Blog

Why do people decide to cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in a criminal case? This is a good question because, in my 30 years of experience, I realize that cooperation is one of the most significant ways that the feds can generate their cases. I would say probably better than 80% or higher...

California Penal Code 215 PC defines the felony crime of carjacking as taking a motor vehicle from another person using force or fear. Under this law, using “force or fear” means using actual physical force or making threats to cause harm to the victim. PC 215 can be filed by the prosecutor when...

The California “three-strikes” law under Penal Code 667 PC is a sentencing enhancement where a defendant will receive a prison sentence of 25 years to life if convicted of three serious or violent felony crimes. This statute also doubles the sentence for defendants convicted of any felony when they have...

I can tell you right now, since the early 1990s, I’ve lived, breathed, and slept criminal defense.  I’ve done everything I could to make myself the complete package. That includes working for the district attorney’s office, a superior court judge, the California state bar, and finally, working for you as the best...

Los Angeles is a massive metropolis with millions of people, and a lot of crime continues.  Police are arresting people left and right and sending them into criminal courts. The best attorney has got to have a skill set that gives them a lot of experience, having done criminal cases for many years and having...

Conspiring with other people to commit a crime is a serious offense in California under Penal Code 182 PC. If you are convicted of criminal conspiracy, you face the same legal penalties as if you had committed the crime, even if it was not completed.  A conspiracy is defined as an agreement with one...

Sex trafficking is a severe crime in Los Angeles and the surrounding counties in California.  Local state and federal law enforcement agencies have aggressively fought against sex trafficking. It’s primarily underage women working on the local streets or social media. There are people behind the...

There are numerous laws, both federal and state, that make conduct relating to medical, health care, and insurance fraud a criminal act. For example, California Penal Code 550 PC makes it a crime for anyone to knowingly submit fraudulent insurance claims, including presenting multiple claims for the...

California Penal Code 187 PC legally defines the crime of murder as the unlawful killing of someone or a fetus with malice aforethought. First-degree murder includes all premeditated killings along with felony murder that involves a scenario where somebody dies during a carjacking, robbery, or other...

In Los Angeles, there are many burglaries, especially now, and defendants and their families don’t realize what happens when people get caught committing a residential burglary.  A lot of times, it’s more than one residential burglary.  Each one of those charges is a strike.  So, if you get convicted of...

When it comes to domestic violence criminal cases, these cases are taken very seriously by prosecutors and judges alike.  Therefore, coming up with ideas for the best defenses is crucial in successfully dealing with a domestic violence case that you have pending in one of the criminal courts. In California...

A lot of people who are charged with serious drug-related offenses are facing 5, 10, 15, and even sometimes, 20-year mandatory minimums, which means that if they plead guilty or if they are convicted in a jury trial, the judge must sentence them to at least the required minimum. It can often become...

Los Angeles County has over 25 separate courthouses that cover many different jurisdictions related to sex crime offenses.  To find the best sex crime defense attorney, you want to get somebody familiar with dealing with these jurisdictions.  Because within the jurisdictions, there are judges that....

I see many people charged with California Penal Code 243.4 PC sexual battery, indicating that the contact with the victim in the case was accidental. The way the prosecutors have to prove a case like that is by using the evidence, and a lot of times, it is circumstantial evidence. So, how can a sexual...

Sex trafficking is a significant new crime, not only in Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding counties in California, but across the nation, and prosecutors – whether they be at the federal level or the state level in the local courts – are very serious about stamping out sex trafficking. What that has...

What is your next move after federal law enforcement agents or local law enforcement officers raid your house and take your computers, tablets, and cell phones related to a child pornography investigation? If you are found possessing, producing, selling, or distributing any material depicting a child...

When you talk about the best in an area like DUIs, you want an attorney with a lot of experience in DUI defense and someone who has experience in the court where your case is pending. I’ve been doing this for 30 years.  I worked for the district attorney’s office, and I worked for a superior court judge...

Right now, politically, gun crimes are one of the most heavily prosecuted crimes in Los Angeles County.  The bottom line is that those individuals who control the police departments and the other political entities – the Mayor’s office, City Attorney’s office, and DA’s office, are anti-guns. So, any...

One thing people don’t realize is that the jury is instructed on the law related to any charge that a criminal defendant has in California. In Los Angeles County, they use the California Criminal Jury Instructions, commonly called “CALCRIM.” I’ve done over 200 jury trials, so I know how vital those jury... 

We are often asked how can prosecutors still prove me guilty of a California domestic violence case if my significant other refuses to cooperate? Domestic violence, called “DV,” is a crime committed against someone you share a close relationship. It is the most commonly charged crime in California...

We are often asked what will happen to me if I get arrested for domestic violence in Los Angeles? I’ve been defending people now for 30 years who are charged with domestic violence cases. Those domestic violence charges can take all different shapes and sizes.  You could be charged with corporal... 

This is a big question for many people because they don’t want to get a conviction.  They don’t want to go to jail or prison.  They don’t want to suffer the consequences of a criminal conviction in California. So, they start to try to decide exactly what they should do.  Obviously, in my opinion, that’s...

We are often asked if a defendant’s bail can be raised after a preliminary hearing in a criminal case in Los Angeles County? Many people are concerned about going into custody, and they don’t realize that someone’s bail can be raised after a preliminary hearing in a California criminal case...

I have a lot of clients asking me to file Humphrey’s motion and argue to the judge because they’ve heard about it, especially clients who are in custody and are trying to figure out how to get out.  I will give you the best explanation I can here, having argued these motions and read the case and giving...

Many people get arrested for DUIs, and when they meet with potential attorneys trying to decide who to hire to represent them, they’re telling the attorney they were not read their Miranda rights.  They somehow think that can be used to help them avoid getting a conviction for a DUI. I will tell...