What Is Excessive Force, and What Are Your Legal Options?
Police officers are legally permitted to use force in certain situations. An officer may need to restrain someone who is resisting arrest, protect another person from an immediate threat, or respond to a dangerous confrontation. However, the authority to use force is not unlimited. When the amount or type of force used is unreasonable under […]
Can a Woman Be Charged With Domestic Violence?
When people hear the term domestic violence, they often may picture a male defendant accused of harming a female partner. That image can create a significant misunderstanding about how California law actually works. Domestic violence charges in California are not limited to men. A woman can be arrested, charged, prosecuted, and convicted of a domestic […]
Is the 3 Strikes Law Still in Effect in California?
A violent crime charge in California can carry serious consequences on its own. When the accused has a prior conviction that qualifies as a strike, however, the potential consequences can become substantially more severe. California’s Three Strikes Law is designed to increase sentences for certain repeat offenders, and understanding whether a previous or current conviction […]
Can Social Media Be Used Against You in Court?
Social media has become part of everyday life. People post photographs, comment on current events, send direct messages, check into locations, share videos, and interact with friends without necessarily thinking about how those activities could later be interpreted. When someone is under investigation or facing California criminal charges, however, even an ordinary post can take […]
When Does a Criminal Case Become a Federal Case?
Being accused of a crime is intimidating under any circumstances, but learning that federal authorities are involved can make the situation feel significantly more serious. Many people assume that a crime becomes federal simply because it is severe, involves a large amount of money, or attracts significant law enforcement attention. That is not necessarily the […]
The Difference Between Domestic Battery, Assault, and Abuse
When a domestic dispute results in police involvement, the terminology used by officers, prosecutors, and courts can quickly become confusing. Words such as domestic battery, domestic assault, domestic violence, and domestic abuse are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they do not necessarily mean the same thing under California law. The specific allegations, the […]
Can Police Search Your Phone Without a Warrant?
For many people, a smartphone contains far more personal information than anything they carry in a wallet or keep in a filing cabinet. Text messages, photographs, emails, location history, banking information, social media accounts, search history, medical portals, contact lists, calendars, and years of private communications may all be accessible from a single device. That […]
How Prosecutors Prove Intent in Violent Crime Cases
Few elements of a criminal case are as important—or as heavily contested—as intent. In many violent crime cases, the prosecution cannot simply show that an injury occurred or that someone was present at the scene. Instead, prosecutors often must prove what was happening inside a person’s mind before, during, or after the alleged offense. Because […]
The Difference Between Voluntary and Involuntary Manslaughter
The Difference Between Voluntary and Involuntary Manslaughter Few criminal accusations carry consequences as severe as a homicide charge. When someone is accused of causing another person’s death, the legal distinctions between different homicide offenses become critically important. Many people assume that all homicide charges are the same, but California law recognizes significant differences between murder, […]
Can Police Lie During an Interrogation?
Many people enter a police interview believing that officers must be truthful when discussing the investigation. That assumption can be dangerous. In many adult criminal investigations, police officers are legally permitted to use certain forms of deception to encourage a suspect to speak, change an account, or make an incriminating statement. An investigator might falsely […]