Earlier this month, the news reported Salinas Councilman Jose Castaneda’s new slew of legal problems, and this time they go beyond whether or not he is legally holding two elected offices. Salinas police announced that Castaneda was arrested and charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, and felony domestic violence. According to…
Articles Posted in Criminal Defense
Three Deputies Face Criminal Charges for the Beating of Francis Pusok
Back in April, we discussed the beating of Francis Pusok as he was trying to escape from police on horseback in the Southern California desert. Now, the three California deputies from San Bernardino County, Nicholas Downey, Michael Phelps, and Charles Foster will face criminal charges in the beating of Pusok.…
Placer Sheriff’s Office Receives Grant to Help Curb Underage Drinking
In lieu of the start of the school year for many college and school-aged students, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Northern California has received a $50,000 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“ABC”) for programs to combat underage drinking and alcohol sales to minors. The Roseville…
Delays in California Death Penalty to be Decided by Higher Court
As I mentioned last month, the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of a drug called Midalozam for use in lethal injection has brought the debate about the death penalty in California back into the spotlight. Back in 2006, a district judge stopped all death-row executions in the state…
Five in Orange County Arrested in Fraud and Identity Theft Ring
Earlier this month, five suspects from Santa Ana, Orange County were arrested for their suspected connection with a fraud and identity theft ring. Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Nhan Hoang Pham, 29, of Fountain Valley, Lam Thanh Bui, 30, of Garden Grove, Chieu Bach Nguyen, 29, of Santa Ana, and…
Fraud in California
As shown by this month’s headlines, California seems to be plagued with fraud issues on the government level. Most of the fraud is allegedly being committed by government workers. The California Department of Insurance awarded $34.95 million in grants to district attorney offices across the state to help fight workers’…
Former Oroville Mayor Pleads No Contest to Embezzlement
Earlier this week, former mayor and CPA of Oroville California (north of Sacramento), Dennis Diver, pleaded no contest to two counts of embezzlement. Prosecutors from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office said the politician embezzled 400,000 dollars in the span of less than 2 years. Diver is accused of moving…
California Stalking Laws
Each year 7.5 million people are stalked, with 61% of the victims being female. 44% of the victims are stalked by a former intimate partner. In the current digital era, studies indicate that the rates of stalking and harassment have increased, and areas such as Southern California have higher rates…
Won Battle, Lost War in Cell Phone Search Case
Last year, in a historic ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Riley v. California that law enforcement must obtain a warrant to search cell phones. This historic opinion changed police protocol across the nation and set a strong precedent supporting privacy in a technological era. Many of you must…
California Court Holds Proposition 47 Applies to Minors
Late last week, California’s 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that Proposition 47 – the voter-approved measure that reclassifies certain petty crimes from felonies to misdemeanors – applies to minors in the same way it does to adults. It has been found in the past that Prop. 47 caused a…