Articles Posted in Criminal Defense

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Police in East Los Angeles arrested four men in connection with a series of armed taco truck robberies, the Long Beach Press Telegram reports. All men were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in at least 22 felony armed robberies of taco trucks beginning in April. Police said two of the men were positively identified in a photo lineup as being responsible for the June 28th robbery and felony assault with a deadly weapon. Three others were also identified shortly afterward. According to the newspaper story, there is still one robbery suspect remaining at large.

Robbery is a serious felony crime with serious consequences in California. It is classified as a violent theft crime because most robberies involve violence or the imminent threat of violence or injury to a victim. California Penal Code section 211 defines robbery as “the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.” If use of a weapon or firearm is involved in the theft or if there is gang involvement, defendants may face “enhancements,” that could lead to much stiffer penalties.
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An 18-year-old Orange County man was reportedly the first juvenile to be charged as an adult with murder in a drunk driving crash. According to this news report, he was 17 at the time of the Orange County DUI accident, which killed his teen passenger, a Tustin girl. An Orange County jury found the teen driver guilty of one count of second-degree murder for being drunk behind the wheel and one misdemeanor count of driving without a license. His driver’s license had apparently been suspended the day before the fatal car accident.

The teen driver reportedly had several drinks during a party in his Santa Ana home and crashed into a pole while driving his Mercedes between 102 and 112 mph, prosecutors said. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.11 percent, which is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. The teen, convicted of DUI and second-degree murder, faces 15 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced in October.
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A 27-year-old man was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol after he reportedly lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into a building in Long Beach. According to this news article, the man was not seriously injured and no one else was hurt in the drunk driving crash. The man was reportedly driving toward the 710 Freeway when he lost control of his Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and hit the east wall of a recreation center. The building sustained moderate damage. The driver was booked for DUI and driving on a suspended license.

It is illegal under the California Vehicle Code to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs:

23152 (a) It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.

(b) It is unlawful for any person who has 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a vehicle.
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As a California Criminal Defense Law Firm, Sitkoff & Hanrahan is happy to share their new drug crime website as an important resource for those interested in learning more about laws surrounding drug offenses and the consequences of such crimes. The new website, www.californiadrugcrimedefenselawyer.com/, supplies a wide-range of information regarding misdemeanor drug charges, felony drug charges, drug manufacturing, drug possession, drug distribution, and many other elements of drug offenses.

In accordance with efforts to lower crime, laws pertaining to drug crimes are subject to change, in which the public should be kept up-to-date on such developments that could potentially directly affect them. The lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan are pleased to have their drug crime website available as a means of helping educate the public on new and existing critical laws surrounding drug offenses. Drug charge penalties can be quite severe and mostly depend on the amount of drugs a person is accused of possessing, in addition to the kind of drug or drugs in question. Whether or not a person facing drug charges has a previous criminal record will also influence the charges held against them.

The experienced California drug crime defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have devoted many years to ensuring that those accused of a drug offense are aware of their rights and receive quality legal representation. For more information regarding drug crime general facts, legal resources, or more, visit www.californiadrugcrimedefenselawyer.com/. The California drug crime defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan can be reached at 866-430-8383.

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There is an interesting news article about drug court in the Desert Dispatch. The article talks about a San Bernardino County court program which makes healthy living and employment mandatory for program participants who are recovering from drug addiction. This particular drug court program encourages healthy activities such as sports for recovering addicts through mandatory monthly activities. In order to be part of the program, participants must go to mandatory court hearings, pass drug tests, participate in drug treatment and work toward getting a job. In Barstow alone, there are 62 individuals participating in the drug court program.

Drug courts all over Southern California are becoming an extremely popular alternative to jail for those convicted of relatively minor drug crimes, such as possession of drugs and being under the influence of drugs. A study in 2005 in Barstow, California showed that recidivism rates were remarkably lower for those who participated in a drug court.

The study found fewer drug court graduates were rearrested. The statistics for those rearrested after completing the program were 17 percent of drug court grads and 29 percent of drug court participants. This study used information from a number of California counties including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and other counties.
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A tagging group in Los Angeles County has been blamed for more than 600 acts of vandalism and about $275,000 in damage. According to this CBS news report, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies served search warrants at six locations and made seven arrests including two adults and five juveniles. They were all charged with felony vandalism. The arrests reportedly followed a two-month investigation. Four of the five juveniles who were arrested were already on probation for vandalism-related crimes, the news article stated.

When juveniles face criminal charges, it is an extremely challenging situation. In most cases, these matters go through Juvenile Court and the California Juvenile Justice System as opposed to adult court. The goal of juvenile court is to help rehabilitate children whereas in adult court, the focus is on punishment. This of course does not mean that your child will not face severe punishment in juvenile court. In some cases, children may be charged as adults. This is particularly true with felony crimes or violent crimes such as robbery, sexual assault or murder.
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A 37-year-old Orange County man has been arrested for felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter in connection with death of his passenger in a July 26 traffic accident. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, the defendant was driving an SUV on a Santa Ana street when he lost control and struck a tree. The SUV rolled over and the passenger was ejected and sustained fatal injuries.

Driving under the influence – whether it’s alcohol, recreational drugs or prescription drugs — is a serious crime in California especially when it involves a serious injury or fatality. A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges.

California Penal Code section 191.5 (a) states: “Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence.”
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Eleven women and one man are facing sex crime charges in Orange County after the county’s human trafficking task force raided a chiropractor’s office in Garden Grove, which they say, was a front for a brothel. According to this news report in The Orange County Register, police arrested a 23-year-old man for running the operation and 11 women on prostitution charges. Police say the women are being treated as “victims of human trafficking.” They are also investigating whether the chiropractor, who owns the office, knew about the brothel operations there.

If you have been charged with prostitution or solicitation, the consequences not only pose legal challenges, but are also socially debilitating. An Orange County arrest for prostitution or other sex offenses will inevitably involve an emotional component that often leads to your case being tried in the court of public opinion rather than being decided based on a strict interpretation of California criminal laws.
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A new California law, which took effect last month, requires mandatory ignition interlock devices on motor vehicles owned and operated by motorists convicted of driving on a suspended license due to a previous alcohol-related conviction. According to this news report, a person who is required and fails to install an ignition interlock device is guilty of a misdemeanor. One who falls into the category of driving with a suspended license for a DUI-related conviction will be assessed a $40 administrative fee for verification of the device’s installation. For more information, please visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Web site (www.dmv.ca.gov).

Driving under the influence is a serious offense in California. It can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony in California depending on the nature of the incident, the seriousness of injuries and the driver’s level of intoxication. In California, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. It is also illegal in California to drive under the influence of drugs – be it recreational or prescription drugs.
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Federal and local agents raided two medical marijuana dispensaries in the Los Angeles area arresting the 50-year-old owner of the dispensaries at his home. According to an Associated Press news report, drug task force agents served a state search warrant at the medical marijuana collectives at Culver City and West Los Angeles. Officials apparently seized 100 pounds of marijuana, 200 live plants and about $100,000 in cash, the news report said.

The passage of California’s Proposition 215 legalized medical marijuana possession in this state. However, marijuana possession is still illegal under federal law. This has led to problems with enforcement in California, especially in the Los Angeles area, where medical marijuana dispensaries are raided by federal drug enforcement agents. This discrepancy between federal and state law has resulted in numerous drug crime arrests and charges that are not actually warranted. Most medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives are operating legally under state law. The voters of California approved the possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes. This discrepancy between federal and state law should be resolved.
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