Hit and Run Defense in California:  Felony, Misdemeanor and more Hit and run is a very common criminal offense in California.  The most common type of hit and run is a misdemeanor involving only property damage.  This type of case involves three things: We have to have been in a collision, We must know (or reasonably should have known) that we were in a collision, We fail to identify ourselves or notify law enforcement. Items 1 and 2 tend to overlap in that if there is any kind of significant accident, we usually know about it.  But what about very …

Judicial Diversion in Criminal Cases in California:  When, Where and How can you get it? There has been a lot of talk about Judicial Diversion lately.  There have been a lot of requests for Judicial Diversion lately.  A lot of my clients have been getting Judicial Diversion lately…And it’s awesome! Today alone I got diversion for two different clients.  One case was a drug case which also involved resisting arrest.  The other case was a Penal Code Section 148 where the police claimed my client was lying to them, delaying their investigation and hiding his son from the police when …

What Criminal Cases can be Reduced or Expunged? More new laws are out.  More ways to expunge convictions are on the books.  If you went to “Firecamp”, you can expunge your conviction.  You don’t even need to be off of probation or parole. If you successfully completed probation in almost any case, misdemeanor or felony, you can expunge your conviction. If you went to county jail on a “prison” sentence, you can expunge your conviction. Convicted of DUI?  You can expunge it.  This goes for felony DUI’s too! If you have ten different convictions, in ten different counties, for ten …

Why I Defend People Charged with Sex Crimes in California Twenty five years ago when I started my law practice, it was very difficult to be picky about the cases I took and the clients I represented.  If someone called me and they had money, I would usually get on board.  If it was a sex offense, they would need more money, but I would take the case because I had loans to pay. Twenty five years later, I am fortunate to be sitting in a different position.  I get to pick the cases I take and the clients I …

There has been a bit of news lately about a DUI case in Western Los Angeles County.  A small and quiet community called Westlake Village had a terrible collision recently.  The driver was alleged to have been a woman named Rebecca Grossman of the Grossman Burn Center family.  It is alleged that Mrs. Grossman was speeding and possible even racing down a two lane street just South of the lake.  Speeds were estimated to have been near one hundred miles per hour in a 45 zone.  Sadly, she is said to have hit two small children who were crossing the …

Felony DUI, Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated and Watson Murder Many of us understand that a DUI can be a felony.  It can be a felony when the driver causes injury to others or when the driver has prior convictions for DUI within the last ten years.  This article is aimed at DUI’s causing injury. When we are under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both, and we drive, we can be charged with DUI.  Felony DUI requires that we injure someone other than ourselves.  Felony DUI and related charges take several forms.  There is a “simple” felony DUI where …

A lawyer in my suite referred a potential client to me yesterday.  I spoke to the client and his girlfriend for about 17 minutes and 43 seconds.  They told me they were going to email me some documents to review.  A half hour later I told them I hadn’t receive any documents.  I received a text message back saying the client had already hired another lawyer.  The case was a multiple count, multiple defendant, multiple victim felony theft there where the client claims factually innocence.  How then is it possible for him to have hired another lawyer in under thirty …

We know that DUI laws are tough in California.  DUI’s carry the potential for jail or prison, lengthy probation terms, DUI education programs up to 18 months long, stiff fines, multiple points on our driving records, increased insurance rates, ignition interlock devices, mandatory AA meetings, SCRAM devices and more.  To make things worse, they get tougher with each conviction. With Covid, I have seen cases get put off for many months before we see the inside of a courtroom.  By the time we get to court, the client’s license has long since been suspended due to the Administrative Per Se …

Will the Real Ventura Criminal and DUI Defense Attorney Please Step Forward We’ve all heard it by now:  Come on vacation, leave on probation.  Ventura has been tough on crime for the 25 years I have been practicing here.  But, knowing how to work within the system definitely helps resolve both criminal and DUI cases in Ventura.  The first thing anyone should know when they have been arrested in Ventura County, is that they need to hire a lawyer who knows Ventura County.  Many lawyers from Los Angeles (or further) will take money from a client on a Ventura case.  …

There’s a new District Attorney in Los Angeles and with him comes New Policies Many of us know that there is a new District Attorney in Los Angeles County.  The District Attorney is the head prosecutor in the county where he was elected.  He makes all decisions about filing misdemeanors and felonies committed within his county.  Our new DA, George Gascon was elected on a campaign of liberal justice, striking prior convictions, striking enhancements for gangs, great bodily injury, guns, eliminating life sentences and never asking for the death penalty. I have already seen the effect of the new District …