Actions that lead to or cause another person to die typically lead to felony charges in California. Depending on the details of the offense, a defendant could face one of two especially serious felony charges: first-degree or second-degree murder. Any murder charge is...
Make no mistake, facing a criminal charge is a big deal. Depending on the nature of the offense, a conviction may mean years or even a lifetime behind bars. Worse still, if you are convicted of killing someone, you might face the death penalty. With the stakes so...
People may die of natural causes or they can die due to other factors. When a person’s death isn’t due to natural causes, the death is considered a homicide. However, just because a person dies by homicide doesn’t mean that a crime was committed. When a homicide...
Most people facing violent criminal charges will base their defense strategy around disproving their involvement in a crime. Having an alibi or challenging evidence can make it much harder for a prosecutor to convince a jury that you broke the law beyond a reasonable...
A charge of assault may seem simple enough to comprehend. Any physical altercation between yourself and another individual in California may qualify as such. Yet the penalties for an alleged assault may vary widely, particularly when law enforcement authorities claim...
After a physical altercation or due to alleged abuse, spouses or domestic partners may seek domestic violence restraining orders. Issued to help safeguard people from abuse or threats of harm, such orders may have significant effects. If you have a domestic violence...
Like most people in California, you do not condone criminal action. At the same time, however, you recognize that there may be situations where the unique conditions compel you to engage in conduct that (under normal circumstances) would be unlawful. To what extent,...
Although carjacking and grand theft involve taking a vehicle from its owner, the California Penal Code views them as very different crimes, and the penalties reflect that. If you face carjacking charges, case details are critical in the type of charges brought against...
Violence is more complicated than people realize. Many times, perpetrators of violent crime in California suffer an underlying mental illness which fuels their behavior. It is never too late for a person charged with a violent crime to develop new, healthier habits....
Most people in California know that if they are convicted of a sex crime, they may be required to register as a sex offender. The state's sex offender registry has been around for a long time but has undergone many changes over the years with more changes already...
