California Criminal Defense Lawyers

Mayor Jean Quan announced a program that would target the most dangerous 100 blocks in Oakland last October. But just last month, she finally revealed which blocks these were, unbeknownst to many of the residents. The goal in this program is to make Oakland safer, and because they can’t focus on the whole of Oakland at once, focusing on the most volatile areas seems logical. [Read More...]

In stark contrast to the last two governors, Jerry Brown is allowing many murderers to return to California streets, much to the dismay of victim’s advocates. But, it seems as if Brown has managed to balance public safety with rehabilitation, releasing those who pose little risk to the community and who have shown themselves reformed while incarcerated. [Read More...]

The San Francisco District Attorney formally filed charges against the new sheriff in town, Ross Mirkarimi last week. The top cop faces three misdemeanor charges in conjunction with an incident that occurred on New Year’s Eve with his wife. At his swearing in ceremony, he brushed the incident off as a “family affair” and maintains he is innocent of all the charges. [Read More...]

Ross Mirkarimi was sworn in as the 35^th sheriff of San Francisco this past weekend, despite allegations that he was involved in a domestic violence incident with his wife. Mirkarimi’s wife, Eliana Lopez, was by his side during the ceremony and said she had “no complaints” against her husband. The duo suggests the fact that this “misunderstanding” went public may have been a subversive effort to derail his quest for his new office, though they remain confident that things will work out. [Read More...]

At least 1,480 wrongful jailings have occurred at the L.A. County Jail over the last five years, something the Sheriff isn’t proud of. As a result, he has vowed to make significant changes including establishing a task force to look at the whys and the what can be dones. [Read More...]

Over the past few years, numerous cameras were installed in downtown Los Angeles to help reduce crime. The city didn’t pay for these cameras; business owners and concerned members of the community did. And now, those who spent their money and those who supported the partnership are upset as the LAPD has admittedly not been using them at all. [Read More...]

The general public cannot own assault rifles. It’s against the law. However, in California and several other states, this law does not apply if you are a law enforcement officer, prison guard, school police officer, or even a game warden. A new investigation, as reported by the Long Beach Press Telegram, shows that in the decade since lawmakers first made this law enforcement exception to the assault weapons law, officers have purchased more than 7,600 such weapons. [Read More...]

The mentally ill are a tricky population for police to deal with. Without proper training, a cop’s actions can actually aggravate a situation rather than diffuse it. A new virtual roleplaying game is designed to help police learn better ways of working with the mentally ill, in order to avoid confrontations and potential tragedies. [Read More...]

By now you’ve heard of the incident at the University of California Davis, where one campus officer let loose pepper spray on a group of seated, peaceful protestors. You’ve either heard of it, seen the video, seen the spoof photos of the officer, or you’ve been living under a rock. The incident is now under official investigation, with the former Chief of the LAPD leading the way. [Read More...]

Taking pictures is not against the law. But if you are searched by the police for using your camera, you may be confused about what it is that you did wrong. The ACLU of Southern California has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly harassing photographers, using the guise of Homeland Security to detain, search, and otherwise pick on photographers. [Read More...]