests you do something illegal, they cannot be law enforcement. That is not, in fact, the case. Officers may approach or invite you to engage in criminal behavior without hurting the case against you. But there are very specific and very strict guidelines for doing so, and if officers do not observe these you may be a victim of entrapment.

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California’s Three Strikes Law – Part Two

By Criminal Defense Attorney on December 26, 2018

In 1994, Californians voted in the Three Strikes Law, but after decades of unfair and expensive punishments, Californians began to realize the problems that came with the law. In this second part of a two-part blog series, jD LAW, P.C., is examining how the law came to be amended.

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California’s Three Strikes Law – Part One

By Criminal Defense Attorney on December 19, 2018

Over 25 years ago, Polly Klaas was abducted from a slumber party at her home in Petaluma. After her disappearance, a fruitless search was conducted for two months. On December 4, 1993, Richard Allen Davis confessed to the murder and took police officers to where he had hidden the body. Davis is now being held on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

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Los Angeles County Erases Juvenile Detention Fees

By Criminal Defense Attorney on November 9, 2018

Being sent to juvenile hall has many consequences in California. The one most people worry about is the fact that the child now has a criminal record, and that record is not always sealed after he or she turns 18 or 21. But there is another consequence to being held in a juvenile facility: the family must often pay for the incarceration. This burden can be a real hardship for many families, and California banned new detention fees in 2009.

In Los Angeles County, the Probation Department went one step further by erasing past juvenile detention fees across the board in one sweeping motion.

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Watch Out for Public Intoxication Charges This Halloween

By Criminal Defense Attorney on October 28, 2018

Halloween is right around the corner. For children, that means trick-or-treating and lots of candy, but it often means something else for adults. This is the time of year for parties, and alcohol is a big part of those parties.

While having a few cocktails with friends in costume is a great way to celebrate the holiday, there are some things you should watch out for in San Diego. One of those is public intoxication. California has statutes pertaining to being drunk in public, and those convicted of this crime may face serious consequences.

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Legal vs. Illegal Search and Seizures in California

By Criminal Defense Attorney on October 20, 2018

In California, law enforcement can search a person, vehicle, home, or other personal property if it is believed the person committed a crime. However, the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects all American citizens from unlawful search and seizure.

So, when can law enforcement conduct a search? When is a search and seizure considered illegal? And what happens to the contents found when a search has been conducted illegally?

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