Crime Victims Have Rights Too I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately from people telling me they have been the victim of a crime. It’s true that normally I represent people who have been arrested and charged with a crime. Sometimes, I do represent victims. It is common that crime victims don’t get the support they need from police, prosecutors and the court system. While there are systems in place to help crime victims, those systems are overburdened with virtually unmanageable case loads and more serious cases that tend to take priority. What to do if you are the …

Arrested for DUI in California Don’t make yourself crazy. Don’t spend countless hours searching the internet for advice. Don’t call 17 random lawyers from the internet.  Don’t call any lawyers who send a letter to your house after you are arrested. Do call a lawyer to whom you are referred. Yes, ask your family, friends or trusted associates if they know a good criminal defense lawyer. If your friend liked their lawyer, that’s a great place to start. If you don’t know any criminal or DUI lawyers, ask a civil lawyer if they have a friend that does it. Most …

Arrested for Domestic Violence in California Getting divorced. Bad brake-up. Vindictive ex.  Just a bad night. There are many reasons why people get arrested for domestic violence.  It could be battery, vandalism, criminal threats or other charges. Whatever the charge and whatever the reason, once the wheels of “justice” start turning, things seem to roll downhill fast. And, once the train starts down that track, it is hard to get it stopped. The first thing that any good lawyer will tell their client is to remain silent.  It’s often difficult, but I would encourage my clients to both remain silent, …

Injured in an Auto Accident in California? I write a lot of blogs about DUI.  I write a lot of blogs about hit and run.  I don’t write a lot of blogs about what to do if you are the victim of crime.  It happens all the time and many people don’t know what to do when you are the victim.  The police don’t really help you.  The prosecution doesn’t really help you.  Your insurance company doesn’t really help you. It takes an advocate to get you where you need to go. I’m going to start with some basics here:  …

Victim Restitution in California Criminal Cases I’ve spent a lot of time in the last year dealing with issues involving restitution in criminal cases in California.  Restitution is basically about compensating victims of crime for their out of pocket expenses.  In theory, defendants in criminal cases should be ordered by the court to pay these expenses to their crime victims. Expenses could be: Medical bills, loss of work, therapy, property damage or loss of use of property and even legal fees to try and collect the money. After someone is convicted in court, the court and/or the prosecution should inquire …

TEN WAYS TO AVOID A DUI ARREST THIS FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND Drink on an Island. Did you know they don’t allow cars on Catalina Island? They do have electric golf carts, so you may still have to be careful. Fly somewhere. From Burbank Airport you can get to some really great spots for about $100. Vegas and San Francisco are both only about an hour away. Try walking to dinner (or drinks). I’m from Los Angeles too, but I know it’s possible to walk to dinner. You might even get some exercise. Drink at home. Have a BBQ in the …

DUI, the Most Common Crime and it Could Happen to You DUI arrests are on the rise since the end of Covid.  More people are out and about, mixing and mingling, and generally being themselves again.  Convictions after a DUI after a DUI arrest are nearly 70%.  This does not include reductions for Wet or Dry Reckless or any other lesser convictions.  The average age of a Californian arrested for DUI is 31.  If you think you’re too old or too young, you’re wrong.  And, if you are Hispanic, you are even more likely to get arrested for DUI.  Hispanic …

Why Are Jury Trials So Expensive? I’ve been a criminal defense lawyer in California for well over of 20 years now.  I’ve done my share of jury trials, bench trials, traffic trials and even some civil trials.  Trials don’t actually come around that often for people like me.  Most cases settle.  Trials are risky. Clients often have to miss work for several days to get through a trial.  And, yes, trials are expensive. When I get hired on most of my cases, I quote a fee for entire case, without trial.  It’s normally a flat fee that covers whatever I …

IS IT EVER TOO SOON TO MEDIATE YOUR CASE? Mediate early and often is a money-saving and time saving concept which should be considered by many.  I just heard that one Ventura County trial judge has 800 civil cases on his docket.  Even if only ten percent of those cases went to trial, that would be eighty trials.  That could take two years of trials going every single day.  Your trial isn’t going to start until some day in 2026, if you are lucky.  There must be a better way. You have a dispute or a claim with value.  You …

GUN CHARGES AND YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA   Over The last twenty plus years I have represented people charged with anything from ammunition to explosives, from gun modification to manufacturing, and from assault to multiple homicides.  I’ve found a few similarities in client needs in my career.  Not only do clients want the best result that can be achieved, but they also want to do anything possible to keep their gun rights.  And, if it’s absolutely impossible to keep client gun rights in the short term, then we have to shift to the long term and make sure …