It doesn’t matter how many images of horrific wrecks insurance companies and auto agencies put out to warn drivers of the dangers of texting and driving, we still do it. Each of us has this weird impression that surely sending a quick response to the most recent incoming text won’t do anything wrong. Since the […]
Is Being Homeless a Crime in California?
In theory, California isn’t a bad place to be homeless. Sure, the high cost of living makes it difficult to get back on your feet, but at least the weather is nice all year round so if you have to sleep outside a few nights a week, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Wrong! California […]
Criminal Charges Vs. Civil Charges
One of the things that makes the American legal system confusing is that we have both criminal charges and civil charges. Criminal charges are a straightforward part of the legal process. If you break the law, you’re arrested and criminal charges are filed against you. You have the option of pleading guilty to these charges. […]
Community Service in Criminal Cases
Many people find that they have to complete a specific number of hours of community service as a part of their sentence. Some people love this because the community service can reduce fines and jail time. Others hate having to do so much work without getting paid. Judges have the right to make community service […]
3 Common California Felonies
The state and federal law books are full of felonies, but court officers, lawyers, and police officers will quickly tell you that some felonies are common while there are others they’ve never encountered. Here is a list of the most common felony arrests and convictions. Felony Drug Crimes There are so many different drug-related felonies […]
What Happens If I Make A Fake or Prank 911 Call
Making a fake or prank phone call to 911 might seem like good fun but it’s not something you want to follow through with. Neither law enforcement offices nor court officials have a sense of humor. To put it simply, making fake or prank 911 calls is illegal. In some situations, that single phone call […]
Understanding Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Assault with a deadly weapon is basically what it sounds like. It means you are accused of assaulting someone and at the time you had something that could have been considered a deadly weapon. Like most legal issues, assault with a deadly weapon isn’t as simple as we would like it to be. What is […]
Disorderly Conduct in California
One of the problems with California’s legal system is that sometimes it’s difficult to know that you’re breaking the law. In many disorderly conduct cases, people think they’re just having a good time or being opinionated until the police show up. Sometimes people don’t even know what they’ve done until they hear the charges as […]
Understanding Slander in California
Most Americans know that the First Amendment grants the right to free speech. The problem that many of us encounter is we don’t fully grasp the differences between free speech and slander. What is Free Speech? Many of us interpret the First Amendment to mean that we’re free to say whatever we want, to whomever […]
The Difference Between Manslaughter and Involuntary Manslaughter
From a legal standpoint, manslaughter is, “the unlawful killing of a human being without any malice aforethought.” What that means is that something you did resulted in the death of someone else. What separates it from other types of murder charges is that you didn’t actively think you were going to do something that would […]