In California, the crime of Vandalism is defined under California Penal Code 594(a) as maliciously damaging, defacing with graffiti or other inscribed material, or destroying any real or personal property not his or her own. Real property can include vehicles, signs, fixtures, furnishings, or property belonging to any public entity,…
Articles Posted in Law & Information
Did Officials Fail to Advise Me about My Legal Rights?
Anyone charged with a crime would be well advised to exercise his or her right to legal representation. Throughout the complicated legal process there are many instances when the alleged offender’s rights could be violated. Without the right representation, the defendant may not even realize that his or her rights…
Judge Rules Michael Jackson’s Former Business Manager Tohme Tohme Must Testify in Dr. Conrad Murray’s Case
On Monday, March 28, a judge ruled that Tohme Tohme, the former business manager of Michael Jackson, is required to testify in Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial, CNN reports. Murray has been accused of Jackson’s death. While a process server testified that she had given Tohme the subpoena at his home…
Most Orange County Cities Outsource Forensic Analysis to County Crime Lab
With state and city budgets getting tighter, more and more cities and law enforcement agencies in the OC are relying on the Orange County crime lab to analyze evidence relating to several crimes, including high-profile murders and sexual assaults. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Huntington…
California Court Rules Police Permitted to Read Texts on Cell Phones without a Warrant
On Monday, January 3, the California Supreme Court ruled that police searches of cell phones without a warrant are allowed under standards set by the U.S. Supreme Court, reports NBCBayArea.com. The court was ruling on a case from Ventura County that involved a man who had been arrested and convicted…
California Loosens Grip on Parole Violations
Because of California’s ongoing budget crisis and overcrowded prisons; California has decided to relax parole regulations for convicted nonviolent felony offenders, including no random drug tests, travel stipulations or check-in requirements. Currently, eleven percent of the California budget goes to prison costs, accounting for $8.6 billion this year alone. Officials…
California Measure Proposes Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana
Officials announced Wednesday, March 24, 2010 that next November, California voters will be able to vote on the legalization of marijuana. The initiative would allow the drug to be sold and taxed. According to an article on Silicon Valley Mercury News, Measure supporters collected 694,248 signatures, well over the 433,971…
Man Accused of Felony DUI for Costa Mesa Crash
According to a CBS2 report, a 22-year-old man was arrested for felony DUI for causing the death of a 20-year-old woman in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 15, 2010, at 2:30 in the morning. The accused drunk driver had been driving a Toyota pickup truck, when he went through a…
Guilty Plea in Two-Victim DUI Manslaughter Case
A 32-year-old San Diego man pleaded guilty to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony DUI causing injury for an accident that resulted in the deaths of two teenage brothers. Apparently, the man was returning home from Tijuana when his vehicle collided with a sedan which was transporting…
Officials Pay Large Settlement in Marijuana Lawsuit
Based on a recent OC Register story, the city of Seal Beach settled a lawsuit filed against the police department in which an Orange County resident alleged that the Seal Beach Police Department unlawfully confiscated 40 to 50 medical marijuana plants and coerced him into becoming a drug informant. The…