The issue of getting a fair and impartial judge to hear your case is obviously important in every case. However, what can you do when you think the judge is prejudiced against you and your case? You could file a challenge to the judge pursuant to the Code of Civil…
In the summer of 2017, a minor, “Joe,” was sitting in a car directly behind his friend’s Infiniti. When the group in front of Joe saw a member from a rival gang cross the street, they stopped their Infiniti. One of Joe’s friends exited the Infiniti and shot the rival…
John Christiana was a California resident who had a long history of schizophrenia-related symptoms. Throughout his life, he also committed many crimes in the central region of California. In September 2008, for example, the state charged Christiana with grand theft, vandalism, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Then, in April…
If the state deports a key witness in your trial, your case could be dismissed. Two cases, People v Torres and People v Roldan, outline when this might happen. In December 2006, the state charged Juan Roldan with the shooting of Saba Barrera. Roldan allegedly shot Barrera three times due…
Mr. Glover, a Kansan pickup truck owner, was driving when he passed a sheriff’s deputy. The deputy, who was randomly checking license plates, searched the plate of his truck. Upon his search, the deputy found that the state revoked the license from the registered owner of the truck. The sheriff,…
Can a witness testify from the grave? Of course not, right? Well, it turns out that sometimes a deceased witness can testify in a court of law. As absurd as this sounds, the recent murder case of People v. Quintanilla dealt with this issue. In this case, Quintanilla allegedly shot…
The United States has surpassed every country in the amount of confirmed Coronavirus cases. To make matters worse, public health official expect an infection total of 200 million in the United States by the end of this novel virus season. With estimates as dismal as this, public health officials call…
What type of action warrants a punishment as severe as 45 years in jail? Of the many crimes that come to mind, I doubt you thought of a single punch. However, on January 3, 2020, the California Court of Appeals upheld the People v Palomar ruling, which sentenced a man…
Recently, I was one of the first attorneys to have a client granted Mental Health Diversion pursuant to Penal Code Section 1000.36. The catch to getting such a motion granted is to put together a treatment plan that convinces the judge that the defendant can successfully complete it over, at…
Under new legislation effective January 1, 2019, you could be eligible for diversion under Penal Code Section 1001.36. This new law allows those who suffer from a mental condition, such as bipolar or schizophrenia, when that mental disorder played a significant role in the commission of the charged offense, to…