Retailers Are Cracking Down on Shoplifters
Today is “Black Friday,” the make or break day for most retailers. Good sales today mean staying “in the black;” that is, on the profit side of the balance sheet. Poor sales mean a ledger full of red ink and possible bankruptcy. Losses from light-fingered customers often tip the balance. Shoplifting cost U.S. retail stores […]
Drug Offenders May Qualify for Alternative Sentencing
Most drug crimes in California are aggressively prosecuted as felonies and carry stiff sentences, often including mandated prison time. California’s tough Three Strikes Law can result in even more onerous sentences. As we discussed in our November 24 post, a number of things determine how drug offenses are charged and prosecuted, including the type and […]
How Criminal Defense Attorneys Defend Drug Crimes
In California, most drug crimes are charged and prosecuted as felonies (see our Nov. 21 post). Conviction carries stiff legal penalties, often including prison time, high fines, confiscation of assets, loss of driver’s license and registration as a narcotics offender. Repeat convictions can result in even more severe penalties and lengthy mandatory sentences through California’s […]
Supreme Court to Rule on Using Cell Phones to Buy Drugs
In what could become a new legal hurdle for those accused of drug crimes, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving the use of a cell phone to purchase drugs. The ultimate court of appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether someone who uses his own cell phone to buy […]
L.A. councilman seeks to protect celebrities from paparazzi
Paparazzi and celebrities go together like the beach and seagulls, lots of people like the beach, but seagulls aren’t so great. A city councilman in Los Angeles is trying to pass new laws to both protect celebrities from having their rights violated, and make places like school zones safer for the general public.
Much ado was […]
Appeals Court Overturns Rape Verdict, Frees Man After 12 Years in Prison
As we have previously discussed (see our Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 posts), the appellate process exists to correct judicial errors and ensure that criminal defendants receive justice. An excellent example of how an appeal can right a wrong is the recent case reported in the Dallas Morning News.
In 1996, when he was a 17-year-old […]
Suge Knight Faces Serious Charges
The Clark County Nevada district attorney’s office is seeking charges against Marion “Suge” Knight in the alleged beating of his girlfriend in August. A criminal complaint being processed Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court charges Knight with two counts of felony drug possession and one count of misdemeanor battery.
Police say they arrested Knight, 43, after […]
Famous Fashion Designer Found Guilty of Rape
A Beverly Hills fashion designer, once touted as a future star of the catwalks, was found guilty of sexually assaulting seven girls and young women, capping a two-month trial that offered a sordid portrait of the fashion world.
During this jury trial, the jury was made up of six men and six women, the deliberation lasted for seven days […]
In Appeals, You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Once again, the appellate court has ruled, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” In Satchmed Plaza Owners v. UWMC Hospital Corp. (2008 DJDAR 16123), the 4th District, Division 3 Court of Appeal reaffirmed that accepting the benefits of a judgment invalidates your right to appeal that judgment.
The appeals process gives those […]
Tragic End of Paula Abdul Stalker
Paula Abdul, former pop music queen and current American Idol judge, was the focus of an obsessed stalker who was found dead outside of her home. The stalker had been a contestant on American Idol and was judged harshly by the panel, including Abdul.
The stalker, Goodspeed, 30, admitted she made “life-sized drawings of Paula” during […]