Code 187
Murder in California is governed by penal code 187. The slang “one-eight-seven” or “one-eighty-seven” is commonly used by California law enforcement to mean “murder.” Oddly, the term has also been […]
Santa Ana
When you think of Santa Ana, don’t just think of the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and traffic. Instead, think of the second most populous city in Orange County. With almost […]
Newport Beach
With over 21 square miles of harbor, and eight miles of ocean beach, Newport Beach is home to over 9,000 docked boats in addition to 86,000 full-time residents. During the […]
Irvine
For the last eight years, Irvine has been ranked the safest big city in America based on FBI crime statistics for violent crimes. In 2011, Irvine reported a mere 120 […]
Penal Code 211
As with any crime, the prosecutor must prove every element of the crime in order for a conviction. Under California law, the crime of robbery has five elements: Taking property […]
Child Pornography
The crime of child pornography includes the possession, production, and distribution or sale of images, including computer-generated images, or videos that sexually exploit children. Prepubescent and pubescent or post-pubescent minors […]
Federal Immigration (Reentry)
The crime of federal immigration occurs after an alien who has been legally “removed” from the United States reenters the country without the approval of the government. More specifically, the […]
Federal Wire Fraud
The crime of federal wire fraud occurs when electronic communication devices are used to commit a fraud. This electronic communication can be via wire, radio, computer, or television. More specifically, […]
Extortion
Extortion is the crime of obtaining of property from another, or the obtaining of an official act of a public officer, with consent of the victim that was induced by […]
Felony Murder
Felony murder is the killing that occurs during the commission or attempted commission of a felony. The person responsible for the felony can be charged with murder. Intending to kill […]
Robbery
Robbery is the taking of the property of another by force or by threat with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property. Aggravated robbery occurs when circumstances […]
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with malice aforethought. Malice aforethought is a deliberate and premeditated killing of another motivated by ill will. There are four states […]
Tax Fraud
Tax fraud is the federal crime of avoiding or limiting the payment of taxes through illegal means. Tax fraud is generally carried out through the filing of false tax returns […]
Obstruction of Justice
Obstruction of justice refers to the federal crime of interfering with the work of police or other government officials. Also, the crime of the obstruction of justice refers to misconduct […]
Bank Fraud
Bank fraud is the crime that involves fraudulently obtaining money or other assets held by a bank. In some instances, bank fraud is used to define other offenses like bankruptcy […]
Immigration
The federal crime of illegal immigration is the movement of foreign citizens into a country when these foreign citizens do not meet the legal requirements for being in that country. […]
Official Misconduct
Official misconduct is the illegal act by a public official. A public official is defined as any officer or employee of the government. An illegal act is defined as an […]
Health Care Fraud
Health care fraud is the crime that involves the filing of dishonest health care claims in order to turn a profit. In California, Penal Code Section 550 (a) prohibits false […]
Marijuana
Marijuana defines all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, whether growing or not. Since January 1, 2011, the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana is punishable under Health […]
Drug Sales
The crime of drug sales is the illegal selling of illegal drugs. Drug sales can include acts such as the selling, transporting, furnishing, and administering of these drugs. Offenders convicted […]
Identity Theft
When a person wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s information in a fraudulent way, typically for that person’s own economic gain, he has committed Identity Theft. A social security number, […]
Certificate of Rehabilitation
A Certificate of Rehabilitation is a court declaration announcing that a convicted offender is now rehabilitated. Penal Code sections 4852.01 to 4852.21 governs certificates of rehabilitation. Generally, an individual may […]
Pardons
A pardon is a “forgiveness” of an offense that is granted only to those offenders who have demonstrated exemplary behavior after being convicted of a misdemeanor or of a felony. […]
Professional Licensing Issues
A person’s professional, or occupational, license can be affected if that person is convicted of a misdemeanor or of a felony. Unlike criminal hearings, professional licensing cases are heard by […]
Path of a Criminal Case: Federal
The path of a criminal case at the federal level is different than the path of criminal case at the state level in many ways. In federal matters, the arrestee […]
Path of an Adult Criminal Case: State
Whenever there is suspicion of criminal activity, law enforcement officers can begin an investigation. Sometimes suspects and witnesses are interviewed during the course of such an investigation. If a suspect […]
Assault
A person is guilty of a basic assault if he 1) willfully committed an act which naturally, probably, and directly would apply physical force on someone; 2) was aware that […]
Domestic Violence
As used in criminal prosecutions, “Domestic Violence” includes abusive conduct against current or former family members or intimate partners. Cases that include domestic violence allegations bring enhanced punishments such as […]
Statutory Rape
Statutory rape is when any person engages in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 18. More commonly, statutory rape is referred to as unlawful sex with a […]
Expungement
Expungement is the legal process whereby an offender charged with a criminal offense seeks to have his or her criminal record sealed, thus making the criminal record unavailable to the […]
Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
A DUI is a criminal offense in which a person is charged with driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol in excess of the amount […]
Drug Possession
Drug possession is the crime of having illegal drugs in possession for personal use, distribution, sale, or otherwise. In California, the charge of drug possession is serious. The seriousness of […]