San Diego Criminal Lawyers BlogThe Guardian came out with an interesting piece on the enforcement of local curfew ordinances and their effect on youth. In the city of San Diego, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be out past 10pm. The city, using its police department, runs sweeps looking for minors out past curfew […]
Search Results for: police misconduct
Justice Sought for Robert Branch: Protests Against DA’s Bias Against Minorities
In the latest incident of controversies involving the San Diego Police Department and accusations of bias against minorities, several community leaders protested at the preliminary hearing of Robert Branch at the Hall of Justice Thursday, March 10. Back in May of 2015, 25 year old Robert Branch, a security guard at the time, was accused […]
No Criminal Charges for CHP Officer Who Punched Woman Ten Times
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s (DA) office announced that it would not press charges against the California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer, Daniel Andrew, who was recorded on a cell phone throwing down a woman and repeatedly punching her alongside the 10 Freeway. The district attorney’s office issued a 30-page report concluding […]
Update on Body Cameras Worn by SDPD
As I have written before, Police agencies across the country have begun outfitting officers with cameras as an attempt to regain the public’s trust. It has been shown that the San Diego Police Department’s (SDPD) use of body cameras on officers has resulted in fewer complaints from the public. However, while complaints against officers fell […]
Gov. Brown Signs Legislation to Protect Minorities
In an attempt to address the ongoing trend of police misconduct and institutional bias, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last week mandating that California law enforcement agencies collect and make public data on the racial makeup of all those encountered by police. A.B. 953, was written by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) as a […]
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. Each were charged with one […]
California Lawmakers and SDPD Try to Address the 20 Bills Aimed at SDPD
Police agencies across the country have begun outfitting officers with the cameras as an attempt to regain the public’s trust back, and the SDPD is no exemption. However this is not enough. Last month, on April 30th SDPD was involved in yet another fatal shooting of an unarmed man, Fridoon Zalbeg Rawshannehad. The officer’s body […]
Francis Pusok and Walter Scott Illustrate the Continued Need to Preserve the Right to Film
As if the recent current events surrounding Eric Garner and Michael Brown were not enough, this month saw two more high profile cases detailing police misconduct and brutality which made national news. In South Carolina, the tasering and shooting of Walter Scott occurred as he was running away from the police was shot on a […]
Under What Circumstances Might Criminal Charges be Dismissed?
When facing criminal charges, people are often consumed with anxiety about the future. What will happen to you if you are found guilty? Will the prosecutor aggressively pursue charges, or is there any chance the charges could be dropped before things get that far? These questions and more can be answered by an experienced criminal […]
Can You be Arrested for Statutory Rape in California if You Believed the Victim Was an Adult?
If you were charged with statutory rape in California because the person you were intimate with portrayed themselves as older than they actually were, could you still be convicted? It has never been easier to get in touch with people you know or want to get to know. Even with restrictions and limitations on in-person […]