Criminal Defense | San Diego Law Blog

What You Need to Know About Bail Reform in California

By San Diego Attorney on July 5, 2020

On the November 2020 ballot, California voters will have the option of abolishing bail in the state. This is a drastic shift in how the criminal justice system operates in our state and will influence the early stages of a criminal trial. Instead of paying bail after an arrest, defendants will be evaluated with a pretrial assessment review that will determine whether or not you are released from jail prior to your arraignment. This process may prove difficult for most defendants to understand initially and several factors can influence your assessment.

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Is Petty Theft a Misdemeanor or Felony in California?

By San Diego Attorney on June 11, 2020

Misdemeanors and felonies can be a complicated topic for the everyday person to understand, especially when faced with criminal charges. In cases of petty theft, the difference relies on the judgment of the prosecution, who may make a decision based on your history, the nature of the crime, and, most importantly, the amount of money involved in the crime.

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How to Safely Transport Firearms in California

By San Diego Attorney on May 5, 2020

Moving can be stressful enough without having to worry about being arrested. While it is legal to own weapons on private property in California, when it comes to transporting them, specific rules apply under the law. You must understand how to safely transport firearms to avoid criminal charges.

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What Happens After I Am Charged with a Crime?

By San Diego Attorney on April 20, 2020

Re-runs of Law & Order present a trimmed down and rushed idea of a courtroom. Each episode neatly divides it into investigation, arrest, and trial if there is enough time left, but the reality is much more complicated. If you have been charged with a crime, your criminal defense case will follow five key steps, each with their own procedures and timelines.

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What Rights Do You Have When A Police Officer Pulls You Over?

By San Diego Attorney on April 5, 2020

If you are pulled over by the police, it is essential to know that you have certain rights. It is also critical that you respond in a way that does not escalate the situation. Remain calm, be polite, and let the officer do the talking, responding only as appropriate. Turn off your engine, roll down your window completely, turn on your internal light if it’s dark, and remain in the car until and unless the officer directs you to get out. Wait until the officer asks to see your license and registration before you begin rummaging around for them.

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Defending Against Identity Theft Charges

By San Diego Attorney on February 20, 2020

In a society obsessed with social media and online content, internet privacy has become a major concern to most Americans. Cases of identity theft, large and small, are becoming increasingly more common. However, many questions still exist as to how identity theft is defined and prosecuted.

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New Smart Streetlights Aid Law Enforcement in San Diego

By San Diego 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 San Diego 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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Watch Out for the DUI Checkpoints

By San Diego Attorney on September 18, 2019

The San Diego police plan, publicize, and execute DUI checkpoints regularly. Locations for these checkpoints are chosen based on previous accidents and DUI arrests. In a recent article in the Times of San Diego, a representative of the police department stated that crashes involving impaired drivers can be reduced by up to 20% when well-publicized DUI operations are conducted on a routine basis.

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The Facts on Ghost Guns and Weapons Charges

By San Diego 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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