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What Is California’s Law on Benzodiazepines?

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

Continue Reading »

What to Do After a California Probation Violation

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

Continue Reading »

Can You Go to Prison for White Collar Crimes in California?

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

Continue Reading »

Field Sobriety Tests: What You Need to Know

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

Continue Reading »

An Explanation of California’s Three Tier Sex Offender System

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,

Continue Reading »

3 Scams That Could Land You Behind Bars

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

Continue Reading »

Understanding California Date Rape Laws and Penalties

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

Continue Reading »

3 Reasons to Hire a California White Collar Crime Lawyer

A white collar crime is a non-violent abuse of power, typically based on some sort of fraudulent behavior involving money, usually committed by a professional and/or business entity in a bid for more power. The purported crimes are often very complex, and many of these transgresses may be considered federal

Continue Reading »

Steps to Take After a Drug Probation Violation

In 1972, President Richard Nixon branded drug abuse as public enemy number one. As the United States expands its research and legislation into what the nation terms the “War on Drugs,” there have been increases in drug-related arrests and incarcerations. For example, in 2019, there were 171,000 drug-related incarcerations in

Continue Reading »

How a Sex Crime Conviction Can Affect You Long Term

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

Continue Reading »

How to Restore Your Firearm Rights After a Marijuana Conviction

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

Continue Reading »

7 Defense Options for a California Embezzlement Charge

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

Continue Reading »

A Guide to White-Collar Crimes in California

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

Continue Reading »

Santa Barbara Money Laundering: What You Need to Know

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.

Continue Reading »

When Can a Juvenile Be Tried in Adult Court?

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

Continue Reading »

Has the Pandemic Increased the Issue of Domestic Violence?

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

Continue Reading »

Does a Confession to a Crime Guarantee Prison Time?

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

Continue Reading »

How California Penalizes Illegal Possession of Fireworks

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

Continue Reading »

What Is California’s Law on Benzodiazepines?

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

Continue Reading »

What to Do After a California Probation Violation

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

Continue Reading »

Can You Go to Prison for White Collar Crimes in California?

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

Continue Reading »

Field Sobriety Tests: What You Need to Know

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

Continue Reading »

An Explanation of California’s Three Tier Sex Offender System

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,

Continue Reading »

3 Scams That Could Land You Behind Bars

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

Continue Reading »

Understanding California Date Rape Laws and Penalties

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

Continue Reading »

3 Reasons to Hire a California White Collar Crime Lawyer

A white collar crime is a non-violent abuse of power, typically based on some sort of fraudulent behavior involving money, usually committed by a professional and/or business entity in a bid for more power. The purported crimes are often very complex, and many of these transgresses may be considered federal

Continue Reading »

Steps to Take After a Drug Probation Violation

In 1972, President Richard Nixon branded drug abuse as public enemy number one. As the United States expands its research and legislation into what the nation terms the “War on Drugs,” there have been increases in drug-related arrests and incarcerations. For example, in 2019, there were 171,000 drug-related incarcerations in

Continue Reading »

How a Sex Crime Conviction Can Affect You Long Term

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

Continue Reading »

How to Restore Your Firearm Rights After a Marijuana Conviction

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

Continue Reading »

7 Defense Options for a California Embezzlement Charge

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

Continue Reading »

A Guide to White-Collar Crimes in California

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

Continue Reading »

Santa Barbara Money Laundering: What You Need to Know

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.

Continue Reading »

When Can a Juvenile Be Tried in Adult Court?

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

Continue Reading »

Has the Pandemic Increased the Issue of Domestic Violence?

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

Continue Reading »

Does a Confession to a Crime Guarantee Prison Time?

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

Continue Reading »

How California Penalizes Illegal Possession of Fireworks

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

Continue Reading »