Category Archives: Criminal Defense

Women in the Legal System – As a Judge or Judged as a Lawyer

In a recent study published on June 10, 2015, in the Social Science Research Network, the authors look at the significance of male and female participants as judges and litigants in the legal system. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2616502 The authors noted they evaluated empirical data to determine to what extent a male or a female lawyer obtained a … Read More

What To Do If You Get A Call or Letter From The Government?

If you receive a telephone call or a letter from the Government, it is extremely important that you obtain experienced legal counsel at once. It may be possible to “nip it in the bud” during the pre-file and/or investigative stage. This is why it’s so important to seek legal advice in the early stages of … Read More

Intoxicated Passenger Unable to Collect from Taxi Service

A taxi company and its driver were sued for wrongful death (negligence) when a passenger who was intoxicated exited the cab, and then within a half an hour walked into heavy traffic and was killed by a drunk driver. On March 11, 2015, a Santa Barbara Court jury concluded the decedent’s mother could not collect … Read More

State Board License Diversion Program

A Diversion Program is intended to provide an alternative for a professional who is licensed in the State of California when there is evidence of a substance abuse and/or impairment due to a mental illness who would otherwise be charged with wrongdoing . One should not be embarrassed by what may appear to be a … Read More

If You Have a Professional License, When Should You Obtain Legal Advice?

If you  receive a Citation or Notice of Violation for a crime and/or are arrested, you need to obtain legal advice immediately. Moreover, your concerns are far greater than your driver’s license. When you have a professional or occupational license, your career is at stake. Not only would it be reasonable to worry about losing … Read More

Unintended Consequences of Criminal Offenders Being Transferred from State Prison to County Jail

The growing population of over 150,000 inmates in state prisons in California has exceeded the level the U.S. Supreme Court opined in 2011 is permissible. There has been litigation in Federal Court to obtain a more speedy reduction of the state prison population, and a new law has been enacted as a result of the … Read More

California Courts and Courtrooms Closing

Due to severe budget cuts of the Judicial Branch of Government, a huge number of courts  and courtrooms in approximately 29 counties throughout California have closed, and some have had severe reductions in services. The Judicial Council of California has reported that over 50 Courthouses and over 200 Courtrooms have been closed as a result … Read More

Identity Theft – What is the Real Story?

Identity theft can be characterized as a major scourge in society today. It has become a  growing danger, and as such it  currently is often labeled cybercrime and/or cyber espionage, with this fraud on the public becoming so pernicious that even major nationwide firms such as Target, eBay and Home-Depot; as well as financial giants … Read More

How to Handle Contacts and Interviews From Government and Others?

As a mater of great concern is what to do when confronted with a telephone call from law enforcement,  a licensing Board, Bureau or Agency,  and/or an  investigator who is seeking to obtain the underlying facts,  information, details &/or answers to questions. Even more challenging is when such an individual makes an in-person contact with … Read More

What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)?

For the most part, many of us have not read or heard about ACE’s, the acronym for adverse childhood experiences. Whereas highly negative experiences as a child often create indelible marks in his/her brain impacting child development, they do not have to be irreversible. For more information of significant interest, see the following:  https://acestoohigh.com/2012/10/03/the-adverse-childhood-experiences-study-the-largest-most-important-public-health-study-you-never-heard-of-began-in-an-obesity-clinic/ Negative … Read More