A federal judge in California, U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte, recently overruled a Brooklyn magistrate judge and ordered a flight attendant held without bail after she allegedly dumped a bag of cocaine and fled authorities at Los Angeles International Airport. This decision came after the judge in Brooklyn had set…
San Diego Criminal Lawyers Blog
Lawsuit Filed Against California’s New Ivory Ban; Criminal Penalties for Ivory Possession
Last year California became the third state in the country to pass legislation (Assembly Bill 96) making the ivory market there illegal, which is one of the three largest ivory markets in the United States. However, in December of last year, a “nonprofit” called the Ivory Education Institute, swiftly filed…
Ex-CEO for Massey Energy Sentenced to One Year for Blast that Killed 29 Men
A federal judge, Irene Berger, sentenced former Massey Energy CEO, Don Blankenship, to one year in prison and a fine of $250,000 for his role in one of the deadliest mine explosions our nation has ever witnessed. The judge said Blankenship was part of a “dangerous conspiracy,” and it is…
Americans Show Up in Panama Papers
In another scandal that has disgusted the entire nation, it is reported that the passports of at least 200 Americans show up in this week’s 11 million data leak. The “Panama Papers” is the world’s largest document leak and went public on April 3rd. The documents detail the offshore bank…
The U.S. Government Creates Fake University to Lure Fake Students
According to a DOJ press release, brokers, recruiters, and employers from across the United States who allegedly conspired with more than 1,000 foreign nationals to fraudulently maintain student visas and obtain foreign worker visas through a “pay to stay” fake New Jersey college. The University of Northern New Jersey is…
Cliven Bundy’s Chosen Attorney Has Ethical Conflicts; Precluded From Case
In the continuing saga of Cliven Bundy and his band of anti-government followers, Nevada’s chief federal judge Gloria Navarro has formally refused to allow nationally known conservative lawyer Larry Klayman join Cliven Bundy’s defense team. In a three page legal order, Navarro revealed that Mr. Klayman has some potential discipline…
Lawsuit Alleges 30 Guns in Professor’s Workspace
A Miramar College adjunct professor has filed a lawsuit against the school claiming he did not get a promised full-time faculty spot after he raised concerns about firearms that were missing or unregistered at the school. The school happens to have a firing range for the San Diego police academy.…
Unpaid Traffic Tickets in California: Can I Go to Jail?
Last year, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch went on record as in a speech at the White House, actively opposing judges imposing traffic fines, calling such “the criminalization of poverty.” She cited the case study of Ferguson, in which citizens who have attempted to pay the ever-increasing fines of their…
Law Enforcement Investigators Seek out Private DNA Databases
While the allure of exploring one’s family tree and lineage has meant big business for some companies, two major that research family lineage (for a fee) claim that over the last two years, they have received law enforcement demands for genetic information stored in their DNA databases. Ancestry.com and their…
Criminal and Constitutional Rights of Corporations: Apple’s Example
In an unprecedented case, Apple, the ever-popular electronics company, has argued that the FBI is violating its constitutional First amendment rights. In a 36-page legal brief submitted in the District Court: Central District of California, Apple made its first formal rebuttal to a court order ordering Apple to code a…