714-997-4400Criminal Background Checks for Ammunition in California
In 2016, California voters approved Proposition 63: The Safety for All Act. The bill included several measures on gun control. Packed into the legislation was a ban on high-capacity magazines (more than ten rounds) and a criminal background check requirement for purchasing ammunition. It also changed the law on gun theft; stealing a gun (including […]
Ending Criminal Court Fees in California
In previous posts, we have written about the impact that court and probation fees can have on an individual and their families. The cost of getting in trouble with the law can be devastating, especially for people with limited income. If someone cannot pay their fines, it can result in them incurring more penalties. If […]
Cannabis Possession in California Prisons
As most Californians know, Proposition 64 gave adults, over the age of 21, the right to use cannabis. The law allows for the possession of small amounts of pot for personal use. While the laws about cannabis as they pertain to average citizens are relatively simple to understand, when it comes to people serving time […]
Law Enforcement’s Privacy Rights
Last fall, we wrote about two pieces of legislation signed into law by former California Governor Jerry Brown. They are SB 1421 and AB 748; the former grants the public access to investigations involving officer shootings and other significant uses of force. The latter gives law enforcement 45 days to release body camera footage and […]
LAX Cannabis Trafficking Arrests
Even though marijuana use in California is legal for adult consumption, it’s still an illicit substance federally. Anyone living in California knows that there are dispensaries across the state. More marijuana is produced here than in any other state. In Northern California, an estimated 1.7 million pounds of cannabis is cultivated each year, according to […]
Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act: Update
In the Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, it says that the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Whereby parishioners, the faithful, enter into a confessional to obtain absolution for the sins committed against God and neighbor. It is a long-held tradition that confession […]
People vs. Dueñas: Punishing Poor People
It is often said: “Crime doesn’t pay.” The idiom might mean different things to different people; but, one thing is for sure, it’s that those who break the law are subject to having to pay significant fines. So, in a sense, being on the windy side of the law can be an expensive enterprise. Today, […]
Circumventing Criminal Justice Reforms
It is no secret that the criminal justice system in California has been subjected to several changes in recent years. Efforts by criminal justice advocates and members of the Legislature have brought about many reforms to ensure equal rights and reduce inmate populations. We have written about several pieces of legislation that have resulted in […]
California Prosecutors Oppose SB-1437
A controversial new law that went into effect this year changes the felony murder rules in California. Senate Bill 1437 prohibits “a participant in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of one of the specified first-degree murder felonies in which a death occurs from being liable for murder.” Some of our readers may remember a previous […]