It is illegal to possess, use, or be under the influence of a benzodiazepine, such as Xanax, in California if you do not have a valid prescription. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), benzodiazepines, also known as “benzos,” are federally classified in the United States as Schedule IV drugs, meaning

Your criminal defense attorney’s goal will always be to get you acquitted or have your charge dismissed, but these goals are not always viable. In cases where the evidence against you is overpowering, a conviction may be inescapable. However, this does not mean all hope is lost. Your lawyer may

In the United States, domestic violence hotlines receive over 19,000 calls nationwide on a typical day. Actual domestic violence cases are not a foreign topic in California. However, many instances of false accusations may result in a misdemeanor charge for the Californian accuser. People use domestic violence accusations to leverage

When crimes are motivated by financial gain, they typically fall under white-collar crimes in California and are punishable by fines, jail time, or prison sentences. Depending on the amount of money involved and the circumstances surrounding the criminal act, white-collar crimes may result in lengthy prison time upon conviction. If

In California, over 900 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities occurred in 2019. With many accidents attributed to drunk driving every year, law enforcement is taking action against impaired driving by taking measures to enforce the penalties on violators. Field sobriety tests are standardized resources police officers may use to evaluate their suspicions

Registering as a sex offender in California may permanently impact your life. Authorities must notify the public of your addresses and crimes you have been convicted of, limiting your life in terms of employment and accessibility to specific spaces. However, until 2021, California had been one of only four states,

Some scams are so elaborate and damaging that they are made into feature films. “The Tinder Swindler“, a 2022 film produced by Netflix is a great example of this. In that case, an international conman convinced women that they were the love of his life in order to swindle them

California has one of the strictest sex offender laws in the U.S. The state also maintains a massive public sex offender database called Megan’s Law, where anyone may look up offenders. While you may want to remove yourself from the database, you may be worried that doing so will mean

Approximately half a million individuals aged 12 years and older fall victim to sex crimes each year in the United States. Date rape, also referred to as acquaintance rape, is not a legal term and, as such, is treated no different from rape. Date rape is charged and punished as stipulated in

It has been reported that nearly half a million individuals are the victims of sex crimes each year in the United States. Sex crimes are taken seriously by California’s criminal justice system due to the damaging repercussions these crimes have on victims. If you have been accused of a sex crime in

If you have been convicted of a crime in California, this sentencing may affect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. There are over half a million Americans arrested for marijuana-related crimes. If you have had your firearm rights suspended due to a marijuana conviction, a California drug crime

Embezzlement is one of the most common and damaging crimes committed against businesses in the United States. Due to the serious nature of this white-collar crime, being accused of embezzlement in California may cost you your reputation and career, as well as put you at risk for severe legal repercussions. If

Social media apps have become popular places to seek new relationships, whether for friendship, romance, or sexual gratification. Although the internet might seem like a great place to pursue these new connections, it may also lead to false accusations. Unfortunately, even made-up accusations have the potential to turn into severe

A term reportedly coined in 1939, “white-collar crime” is now synonymous with fraud committed by corporate and government professionals. White-collar crimes typically involve cover-ups or violations of trust and do not require the use of threat, physical force, or violence.These crimes are usually financially motivated, and offenders often hope to

Criminal organizations in Santa Barbara that earn large amounts of cash illegally cannot deposit their funds into legitimate financial institutions unless the money appears to come from legitimate sources. To make their “dirty” money appear “clean,” they use various techniques to “launder” their earnings and make their profits seem legitimate.

For over a decade, 14- to 17-year-olds could face adult charges in the state of California through Proposition 21 of “The Juvenile Justice Initiative.”  However, in February 2021, a unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court put an end to the harsh measures, which led to overcrowded prisons and developmental issues for

Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been reported that reports of domestic violence have increased between 25 and 33 percent worldwide. Domestic violence is defined as violence among current or former partners that is characterized by stalking, psychological, sexual, or physical violence. The issue of domestic violence has become even

When a person is accused of domestic violence, their life can change forever. The person’s reputation, career, and social relationships are at risk, and they can also suffer legal punishments. A domestic violence charge can negatively affect your child’s ability to feel comfortable and rely on their parents. Not only

Our homes are often the places where we feel the safest. While it is usually the case that what is inside your home is your private property, if you have been accused of a crime, there is a chance that your privacy may be breached if law enforcement chooses to

When a person is convicted of a crime in California, there are serious penalties that they may face such as prison time or costly fines. To make matters worse, when a person is convicted of a crime, they may risk having their professional license suspended or revoked. Depending on the

Each year, there are 10 million arrests made in the United States. When a person is arrested for a crime, they are usually brought to the nearest police station for questioning. Unfortunately, the tactics used by law enforcement for questioning tend to be one-sided with the goal of getting the suspect to

It is not uncommon to see dazzling displays of fireworks around California on major holidays like the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve. However, unless a person or event has a permit to possess and fire off those fireworks, what they are doing is illegal. While fireworks are beautiful

Whenever a driver gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they have a duty to make a reasonable effort to remain alert and safe on the roads. When a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are unable to carry out that duty of care for themselves